The Battle of Pinjarra

The Battle of Pinjarra

October 25-28 1834

1829

One group that included Captain James Stirling blocked the river which was the escape route will the others set up on the opposite side of the camp. The attack began at 8:35am as the Europeans planned to attack in the early morning when the Aboriginals were at their most vulnerable.

The attacks escalated into a series of tit-for-tat murders as both sides were prepared to meet violence with violence. Settlers soon requested military protection from the Govener of the Swan River colony, Captain James Stirling. Their request was granted after the death of a soldier on patrol in the area. The land the people of Pinjarra settled on was occupied by the Bindjareb people and they speared cattle, stole bread and occasionally attacked settlers.

1829

October 25-28 1834

Following the settlement of the Swan River colony, settlers begun to explore and discover the surrounding lands of the region. The search lead them south of the Murray River where they established the small community of Pinjarra. Pinjarra was isolated and 80km south of the colony of Swan River.

Captain Stirling departed Swan River with mounted patrol of 25 policeman and soldiers to Pinjarra. Later that week they arrived at a camp of an average of 70 Aboriginal people, men, women and children. Stirling ordered his men to seperate into 2 groups surrounding the camp.

Before and after European settlement for Aboriginal people

October 25-28 1834

The battle of Pinjarra as it is viewed by Aboriginal people

Aboriginals would have viewed this event as cruel, unfair, unnecessary and malicious. The attack was set-up to enforce the message that settlers and their livestock must not be harmed, speared or attacked. The Aboriginal people of this tribe possibly wouldn't have got this message as the series of tit-for-tat murders should have made everybody believe that both sides were even. The attack was unnecessary and severely damaging to the tribe of Bindjareb.

AS soon as the Bindjareb people were notified of the attack the women and children quickly tried to escape via the river but were attacked. The women and children were hit the hardest whilst the men defended themselves against the Europeans on the other side of the camp. After several hours of fighting two Europeans had been wounded and 15-20 Aboriginal men and 30-40 Aboriginal women and children had died. 8 women were taken as prisoners as warning to the rest of the mob although they were later released.

Before European settlement the Aboriginals kept within their mob and area and lived as semi-nomadics. They only used the natural resources they needed and kept to themselves apart from small conflicts with neighbouring tribes. After European contact they were treated unfairly and cruelly as they weren't considered owners of the land and were pushed from the bays and areas surrounding colonies. They were introduced to alcohol and smoking which severeley damaged their health and also introduced to diseases that their bodies weren't immune to.