Aboriginal man ‘Peter’ beaten to death by shepherd John Williams on 18 August 1845 and the body of Peter’s son found nearby
An Aboriginal man known to the settlers as Peter was beaten so severely that he died. The body of Peter’s son (aged 12-14 years) was subsequently found nearby. Protector Moorhouse initially suspected poisoning but subsequently deduced Peter’s son died of starvation and cold. The Police Commissioner and Attorney General were also involved in the investigations and the case was tried at the Supreme Court in September 1845.
(See 'The South Australian Frontier and its Legacies' for more details.)
(See 'The South Australian Frontier and its Legacies' for more details.)
Notes:
LocationAccuracy: Approximate
LocationAccuracy: Approximate
People involved
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Sources
- Robert Foster, Skye Krichauff and Amanda Nettelbeck, The South Australian Frontier and its Legacies, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, 2024, http://ua.edu.au/south-australian-frontier
Event mentions
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Aboriginal man ‘Peter’ beaten to death by shepherd John Williams on 18 August 1845 and the body of Peter’s son found nearby18 Aug 1845 — Hummock RangesAn Aboriginal man known to the settlers as Peter was beaten so severely that he died. The body of Peter’s son (aged 12-14 years) was subsequently found nearby. Protector Moorhouse initially suspected poisoning but subsequently deduced Peter’s son died of starvation and cold. The Police Commissioner and Attorney General were also involved in the investigations and the case was tried at the Supreme Court in September 1845.
(See 'The South Australian Frontier and its Legacies' for more details.)Source: Robert Foster, Skye Krichauff and Amanda Nettelbeck, The South Australian Frontier and its Legacies, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, 2024, http://ua.edu.au/south-australian-frontier