Wiradjuri warriors kill a shepherd at Mr Lee’s station after a large gathering

Date: 1 Aug 1840 – 25 Aug 1840
Place: Mickybill
“The blacks in the vicinity of Bathurst have assembled in large numbers, and declared their intention of exterminating all defenceless white men at out-stations. They have already killed a shepherd of Mr.Lee's, and have threatened Mr. R. Murphy's establishment on the Aber-crombie River.” (Colonial and Foreign News, 1840, August 25, p. 1250) According to Pasturage Licences listed in 1845, Mr Lee had two stations, Mickabill (Mickybill) and Condobolin, on the Lachlan. The reference to ‘Bathurst’ is from South Australia, so the broad region of Lachlan and Murrumbidgee is likely meant, rather than Bathurst and its immediate vicinity.

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Sources

  • Colonial and Foreign News. (1840, August 25). The South Australian Colonist and Settlers' Weekly Record of British, Foreign and Colonial Intelligence (London, England : 1840), p. 391; PASTURAGE LICENSES. (1845, November 18). New South Wales Government Gazette (Sydney, NSW : 1832 - 1900), p. 1297. Retrieved October 22, 2025, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article230690220

Event mentions

  • Wiradjuri warriors kill a shepherd at Mr Lee’s station after a large gathering
    1 Aug 1840 – 25 Aug 1840 — Mickybill
    “The blacks in the vicinity of Bathurst have assembled in large numbers, and declared their intention of exterminating all defenceless white men at out-stations. They have already killed a shepherd of Mr.Lee's, and have threatened Mr. R. Murphy's establishment on the Aber-crombie River.” (Colonial and Foreign News, 1840, August 25, p. 1250) According to Pasturage Licences listed in 1845, Mr Lee had two stations, Mickabill (Mickybill) and Condobolin, on the Lachlan. The reference to ‘Bathurst’ is from South Australia, so the broad region of Lachlan and Murrumbidgee is likely meant, rather than Bathurst and its immediate vicinity.
    Source: Colonial and Foreign News. (1840, August 25). The South Australian Colonist and Settlers' Weekly Record of British, Foreign and Colonial Intelligence (London, England : 1840), p. 391; PASTURAGE LICENSES. (1845, November 18). New South Wales Government Gazette (Sydney, NSW : 1832 - 1900), p. 1297. Retrieved October 22, 2025, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article230690220