Massacre at Lizard Island
On Lizard Island in October 1881, following the killing of a Chinese workman and the burning down of a cottage by Aboriginal warriors from the mainland at her absent husband's beche de mer station, Mary Watson, aged 21, together with her baby son, Ferrier and a wounded Chinese servant, Ah San, left the island in a cut down ship's water tank. Eight days later all three perished of thirst after reaching Number 5 island which they thought had no water. Mary Watson kept a diary of the dreadful voyage, which was found some months later among the mangroves. When passing vessels reported the destruction of the cottage and fires fiercely burning across Lizard Island, it was assumed that Mary Watson had been kidnapped and/or killed. In reprisal, 2nd class inspector Hervey Fitzgerald set off from Cooktown with a detachment of native police for Lizard Island and when they arrived 'dispersed' 150 Aboriginal people at Snake River. According to Falkiner and Oldfield, 'there are no official records remaining of the police reprisals on Lizard Island. The only repository is the memory of the Guugu Yimidhirr people' (Falkiner & Oldfield, 2000, p 115). They claim that Lizard Island was the site of a bora ground and the Chinese worker was killed 'for disturbing sacred ground.' They also claim that the black troopers were from Fraser Island (Falkiner & Oldfield, 2000, p 115).
Notes:
CorroborationRating: ***
LanguageGroup: Guugu Yimidhirr
Victims: Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander People
VictimsDead: 150
CorroborationRating: ***
LanguageGroup: Guugu Yimidhirr
Victims: Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander People
VictimsDead: 150
People involved
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Event mentions
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Massacre at Lizard Island1 Oct 1881 – 31 Oct 1881 — Lizard Island — massacreOn Lizard Island in October 1881, following the killing of a Chinese workman and the burning down of a cottage by Aboriginal warriors from the mainland at her absent husband's beche de mer station, Mary Watson, aged 21, together with her baby son, Ferrier and a wounded Chinese servant, Ah San, left the island in a cut down ship's water tank. Eight days later all three perished of thirst after reaching Number 5 island which they thought had no water. Mary Watson kept a diary of the dreadful voyage, which was found some months later among the mangroves. When passing vessels reported the destruction of the cottage and fires fiercely burning across Lizard Island, it was assumed that Mary Watson had been kidnapped and/or killed. In reprisal, 2nd class inspector Hervey Fitzgerald set off from Cooktown with a detachment of native police for Lizard Island and when they arrived 'dispersed' 150 Aboriginal people at Snake River. According to Falkiner and Oldfield, 'there are no official records remaining of the police reprisals on Lizard Island. The only repository is the memory of the Guugu Yimidhirr people' (Falkiner & Oldfield, 2000, p 115). They claim that Lizard Island was the site of a bora ground and the Chinese worker was killed 'for disturbing sacred ground.' They also claim that the black troopers were from Fraser Island (Falkiner & Oldfield, 2000, p 115).