Massacre at Cape Grim (1)
Richard Frederick, master of the VDL Co sloop, Fanny, told Mrs Rosalie Hare, wife of the captain of the Caroline, that he and four shepherds had surprised a party of Aborigines at Cape Grim, killing 12 of them before retreating to their ship. Mrs Hare recorded the incident in her diary on 19 January 1828 (Lee, 1927, p 41). Edward Curr, the manager of the VDL Company, acknowledged the attack in a report to his superiors in London on 14 January 1828 but claimed there were no casualties because "the guns mis-fired." (TAHO VDL 5/1 No.2) According to historian Ian McFarlane, the massacre was carried out in reprisal for Aboriginal people killing sheep (McFarlane, 2003, pp 277-298).
Notes:
CorroborationRating: **
LanguageGroup: North West
Victims: Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander People
VictimsDead: 12
CorroborationRating: **
LanguageGroup: North West
Victims: Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander People
VictimsDead: 12
People involved
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Event mentions
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Massacre at Cape Grim (1)1 Jan 1828 – 31 Jan 1828 — Cape Grim (1) — massacreRichard Frederick, master of the VDL Co sloop, Fanny, told Mrs Rosalie Hare, wife of the captain of the Caroline, that he and four shepherds had surprised a party of Aborigines at Cape Grim, killing 12 of them before retreating to their ship. Mrs Hare recorded the incident in her diary on 19 January 1828 (Lee, 1927, p 41). Edward Curr, the manager of the VDL Company, acknowledged the attack in a report to his superiors in London on 14 January 1828 but claimed there were no casualties because "the guns mis-fired." (TAHO VDL 5/1 No.2) According to historian Ian McFarlane, the massacre was carried out in reprisal for Aboriginal people killing sheep (McFarlane, 2003, pp 277-298).