180th Anniversary of the Myall Creek Massacre

In 1838, a group of stockmen on Myall Creek Station massacred twenty-eight Wirrayaraay women, children, and old men in an unprovoked attack. On 10 June 2018, people will gather to commemorate the 180^th anniversary of the tragedy and the lives lost.

The annual memorial service is open to everyone and has previously been attended by hundreds First and Second Peoples from across Australia. As part of the service ‘Koori King of Country’ and Kamilaroi man, Roger Knox, will share songs in honour of his people. Mr Knox’s songs will be accompanied by the Tingha and Gomeroi dancers.

A short video funded by the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage will be unveiled at the service outlining the proposed educational and cultural centre to be established at Myall Creek. The service will also acknowledge the winners of the tenth annual Thoughts and Dreams – Student Art, Writing and Song competition. The competition is open to students from Kindergarten to Year 12 across NSW, who are asked to submit pieces that reflect concepts of reconciliation. The 2018 theme is “180 years on…What have we learnt?”

Myall Creek memorial history

A group of Aboriginal and non-indigenous people in an act of reconciliation erected the Myall Creek Memorial on the Bingara-Delungra Road near Inverell in June 2000. This covenanting initiative was a result from the initial gathering organised in 1998 by the Uniting Church and led by Rev. John Brown and Aunty Sue Blacklock.

In 2008 the massacre site and memorial was nationally recognised as part of the National Heritage Register. The then Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts, Peter Garrett, said by recognising the site, it was “a sign of how we continue to grow and mature as a nation.”

“That we come to terms with our past, acknowledge it, identify it and then move forward together, sharing the future,” said Mr Garrett.

In 2010, the memorial site was listed as a heritage site in NSW.

Additional memorial events

In the days leading up to the memorial service there are a number of exhibitions, symposium, artist talks and concert in commemoration of the 180^th anniversary. For more information click here.

The memorial service on June 10, 2018 will begin at 9:30am with a morning tea at the Myall Creek Memorial Hall. 

For further information please contact:

Ivan Roberts 0475 838 144 or iroberts2505@yahoo.com.au
Graeme Cordiner (02) 9817 0288 or gscordiner@hotmail.com
Jo Miller 0414 418 600 or jo@hopwoodmiller.com