The Governor of Western Australia, Chris Dawson, has apologised (28 October) to the Bindjareb Noongar people for the Pinjarra Massacre of 1834, which saw the deaths of First Nations people at the hands of colonial government forces led by Governor James Stirling. Descendants of those killed have been calling for many years for an apology.
Between 15 and 80 First Nations people were killed in one hour's assault by government forces led by Stirling. Pinjarra is on the Murray River about 80 km south of Perth. There had been conflict between settlers and First Nations people for some years before Pinjarra, with casualties on both sides, and stock losses.
Governor Dawson's statement. ABC report. NITV report. Whether Stirling's name should still be used for place-names: ABC report.
From the Governor's statement:
[His role as Governor] meant telling the TRUTH in all the complexities of the past, in order to HEAL in the present and do all I could to contribute to the GROWTH of trust and reconciliation ...
The precise number of deaths of the Aboriginal population [at Pinjarra] are now impossible to determine.
It has been noted in the records that women and children were numbered amongst the dead and injured. Oral histories handed down amongst the Bindjareb Noongar give a much higher casualty figure [than Stirling's claim of 15].
[Governor Stirling reported to the Colonial Secretary in London] that he had been determined to put a “check” on the tribe and that the surviving Aboriginals “were then informed that this punishment had been inflicted”.
“The women were kept [Stirling reported to London] until after our company had been collected round the two wounded [government] men, they were then informed that the punishment had been inflicted, because of the misconduct of the tribe, that the white men never forgot to punish murder, and that on this occasion the women and children had been spared, but that if any other person should be killed by them, not one would be allowed to remain alive this side of the mountains.”
As Governor of Western Australia [said Governor Dawson], I come to you today to say: I AM DEEPLY SORRY FOR THE ACTIONS OF MY PREDECESSOR AND FOR THE PAIN AND SUFFERING HE CAUSED.
I say sorry to the Bindjareb people, who still feel the trauma of the punishment inflicted on their ancestors that day, when so many innocent lives were taken.
The time has come – and the time is right – for the Governor to acknowledge the truth of the past actions of a predecessor.
Picture credit: Pinjarra Massacre site, 2020 (Calistemon, Wikimedia Commons).
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