March 18.
Artwork by Glenn Loughrey
Governor Macquarie’s instructions
“...to surrender themselves to you as Prisoners of War.”
In the first four months of 1816, there was a spate of Aboriginal raids along the Nepean River, and on one occasion a raiding party even crossed the Blue Mountains to attack the government cattle herd at Cox's River (near what is now Hartley on the great Western Highway). [1] Along the frontier, farmers fled their farms, and [Governor] Macquarie felt he was 'compelled' to send 'a Strong Detachment of Troops' against the Darug, Darawal and Gandangara to 'Strike them with Terror against Committing Similar Acts of Violence in future'. [2] This expedition would be one of the most elaborate operations ever carried out by the British Army on the Australian frontier.
...In contrast to previous British expeditions on the Hawkesbury-Nepean, in which it was thought enough simply to kill any Aborigines they came across, Macquarie told his officers that the aim of this operation should be 'to Punish the guilty with as little injury as possible to the innocent Natives'. A list of men accused of carrying out the raids who were to be arrested or killed was issued, and Macquarie stated that the 'Five Islands tribe' (the Illawarra group of the Darawal people) had not taken part in the attacks and was therefore not to be molested.
The rules of engagement were also very specific. Macquarie told his officers:
On any occasion of seeing or falling in with the Natives, either in Bodies or Singly, they are to be called on, by your friendly Native Guides, to surrender themselves to you as Prisoners of War. If they refuse to do so, make the least show of resistance, or attempt to run away from you, you will fire upon and compel them to surrender, breaking and destroying the Spears, Clubs and Waddies of all those you take prisoners. Such Natives as happen to be killed on such occasions, if grown men, are to be hanged up on trees* in Conspicuous Situations, to Strike the Survivors with the greater terror.*
He further ordered the expedition that, if it was required to open fire, 'you will use every possible precaution to save the lives of the Native Women and Children'. [3]
Macquarie had written his orders with much thought and a sincere desire to limit frontier violence. Unfortunately, they were almost impossible to implement in frontier conditions. The only way British troops could get close to Aboriginal groups was to look for their campfires at night and surprise them in their sleep. In these circumstances it was very difficult for soldiers to differentiate between men, women and children.
Letter – Macquarie to Murphy, 22 April 1816, NLA mfm N257 Reel 6065 AONSW CSO 4/1798.
Diary – Macquarie, 10 April 1816, NLA mfm G27296 ML A773; letter – Macquarie to Bathurst, 18 March 1816, HRA, IX: 54.
Letter – Macquarie to Schaw, 9 April 1816, NLA mfm N257 Reel 6045 AONSW CSO 4/1734.
Acknowledgment: John Connor, The Australian Frontier Wars, pp.49, 51, 136 n.58, n.59, n.62.
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Gibbets
* Historian Stephen Gapps commenting on Governor Macquarie’s instruction, notes the reference to persons being ‘hanged up on trees’ and for the purpose of inciting ‘terror’:
Gibbeting was the long-standing English practice of hanging a corpse in chains or irons reserved for particularly heinous offences and deployed to deter others long afterwards. While the practice was fading out by the early 19th century, it was still useful to Macquarie's aims...In the Australian context the [Gibbet] post became the nearest conspicuous tree.
Acknowledgment: Stephen Gapps, the Sydney Wars – Conflict in the early colony 1788-1817, pp. 229.
Note further entry on ‘gibbets’ at 27 September.