On 28 October 1834, the Battle of Pinjarra was fought between the British under James Stirling against the Aborigines under Noonar during the Australian Frontier Wars.
Why did it happen?
On 12 August 1829, Perth was founded as a British colony in Western Australia. As British settlers encroached on Aboriginal land, the Nyungar and Pinjarup tribes developed new tactics to fight the British. This included using fire to destroy crops and spears to kill livestock. One such raid on 24 April 1834 saw Aboriginal warriors under Calyute take 980 pounds of flour from a British windmill. British forces subsequently arrested Calyute on 24 July, and on 14 September, Governor James Stirling increased the garrison in Perth from 64 soldiers to 130. He also established the Western Australian Mounted Police and, on 25 October, rode south to the Murray River with a party of 25 men to establish an outpost and arrest the Aborigines who were responsible for the attacks on British settlements.
Who was involved?
The British forces at Pinjarra numbered 20 infantry and 5 cavalry. The cavalry force was primarily recruited from the Mounted Police and was not from the British garrison in Perth. This was because the 21st Regiment could not spare any men, although some of the infantry were recruited from the 63rd Regiment. The British plan was to cross the Murray River and establish a military outpost to conduct operations in the surrounding area. Four soldiers under Mr. Roe would hold the south Ford, while the remaining 16 soldiers would defend the north Ford and riverbank. The Aboriginal forces at Pinjarra numbered 70 warriors and civilians. They were encamped on the north bank of the Murray River, and unlike other Aboriginal groups, the men chose to stand their ground and fight while the women and children hid in the bush along the river.
What happened?
At 5.50am on 28 October, The British crossed the Murray River intending to establish a military outpost on the south bank. However, upon sighting an Aboriginal camp on the north bank, James Stirling ordered the cavalry under Captain Ellis to recross the river towards the camp. At the same time, the infantry spread out along the south bank. As the British cavalry charged towards the camp, Noonar and his Aboriginal warriors threw spears at them, mortally wounding Ellis and unhorsing two riders. However, after the remaining cavalry troopers shot Noonar dead, the Aborigines retreated towards the northern Ford of the Murray River, only to be met by British infantry who opened fire on them. Under crossfire, the Aboriginal women and children attempted to hide in the tree roots and branches of the riverbank while others submerged themselves in the river. After inflicting heavy casualties on the Aborigines, Stirling ordered a ceasefire. While British casualties numbered 1 killed and 2 wounded, Aboriginal losses numbered 25 killed and 8 captured.
What changed as a result?
The Battle of Pinjarra was a British victory. The incident itself remains controversial to this day, with some regarding it as a massacre rather than a battle. However, as pointed out by John Connor, “to call Pinjarra a ‘massacre’ denies recognition of the Pinjarup warriors’ heroic actions” (Connor, 2002, p.79). Whatever the truth, the encounter had the desired effect, for the Pinjarup met with Governor Stirling to negotiate peace in March 1835. However, the British Mounted Police continued to campaign against Aboriginal tribes around York on the Avon River, with one-third of the Western Australian garrison being deployed there in 1837. The Avon River would continue to be contested by the British and Aborigines into the 1840s, with frontier warfare continuing in Western Australia until 1926.
Bibliography
Connor, John. The Australian Frontier Wars 1788-1838. Sydney, UNSW Press, 2002.
Keneally, Thomas. Australians: Origins to Eureka. Sydney, Allen & Unwin, 2010.
Wadholloway. “Pinjarra Massacre.” The Australian Legend. Last revised January 4, 2020. www.theaustralianlegend.wordpress.com/2020/01/04/pinjarra-massacre/
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