John Coppock, Samuel Fuller (Shepherd), convict servants
Motive
Revenge for killing of station hands and sheep stealing
Convictions
None
The Waterloo Plains massacre occurred in June 1838 when 8 to 23 Djadjawurrung Aboriginal people were killed in a reprisal raid for the killing of two convict servants and theft of sheep.[1]
In early 1837, the Barfold sheep run was established by William Henry Yaldwyn, when business partner and station overseer John Coppock drove 4000 sheep from the Goulburn area to a site, later named Piper's Creek, about 8 miles (13 km) north of Kyneton.
In 1838, two convict workers, a hut keeper and watchman, were found dead, and 1200 sheep missing.
Coppock summoned about 20 convict men from Barfold and surrounding stations owned by Charles Ebden (Carlsruhe station), Dr William Bowman and H. Munro.[2][3]
The armed and mounted party tracked the Djadjawurrung people to their camp in a gully (now known as Waterloo Plains). The armed party attacked at night, taking the Djadjawurrung by surprise as they cooked the stolen sheep. The terrain meant the victims had little defence other than their spears and shields. When the attack was over, between 8 and 23 Djadjawurrung were dead and others wounded. Two of the attackers sustained minor injuries.[4]
They fired from their horses; the blacks were down in the hole. They were out of distance of spears. One old man kept supplying them with spears and was soon shot. Great many were shot. Some other blacks held up pieces of bark to keep off the balls but it was no use. Some were shot dead with their bark in their hands.[5]
When Melbourne police magistrate William Lonsdale was informed about the killings, he passed the report on to the Governor in Sydney, and Coppock and his party were summoned there to explain.[6] However, Coppock missed the boat from Williamstown to Sydney and was never held to account for his actions.[3]
In January 1840, Robinson travelled to Munro's station and crossed the Coliban River, locating the site of the killing on small hill behind an abandoned hut.
^Clark, Ian D. (1995). Scars in the landscape : a register of massacre sites in western Victoria, 1803-1859. Canberra: Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies. ISBN0-85575-281-5. OCLC41539940.
^"Old Time Memories". The Australasian. Victoria, Australia. 31 October 1885. p. 1 (The Australasian Supplement). Retrieved 6 January 2020 – via Trove.
^George Augustus Robinson, journal, Port Phillip Protectorate, 18 October 1839-17 January 1840
