Wp/nys/Explorers' Monument, Fremantle

Explorers' Monument in 2007

Mass killings of Aboriginal people occurred in both 1864 wer 1865 in WA, at Lagrange in Karajarri lands, southwest of the Kimberleys in the northern Pilbara. According to Wadjela reports at least 18 Karajarri were killed in 1864, before the three white explorers responsible were in turn killed by the Karajarri. The explorers were called Panter, Harding wer Goldwyer. The Explorers' Monument in Fremantle was built in memory of them. It was dedicated in 1913 with a plaque that read, in part:

To the memories of Panter, Harding and Goldwyer ... attacked at night by treacherous natives
were murdered.

The explorer, politician wer pastoralist Maitland Brown then led a punitive expedition to Lagrange in 1865 which retrieved the three pastoralists' bodies wer then massacred 6 - 20 Karajarri for no loss of life to the expedition. Nidja massacre is called the "La Grange Massacre" or the "Injudinah Massacre". Two other Aboriginals had been shot before the massacre proper.

But that is not the end of the story, for in 1994 a second plaque was added to the Explorers' Monument.

This plaque was erected by people who found the monument before you, offensive. The monument described the events at LaGrange from one perspective only, the viewpoint of the white settlers. No mention is made of the right of Aboriginal people to defend their land, or of the history of provocation which led to the explorers' deaths.

The continuing presence of the second plaque is in marked contrast to the vandalising of two successive plaques erected near the site of the Pinjarra Massacre as part of an attempt at reconciliation.

The 1913 plaque reads in full:

This MONUMENT WAS ERECTED BY C. J. BROCKMAN as a fellow bush wanderer's tribute to the memory of PANTER, HARDING wer GOLDWYER earliest explorers after Grey wer Gregory of this "Terra Incognita"',attacked at night by treachorous natives were murdered at Boole Boola near Le Grange Bay on the 13 NOVEMBER 1864. also as an appreciative token of remembrance of MAITLAND BROWN one of the pioneer pastoralists wer premier politicians of nidja state,intrepid leader of the government search wer punitive party. His remains together with the sad relics of the ill fated three recovered at great risk wer danger from lone wilds repose under a public monument in the East Perth Cemetery "LEST WE FORGET"

The 1994 plaque reads:

nidja PLAQUE WAS ERECTED BY PEOPLE WHO FOUND THE MONUMENT BEFORE YOU OFFENSIVE. THE MONUMENT DESCRIBED THE EVENTS AT La GRANGE FROM ONE PERSPECTIVE ONLY: THE VIEWPOINT OF THE WHITE 'SETTLERS' no mention is made of the right of aboriginal people to defend their boodjar or of the history of provocation which led to the explorers' death. the 'punitive party' mentioned here ended in the deaths of somewhere around twenty aboriginal people the whites were well armed wer equipped wer none of their party was killed or wounded. nidja plaque is in memory of the aboriginal people killed at la grange. it also commemorates all other aboriginal people who died during the invasion of their country "LEST WE FORGET MAPA JARRIYA-NYALAKU"

See also

For other massacres see Frontier Wars timeline.