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There are moments in our history that mark the beginning of violence intended to wipe out First Nations, our way of life, community and culture.
When Captain Cook landed at Gamay, Botany Bay, it marked the beginning of colonial violence that would change everything forever.
For Wiradjuri, the Bathurst Wars and subsequent expansion deeper into the Riverina were such a period in history.
Today, Wiradjuri elders in the region argue that the war never ended and are calling for this hidden history to be placed into broader historical perspective.
Martial Law, Resistance and the War That Never Ended
200 years ago, on 14 August 1824, martial law was declared in the Bathurst region by the newly formed Legislative Assembly of New South Wales.
The declaration was instituted by Governor Thomas Brisbane and was the result of several failed attempts to expand colonisation. The settlers encountered resistance from the local Wiradjuri when they attempted to divide and fence land for themselves and their livestock.
On 19 August 1824, The Sydney Gazette published Governor Brisbane’s proclamation.
“Now, therefore, by virtue of the powers vested in me by His Majesty’s Royal Commission for the purpose of restoring public order, I declare that a state of siege shall be in force throughout the country west of Mount York,” it read.
The statement sanctioned the killing of the Wiradjuri people… innocent women, innocent babies and innocent children
The army was also ordered to assist all soldiers in suppressing violence by the ‘natives’. Governor Brisbane described the violence as indiscriminate attacks on cattle ranches and the brutal murder of settlers.
Wiradjuri Yorta A Yorta woman, Aunt Leanna Carr-Smith, said although the declaration was officially made in 1824, the purging of Wiradjuri had been going on for much longer.
“The statement sanctioned the killing of the Wiradjuri people – and I’m not just talking about men – I’m talking about innocent women, innocent babies and innocent children,” she told NITV.
“Bathurst is one big slaughterhouse and no one wants to talk about it. It’s part of our hidden history.”
Although the New South Wales government declared a ceasefire several years later, many Wiradjuri, such as Elder Uncle Bill Allen, a direct descendant of the famous warrior Windradyne, say it never ended.
“We are still fighting, not with spears, but with their own law,” he told NITV.
“They called a ceasefire, but they never signed it.
“Signing a treaty means saying, ‘These are the conditions for the end of the war.’
“None of that happened.”
One Side of Telling the Truth
To commemorate the suffering brought about by martial law, Aunt Leanna founded the Dhuluny Project, a series of events coinciding with that dark anniversary.
Clan groups that make up the Wiradjuri gathered in Bathurst to commemorate the anniversary of the conflict.
The week-long project was a way to honour the Wiradjuri resistance and survival, Aunt Leanna said.
“Our elders have been telling us for a long time that we must not forget them and that we must not forget the story of what happened here… when war was declared on our people and on this entire city,” she said.
“It’s one big, messy massacre, and that goes for this continent too.”
Wiradjuri in Bathurst know and understand the history of violence well, but feel it has gone unnoticed in the mainstream for too long and it is time for the community to come to terms with the past.
“They wanted to forget all that other stuff, so we know that history was written by the white man and from that point on it was forgotten history,” Aunt Leanna said.
Uncle Bill Allen reflected on the way Bathurst and national history is taught in schools today.
While still at school, he shed an admirable light on the ‘pioneers’ of expansion deeper into the country.
“People see it as a perfect transition from settlements and talk about the pioneers and explorers who came over the mountains.
“They just say the Aboriginals are gone. It’s like we never existed.”
Wiradjuri in the region say that a process of truth-finding is essential for us and our communities to heal. Uncle Bill has made suggestions for what that might look like, but it is crucial that everyone gets involved.
“There are some people who came here who are descendants of the colonists. We talked to them and we were open. And we were honest with each other.
“They wanted to apologize, but they don’t have to. It wasn’t you who did it, because you weren’t there.”
“But let’s just sit down and talk about it,” he said.
Uncle Bill says that we cannot move forward as a community and as a country if we do not acknowledge the events of the past.
“I have a saying that goes, we, the Aboriginal people or the Wiradjuri, carry the scars of what happened, because of all the damage that was done to us.”
“The Whitefullas feel guilty about all the genocide they committed, but they don’t want to admit that it was actually genocide,” Uncle Bill said.
