What happened at the Myall Creek massacre in 1838?

The Myall Creek massacre of 1838 was a violent event in which a group of Aboriginal people were killed by white settlers during a period of rapid pastoral expansion in New South Wales.1

While such acts of violence, including massacres, poisonings, and forced dispersals, typically went unpunished due to the difficulties of enforcing the law in outlying districts, this specific incident was notable for its legal outcome. At the insistence of Governor Sir George Gipps, seven white men were held accountable for the atrocity and were subsequently hanged.1

This event stands as a significant moment in colonial history, as it occurred amidst a climate of increasingly systematic racism and violent clashes resulting from competition for resources and the displacement of Indigenous peoples.1