A Wiradjuri child at Moreton Bay
Article
Article Title | A Wiradjuri child at Moreton Bay |
---|---|
ERA Journal ID | 41986 |
Article Category | Article |
Authors | |
Author | Connors, Libby |
Journal Title | Queensland History Journal |
Journal Citation | 20 (13), pp. 775-787 |
Number of Pages | 13 |
Year | 2010 |
Publisher | Royal Historical Society of Queensland |
Place of Publication | Brisbane, Australia |
ISSN | 1447-1345 |
1836-5477 | |
Abstract | As a 10 year old, the Aboriginal boy, Ralph Barrow, witnessed a large scale Aboriginal attack on Forgiue Station on the upper Caboolture River to the north of Brisbane in October 1846. Although young Ralph survived the attack, he had the terrifying experience of observing the brutal killings of his employer and acting guardian, Andrew Gregor, and a female station worker, Margaret Shannon. From the very next day the young boy was called upon to relive the attack for the coronial inquiry held by the police magistrate at the station and over the next eight years the boy had the misfortune to be called upon to give testimony against five Indigenous men in numerous committal hearings and trials related to this mass attack. Ralph's role in the criminal justice system is rare since children were not always regarded as competent witnesses and even more so because of his aboriginality. As the only witness familiar with many of the Indigenous men in the vicinity of the station and Brisbane, however, his testimony was invaluable for those whites demanding strenuous action against the Indigenous community. |
Keywords | indigenous; childhood; frontier; criminal justice; Queensland history |
ANZSRC Field of Research 2020 | 450107. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history |
480504. Legal institutions (incl. courts and justice systems) | |
430302. Australian history | |
Public Notes | This publication is copyright. It may be reproduced in whole or in part for the purposes of study, research, or review, but is subject to the inclusion of an acknowledgment of the source. |
Byline Affiliations | School of Humanities and Communication |
https://research.usq.edu.au/item/9z925/a-wiradjuri-child-at-moreton-bay
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