The Myall Creek Massacre involved the killing of 28 Aboriginal Australian people by 12 people on June 10, 1838 at the Myall Creek sheep station near Inverell, in northern New South Wales. Seven of the men were eventually found guilty of murder, the first time that white people had been punished under British law for crimes against Aboriginal people.
A party of 12 men, consisting of 11 convict settlers and 1 free man arrived at a hut on Myall Creek. They told the station hand that they intended to round up any Aboriginal people they could find. They claimed to be acting in retaliation for the theft of cattle. The men gathered up 28 people, mostly women and children, out of a group of 40 or 50 Aboriginal people. They were taken behind a hill and shot. All 28 were killed. Several days later, the manager of the station discovered the remains.
Mounted police were ordered to investigate and after 47 days, the 11 convicts were arrested but the free man was not captured. The trial began on November 15, 1838 and the case was heard before the Chief Justice of New South Wales. After deliberating for just 20 minutes, the jury found all 11 men not guilty. Before the men could be released from custody, the Attorney-General ordered seven of the men be charged with the murder of one of the children. A second trial was held on November 29 and they were all found guilty and sentenced to execution by hanging.
