Shoot to kill! - Governor Macquarie's declaration of war 1816

Fake, but substantially true ..... Source: Facebook, 29 December 2022.

The above image was posted on Facebook during 2022, proclaiming an official right to perpetually shoot Australian Aboriginal people as of 23 January 1788. This was the date the First Fleet decided to settle at Port Jackson, signifying the approximate date of the official invasion by the British of Aboriginal sovereign lands. Despite being an obvious fake, this image generated both outrage and support. The latter was due to the fact that there was much truth reflected in this modern-day social media artefact as an example of AI / misinformation / disinformation. So what truth lies therein?

Prior to 1788 the British had shown their true colours in regard to their treatment and lack of respect for Indigenous peoples and cultures. Captain James Cook - a military officer of the British Royal Navy - shot twice at Botany Bay Aborigines in 1770 before he had even landed off one of the HMB Endeavour boats, and a third time when he set foot on shore shortly thereafter. As he noted in his journal regarding his initial encounter with the local Indigenous population:

As we approached the shore they all made off except two Men who seem'd resolved to oppose our landing - as soon as I saw this I orderd the boats to lay upon their oars ..... as soon as we put the boat in, they again came to oppose us, upon which I fired a musket between the two which had no other effect than to make them retire back where bundles of their darts lay and one of them took up a stone and threw at us, which caused my fireing a second Musquet load with small shott, and altho' some of the shott struck the man, yet it had no other effect than to make him lay hold of a Shield or target to defend himself. Immediatly after this we landed, which we had no sooner done than they throw'd two darts at us. This obliged me to fire a third shott, soon after which they both made off (Cook Journal, 29 April 1770).

Cook shooting first, supported by marines .....

The shooting of Aboriginal people continued following the arrival of the First Fleet at Port Jackson in 1788. It was officially condoned during 1816, under the reign of Governor Lachlan Macquarie. And under Macquarie, it got even worse than simply shooting.

What do you call it when a ruling authority - Governor Macquarie - sends out troops to capture "prisoners of war"; issues orders for troops to shoot on sight if those encountered - men, women and children, young and old, armed or unarmed - do not "surrender"; sends those so captured to concentration camps; removes children from families and places them in institutions; orders the military to take those males so killed and hang them from prominent trees to strike terror in any survivors; decapitates some of those so killed and sends the skulls off to England for scientific study; declares that where more than 6 individuals gather they shall be declared Enemies and "treated accordingly" (as above); and where an individual carries a cultural implement such as a spear or womera, which enables the sustaining of life, are banned on the threat of likewise being deemed an Enemy and treated accordingly?

You call this a clear declaration of war, and the implementation of a genocide which aims to clear certain people of a certain race from a certain area of land.

This is exactly what Governor Lachlan Macquarie did during 1816, in a series of punitive actions against the Aboriginal people of Australia, and specifically those in and around the settled areas of the colony.

Lachlan Macquarie, as Commander in Chief of the colonial military forces, not only set out the above regime in often secret orders to his troop - giving rise to such horrendous encounters as the Appin Massacre of 1816 - but he also subsequently issued public decrees which put in place the ability of free settlers to carry out punitive actions against any and all Aboriginal people so encountered.

In reality, this gave them permission to shoot to kill, without any legal redress or liability. There defence could simply be fear of possible action against them.

This was horrendous, horrific, inhumane, barbaric, unjust and illegal. Complicate in this was not only Macquarie, but the colonial society and British authorities enabling him to implement such a regime.

Macquarie had no legal right to declare war. Only the King (the Crown) could do this according to British law. However, as the illegitimate sovereign over the land - it having illegally been claimed by Cook on behalf of the King during 1770 - this negated any such ability.

Furthermore, Macquarie lied to the authorities back in England as to the actions he took, and also to their consequences. Those men, women and children who died at Appin, for example, were portrayed as dangerous enemies of the state, and the soldiers who massacred them, along with those Aboriginal guides who assisted in the hunt, were rewarded.

Those same authorities back in England - from the King down to the Generals and politicians - took no action against Macquarie and therefore set in train a process which, over the following century, saw numerous massacres and abuses carried out throughout Australia, by all levels of society.

When Macquarie proclaimed in a public decree that he undertook local Aboriginal people had engaged in .... most atrocious and wanton barbarities, in indiscriminately murdering men, women, and children, from whom they had received no offence or provocation .... he was lying.

Since the arrival of the First Fleet in 1788 the local Indigenous population had been subject to all manner of abuses and barbarities, with no legal redress or support from the colonial authorities, local or abroad. The Appin Massacre of 1816 is evidence of this.

With no access to justice, targeted revengeful action was undertaken during 1814-16, thereby giving Macquarie and the local population an excuse to implement unjust retribution and an extreme genocidal program. The blood on the hands of the British was therefore shared by many in colonial society during that first century following the invasion.

Some of the local Indigenous population did fight back during this period of war, and from the very beginning, with them lining the shores of Botany Bay and Port Jackson shouting "Go away!" in their local language as first Cook (1770) and then the First Fleet (1788) arrived.

The links above provide evidence to all the claims made herein. Of the plethora of documentary evidence, two examples of the extreme punitive actions are given. They are extracted from Macquarie's secret orders of 9 April and 8 May 1816

In case they make the smallest resistance or attempt to run away after being ordered by the friendly Native Guides to surrender themselves as Prisoners, you are to fire upon them, saving the Women and Children if possible. ….. The Prisoners taken - young and old - are to be brought in with you to Parramatta and delivered over there to the Magistrates, to be secured at that station till they receive my Instructions respecting their future disposal. Being desirous to procure Twelve Boys and Six Girls - from between four and six years of age – for the Native Institution at Parramatta, you will select and secure that number of fine healthy good-looking children from the whole of the Native Prisoners of War taken in the course of your operations, and direct them to be delivered to the Supdt. of the Native Institution at Parramatta immediately on their arrival there. (Governor Macquarie, 9 April 1816)

On any occasion of seeing or falling in with the Natives, either in bodies or singly, they are to be called on, by your friendly Native Guides, to surrender themselves to you as Prisoners of War. If they refuse to do so, make the least show of resistance, or attempt to run away from you, you will fire upon and compell them to surrender, breaking and destroying the spears, clubs, and waddies of all those you take Prisoners. Such Natives as happen to be killed on such occasions, if grown up men, are to be hanged up on trees in conspicuous situations, to strike the Survivors with the greater terror….. Such Women and Children as may happen to be killed are to be interred wherever they may happen to fall….. The Native Prisoners are to be hand-cuffed, or tied two and two together with ropes…. (Governor Macquarie, 8 May 1816)

Macquarie also issued public proclamations on 4 May and 20 July 1816 in the Sydney Gazette and through posted broadsheets, setting out in detail the punitive measures he had put in place, and ordering the Aborigines to "disarm." The first is reproduced below.

Proclamation

By his Excellency Lachlan Macquarie, esquire, Captain General and Governor in Chief in and over His Majesty’s Territory of New South Wales and its dependencies, &c. &c. &c.

Whereas the Aborigines, or Black Natives of the Colony, have for the last three years manifested a strong and sanguinary Spirit of Animosity and Hostility towards the British Inhabitants residing in the Interior and remote Parts of the territory, and been recently guilty of most atrocious and wanton barbarities, in indiscriminately murdering Men, Women, and Children, from whom they had received no Offence or Provocation; and also in killing the Cattle, and plundering the grain and Property of every Description belonging to the Settlers and Persons residing on and near the Banks of the Rivers Nepean, Grose and Hawkesbury, and South Creek, to the great Terror, Loss, and Distress of the suffering inhabitants.

And whereas, notwithstanding that the Government has heretofore acted with the utmost Lenity and humanity towards these Natives, in forbearing to punish such wanton Cruelties and Depredations with their merited Severity, thereby hoping to reclaim them from their barbarous Practices, and to conciliate them to the British Government, by affording them Protection, Assistance, and Indulgence, instead of subjecting them to the retaliation of Injury, which their own wanton Cruelties would have fully justified; yet they have persevered to the present Day in committing every species of sanguinary Outrage and Depredation on the Lives and Properties of the British Inhabitants, after having been repeatedly cautioned to beware of the Consequences that would result to themselves by the Continuance of such destructive and barbarous Courses. And whereas His Excellency the Governor was lately reluctantly compelled to resort to coercive and strong measures to prevent the Recurrence of such Crimes and Barbarities, and to bring to condign. Punishment such of the Perpetrators of them as could be found and apprehended; and with this View sent out a Military Force to drive away these hostile Tribes from the British Settlements in the remote Parts of the Country, and to take as many of them Prisoners as possible; in executing which Service several Natives have been unavoidably killed and wounded, in Consequence of their not having surrendered themselves on being called on to do so; amongst whom, it may be considered fortunate, that some of the most guilty and atrocious of the Natives concerning in the late Murders and Robberies are numbered. And although it is to be apprehended that some few innocent Men, Women, and Children may have fallen in these Conflicts, yet it is earnestly hoped that this unavoidable Result, and the Severity which has attended it, will eventually strike Terror amongst the surviving Tribes, and deter them from the further Commission of such sanguinary Outrages and Barbarities.

And whereas the more effectually to prevent a recurrence of Murders, Robberies, and depredations by the Natives, as well as to protect the Lives and Properties of His Majesty’s British Subjects residing in the several Settlements of this Territory, His Excellency the Governor deems it his indispensible Duty to prescribe certain Rules, Orders, and Regulations to be observed by the Natives, and rigidly enforced and carried into Effect by all Magistrates and Peace Officers in the Colony of New South Wales; and which are as follows: -

First, - That from and after the Fourth Day of June next ensuing, that being the Birth-Date of His Most Gracious Majesty King George the Third, no Black Native, or Body of Black Natives, shall ever appear at or within one Mile of any Town, Village, or Farm, occupied by, or belonging to any British Subject, armed with any warlike or offensive Weapon or Weapons of any Description, such as Spears, Clubs, or Waddies, on Pain of being deemed and considered in a State of Aggression and Hostility, and treated accordingly.

Second, - That no Number of Natives, exceeding the Whole Six Persons, being entirely unarmed, shall ever come to lurk or loiter about any Farm in the interior, on Pain of being considered Enemies, and treated accordingly.

Third, - That the Practice hitherto observed among the Natives, of assembling in large Bodies or Parties armed, and of fighting and attacking each other on the Plea of inflicting Punishments on Transgressors of their own Customs and Manners, at or near Sydney, and other principal Towns and Settlements in the Colony, shall be henceforth wholly abolished, as a barbarous Custom, repugnant to the British Laws, and strongly Militating against the Civilization of the Natives, which is an Object of the highest Importance to effect, if possible. Any armed Body of Natives, therefore, who shall assemble for the foregoing Purposes, either at Sydney or any of the other Settlements of this Colony after the said Fourth Day of June next, shall be considered as Disturbers of the Public Peace, and shall be apprehended and punished in a summary Manner accordingly. The Black Natives are therefore hereby enjoined and commanded to discontinue this barbarous Custom, not only at and near the British Settlement, but also in their own wild and remote Places of Resort. Fourth, - That such of the Natives as may wish to be considered under the Protection of the British Government, and disposed to conduct themselves in a peacable, inoffensive, and honest Manner, shall be furnished with Passports or Certificates to that Effect, signed by the Governor, on their making Application for the same at the Secretary’s Office, at Sydney, on the First Monday of every succeeding Month; which Certificates they will find will protect them from being injured or molested by any Person, so long as they conduct themselves peaceably, inoffensively, and honestly, and do not carry or use offensive Weapons, contrary to the Tenor of this Proclamation. The Governor, however, having thus fulfilled an imperious & necessary Public Duty, in prohibiting the Black Natives from carrying or using offensive Weapons, at least as far as relates to their usual Intercourse with the British Inhabitants of these Settlements, considers it equally a Part of his Public Duty, as a Counterbalance for the Restriction of not allowing them to go about the Country armed, to afford the Black Natives such Means as are within his Power to enable them to obtain an honest and comfortable Subsistence by their own Labour and Industry. His Excellency therefore hereby proclaims and makes known to them, that he shall always be ready to grant small Portions of Land in suitable and convenient Parts of the Colony, to such of them as are inclined to become regular Settlers, and such occasional Assistance from Government as may enable them to cultivate their Farms: - Namely:

First, That they and their Families shall be victualled from the King’s Stores for Six Months, from the Time of their going to reside actually on their farms.

Secondly, - That they shall be furnished with the necessary Agricultural Tools; and also with Wheat, Maize, and Potatoes for Seed; and

Thirdly, - To each Person of a Family, one Suit of Slops, and one Colonial Blanket from the King’s Stores shall be given. But these Indulgences will not be granted to any Native, unless it shall appear that he is really inclined, and fully resolved to become a Settler, and permanently to reside on such Farm as may be assigned to him for the Purpose of cultivating the same for the Support of himself and his Family.

His Excellency the Governor therefore earnestly exhorts, and thus publicly invites the Natives to relinquish their wandering, idle, and predatory Habits of Life, and to become industrious and useful Members of a Community where they will find Protection and Encouragement. To such as do not like to cultivate Farms of their own, but would prefer working as Labourers for those Persons who may be disposed to employ them, there will always be found Master’s among the Settlers who will hire them as Servants of this description. And the Governor strongly recommends to the Settlers and other Persons, to accept such Services as may be offered by the industrious Natives, desirous of engaging in their Employ. And the Governor desires it to be understood, that he will be happy to grant Lands to the Natives in such Situations as may be agreeable to themselves, and according to their own particular Choice, provided such Lands are disposable, and belong to the Crown. And whereas His Excellency the Governor, from an anxious Wish to civilize the Aborigines of this Country, so as to make them useful to themselves and the Community, has established a Seminary or Institution at Parramatta, for the Purpose of educating the Male and Female Children of those Natives who might be willing to place them in that Seminary: - His Excellency therefore now earnestly calls upon such Natives as have Children, to embrace so desirable and good an Opportunity of providing for their helpless Offspring, and of having them brought up, clothed, fed, and educated in a Seminary established for such humane and desirable Purposes. And if furtherance of this Measure, His Excellency deems it expedient to invite a general friendly Meeting of all the Natives residing in the Colony, to take Place at the Town of Parramatta, on Saturday the 28th of December next, at Twelve o’CIock at Noon, at the Public Market Place there, for the Purpose of more fully explaining and pointing out to them the Objects of the Institution referred to, as well as for Consulting with them on the best Means of improving their present Condition. On this Occasion, and at this public general Meeting of the Natives, the Governor will feel happy to Reward such of them as have given Proofs of Industry, and an Inclination to be civilized. And the Governor, wishing that this General Meeting, or Congress of the friendly natives should in future be held annually, directs that the 28th Day of December, in every succeeding Year, shall be considered as fixed for this Purpose, excepting when the Day happens to fall on a Sunday; when the following Day is to be considered as fixed for holding the said Congress.

And finally, His excellency the Governor hereby orders and directs , that on Occasions of any Natives coming armed, or in a hostile Manner without Arms, or in unarmed parties exceeding Six in Number, to any farm belonging to, or occupied by British Subjects in the Interior, such Natives are first to be desired in a civil Manner to depart from the said farm, and if they persist in remaining thereon, or attempt to plunder, rob, or commit any kind of Depredation, they are then to be driven away by Force of Arms by the Settlers themselves; and in case they are not able to do so, they are to apply to a Magistrate for Aid from the nearest Military Station; and the Troops stationed there are hereby commanded to render their Assistance when so required. The Troops are also to afford Aid at the Towns of Sydney, Parramatta, and Windsor, respectively, when called on by the Magistrates or Police Officers at those Stations.

Given under my Hand, at Government House, Sydney, this 4th Day of May, in the Year of Our Lord 1816. God save the King!

"Lachlan Macquarie" By Command of His Excellency J.T. Campbell, Secretary.

Macquarie's war was officially declared over on 1 November 1816, but many of the constraints placed on Aboriginal society and culture remained. In April 1817 "the principal chiefs" were forced to "sue for peace" due to the continuance of the barbarities carried out against their people.

As a result of the above actions, it is only right that history can now look on Governor Macquarie and that period as truly horrendous and more akin to cultural genocide, rather than the so-called peaceful settlement that the history books portrayed until the Bicentennial year of 1988, when it can be said that truth telling began.....

-----------------

Last updated: 1 November 2024

Michael Organ, Australia

Search This Blog

nothing2seahere

Shoot to kill! - Governor Macquarie's declaration of war 1816

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Free, Randwick Racecourse, Sydney, Sunday, 9 May 1971

The Story of the Kelly Gang (1906-10)

Free - Live!