Water-Dreamers
Kerang Floods 2011
The following account of a big tribal fight, although believed by many, was never regarded as authentic by the late Mr Peter MacPherson, one of the best-informed and most reliable authorities on Donald's early history.
The story is that in 1854 the most terrible tribal fight recorded in this district was held on the banks of the Richardson River on the site now owned and used by Mr W.H. Gray for grazing purposes. One evening three Donald blacks were hunting emus along the banks of the river, when they saw a tribe of Avoca blacks making camp further up the river. They at once warned their companions and got ready for battle. That night when their enemies had retired for the night and had their fires out, they attacked them, killing 500 out of 501. The slaughtered blacks were buried where they were killed.
“Mimi Spirit Hunting Ngurrudu (Emus)”
Regularly, once a year, five or six hundred black met on the banks of the Richardson, on the site now used for a football ground, to hold a corroboree. One of the blacks, "Johnny" was more civilized than the rest. Whenever he heard that any of his tribe were going to harm the white people, we would go "on the quiet" and tell Mr Donald. For that reason Mr Donald presented him and his lubra with a brass plate and titled them "King Johnny" and "Queen Mary".
The brass plate afterwards descended to another black called Big Bob, or Murdering Bob, as he was called, because he was so treacherous. He was the biggest black in his tribe and the most savage. One night he went into a hut and killed an old shepherd. Most of the huts in those days had holes all round the walls because the blacks would sometimes set fire to them by throwing fire-sticks on the roof.
Hoary Sunray
If the hut-keepers felt at all suspicious they would fire a shot out of one of the holes several times during the night to scare the blacks away. King Anthony was the next "king". He was also very treacherous, and killed another black named Davie, and three lubras. He died a few years ago. As the ground was taken up by white people, the blacks became more civilized, and learned to work on the different stations.
Cypress
Guadalupe River, Texas
The St Arnaud "Mercury" of March 1875, states:~
John I, King of Banyenong, visited St Arnaud, armed with two boomerangs and half a dozen spears. He walked down Napier Street shaking hands with everyone who accosted him. He claimed all
the young men as countrymen, and was particularly anxious to know if they had a "bob" in their pockets.
Extract from The Donald Times 1875-1925
Complete History of the Past Fifty Years.........Maybe
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