Myall Creek Symposium was held last week on Friday 8th of June at the Oorala Centre, University of New England. The Symposium was part of the 180th Anniversary of the Myall Creek Massacre. On the afternoon of June 10th 1838, twenty-eight Wirrayaraay men and women were murdered in an unprovoked attack. The Myall Creek Massacre was one of many attacks on Aboriginal people, but it was the first and only massacre where white men were hung for their crime. The symposium had a number of speakers who each gave historical, legal and cultural insight into the significance of the Myall Creek Massacre.
The School of Law sponsored the Joint session: Legal issues and other perspectives – human rights, war crimes and aftermaths. The session was chaired by UNE’s Lecturer Marcelle Burns, and included speakers Scott McDougall – Director of Caxton Legal Centre, UNE’s Dr Cameron Moore – Senior Lecturer and Callum Clayton-Dixon – co-author of Magun &Gun: Resisting New England. Each of the speakers discussed the legal issues and perspectives surrounding one of the darkest events in Australia’s colonial history.
Myall Creek 180th Anniversary
Legal session with Scott McDougall, Marcelle Burns, Dr Cameron Moore and Callum ClaytonDuring his speech Scott McDougall cited Police Regulation 31 which authorised the use of indiscriminate lethal force against Aboriginal people: “it is the duty of the officers at all times and opportunities to disperse any gathering of blacks”. According to McDougall, Police Regulation 31 was a clear smoking gun in Australian legislation for genocide. Dr Cameron Moore argued how the Myall Creek Massacre was part of greater conflict between Aboriginal people and the Australian colonists, and was therefore not an isolated criminal act, but rather an act of war. Callum Clayton-Dixon spoke about the state and non-state actors, including Mounted Police, Border Police and Native Police, who were perpetrators of violence towards the local Aboriginal People who occupied the New England area.
Ms Burns commented on the success of the symposium, stating that over 180 people attended the event. On the Sunday 10 June, a ceremony was also held to commemorate the massacre at Myall Creek. The Indigenous Students Association sponsored a bus to the ceremony, with UNE students and staff part of an estimated thousand people present to commemorate the 180th Anniversary – lest we forget.
