Coded diary entries from an early colonist in the Geraldton area of Western Australia reveal killings of Yamatji Aboriginal people in retaliation for cattle stealing.
Read more about these atrocities in Paul Gallagher’s story in The Guardian, Morning Mail and related podcasts, 4 August 2025: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/aug/04/morning-mail-monday-ntwnfb
and related In-Depth and Full Story articles.
Text and images relating to The Killing Code can be read here: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/ng-interactive/2025/aug/04/the-killing-code-strange-symbols-in-a-wa-settlers-diaries-lay-bare-frontier-atrocities-ntwnfb
Another story by Lorena Allam, Sarah Collard and Ella Archibald-Binge, about the killing at Uluru in 1934, of Aboriginal man Yukun, by a non-First Nations policeman, Constable Bill McKinnon, in the Northern Territory, can be read here:
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/aug/04/family-nt-police-constable-bill-mckinnon-history-ntwnfb
This article is part of The Guardian‘s new series, The Descendants. Many killings and massacres of First Peoples took place in the Northern Territory even in the 20th Century. One example is the series of Coniston massacres. Often called “The Coniston Massacre”, the ‘massacre’ was a series of incidents and reprisals that took place in the Northern Territory in 1928. While “Coniston” is often referred to as the most recent massacre of First Nations people in Australia, there have been other conflicts between colonists, their descendants and First Nations (documented and undocumented), that have occurred on Australian soil since 1928. The killing of Yukun is one example.
Placard from Australian Frontier Wars March,
Anzac Parade to Australian War Memorial,
Anzac Day 25 April 2024. Jane Morrison
The Descendants: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/series/the-descendants
Hear the first episode of The Descendants: Decoding a massacre, in which Lorena Allam speaks to Sarah Collard about decoding the Logue diaries recording Geraldton area massacres here:
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/audio/2025/aug/04/the-descendants-episode-1-decoding-a-massacre-full-story-podcast-ntwnfb
This website, Australian Frontier Conflicts: https://www.australianfrontierconflicts.com.au includes more information about frontier conflicts, massacres and wars that occurred across Australia. Check the Resources button on the main menu. Scroll down to pages like: Bibliography, Books, Databases, Films and Television, Journal Articles, Maps, Podcasts, Timelines and other pages that might interest you.