Some of the main sources for information about conflicts that happened in Victoria are included in such publications as:
A Distant Field of Murder: Western District Frontiers 1834–1848, Jan Critchett, Melbourne University Press, 1990
Boodgery: First Contact in the Mid Murray 1820 to 1860, John Lay, Not So Shabby Books, 2016
Gippsland Massacres: the Destruction of the Kurnai Tribes, 1800–1860, Peter Gardner, Ngarak Press, Ensay, Victoria, 1993
The Good Country: The Djaja Wurrung, the Settlers and the Protectors, Bain Attwood, Monash University Publishing 2017
‘The Liverpool Plains and Port Phillip Districts, 1838’ in John Connor, The Australian Frontier Wars 1788–1838, University of New South Wales Press, 2002, pp.102–122
Our Founding Murdering Father: Angus McMillan and the Kurnai Tribe of Gippsland 1839–1865, Peter Gardner, 1987
Scars in the Landscape: A Register of Massacre Sites in Western Victoria, 1803–1859, Ian D Clark, Aboriginal Studies Press, 1995
Thicker Than Water, Cal Flyn, Fourth Estsate, HarperCollinsPublishers, 2016
Through Foreign Eyes, Peter Gardner, CGS, Churchill, 1987
Who Killed the Koories? Michael Cannon, William Heinemann Australia, Melbourne, 1990
For more references see the Bibliography and Journal Articles. Check the main menu under Resources also. Scroll down to Books, Databases, Memorials and Monuments, and Warriors.
To see a map of some known conflicts that happened in Victoria, please follow this link. All coordinates are approximate. The map may not necessarily reflect all the places listed below but is updated when time permits.
The News page includes posts about related First Nations issues from online sources.
Many thanks to readers who email information about colonial frontier conflict sites. Locations will be added to the list below as new information is found and time permits. If you know of incidents that occurred, are not included in the list below and wish to contact the author of this website, please use the form on the Contact page.
WARNING: Some of the names of places included in the following list, derived from geographical names registers, historical and modern-day maps and other primary and secondary sources, are offensive and may be upsetting to some readers. These placenames reflect the attitudes, racism and activities of people who gave these places English names during the frontier period.
| Date | Location |
|---|---|
| 1803 | Port Phillip district conflict, VIC |
| October 1803 | Corio Bay, near Melbourne, VIC |
| 1830s | Ovens River near Wangaratta, VIC |
| 1830–1850 | Port Phillip district Wars, VIC |
| 1833–34 | Convincing Ground massacre, between Portland and the Surrey River, VIC |
| 24 May 1836 | Mt Dispersion, between Mildura and Robinvale, VIC |
| July 1836 | Werribee River, 35 kms south-west of Melbourne, VIC |
| July 1836 | Williamstown, 10 kms south-west of Melbourne, VIC |
| 17 October 1836 | Barwon River, Barrabool Hills, 20 kms south-east of Colac, VIC |
| 1837 | Geelong area, VIC |
| 1837 | Western VIC |
| February 1837 | Birregurra, near Colac, VIC |
| 28 March 1837 | Cowie Creek, Geelong, VIC |
| November 1837 | Leigh River, 60 kms west of Geelong, VIC |
| November 1837 | East of Reedy Lake on the banks of the Goulburn River between today's Kirwan Bridge and the Goulburn Weir, overlander Fitzherbert Mundy and his men killed at least six Aboriginal people including women and children, wounding others. References: Waranga Dreaming, Vol. 1, 2019; Richard Broome, Aboriginal Victorians: A History Since 1800, 2005; Rushworth Chronicle, 1953; Robert Brough Smyth, The Aborigines of Victoria (1878) |
| 1837–1838 | Near Golf Hill Station, Yarrowee River, north of Inverleigh, VIC |
| 1837–1844 | Port Fairy area, VIC |
| 1838 | Central Victoria, Tureet Balug clan members killed by Mundy's men |
| 1838 | Tarrone Station near Port Fairy, VIC |
| March–April 1838 | Western VIC |
| March or April 1838 | West of Bendigo, VIC |
| 4 April 1838 | Learmonth Station, 13 kms south of Ballarat, VIC |
| 10 April 1838 | Banks of the Yarra River, Hawthorn, Melbourne (now site of Scotch College), VIC |
| 11 April 1838 | Battle of Broken River (Faithfull Massacre) near Benalla, VIC More information, for example: Battle of Broken River, Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Broken_River In 1838, following this massacre and series of reprisals, 'police huts' were built along the route from Sydney to Melbourne 'to enforce law and order': Bruce Pennay, 'Nine People and a Police Hut at Bungambrawatha', Albury & District Historical Society Bulletin, June 2022, pp. 2–4 |
| After 11 April 1838 | Murchison, Ovens River, VIC–additional killings after Battle of Broken River |
| June 1838 | Merino Downs Station near Henty, VIC |
| June 1838 | Carlsruhe Station or Lower Coliban Station (Barfold Station), near Kyneton, VIC |
| June 1838 | Waterloo Plains, VIC |
| July 1838 | Pyrenees Range above Trawalla, VIC |
| July 1838 | Thomas Learmont’s station, Addington, 20 kms north-west of Ballarat, VIC |
| Winter 1838 | Darlington Station, 16 kms north-west of Lancefield, VIC |
| October 1838 | Merino Downs Station near Henty, VIC |
| October 1838 | Spring Valley (Murndal), Wannon River near Merino Station, VIC |
| October 1838? | Murdering Flat, Clover Flat, Wannon River, near Casterton, VIC |
| November 1838 | Spring Valley (Murndal), Wannon River near Merino Station, VIC |
| 1838 | Wangaratta, VIC–more killings after the Battle of Briken River |
| 1838–1839 | Central VIC, Tureet Balug clan members killed by Coghill, Birch and Hepburn's men |
| c. 1839 | Glenormiston Station, near Terang, VIC |
| 1839 | Lake Colac, 5 kms north of Colac, VIC |
| Early 1839 | Murdering Gully (Puuroyup), Mount Emu Creek, Camperdown district, VIC |
| February 1839 | Maiden Hill(s), near Lexton, VIC |
| June 1839 | Campaspe Plains, massacre Campaspe Creek, VIC |
| 20 June 1839 | Lake Boga, 10 kms south-east of Swan Hill, VIC |
| 22 June 1839 | Ida Creek, near Heathcote, VIC |
| July 1839 | Coleraine, VIC |
| July 1839 | Gerangamete, VIC |
| July 1839 | Mia Mia Massacre, Mia Mia village, c. 56 kms south of Bendigo, VIC |
| July 1839 | Mt Alexander, 30 kms south-east of Bendigo, VIC |
| 1839 or 1840 | Between Coliban and Campaspe Rivers, near Bendigo, VIC |
| 1839 or 1840 | Blood-hole (Bloody Creek) Massacre, Middle Creek, near Glengower Creek, VIC |
| 1839–1840 | Goulburn District, VIC? |
| 1839–1842 or 1847 | Mount Napier Station, 20 kms south-east of Hamilton, VIC (Eumeralla War) |
| 1839–1842 | Mount Rouse Station or Weerangourt Station, VIC |
| 1840s | Murdering Flat near Tintaldra, VIC |
| 1840s | Port Fairy, VIC |
| Early 1840 | Near Mt Rouse, south-western VIC |
| Early 1840 | Mount Napier Station, 20 kms south of Hamilton, VIC |
| 1840 | Grampians, VIC |
| 1840 | Mount Cole, VIC |
| Between 1840 and 1850 | Gippsland, VIC (see some individual locations below) |
| 13 January 1840 | Yering Station, Yarra Glen, VIC |
| Before February 1840 | Tahara Station, Wannon River, near Henty, VIC |
| February 1840 | Merino Downs Station, Wannon River, near Henty, VIC |
| March 1840 | Merino Downs Station, Wannon River near Henty, VIC |
| 8 March 1840 | Hamilton, VIC |
| 8 March 1840 | Fighting Hills, the Hummocks, near Wando Vale, VIC |
| 10 March 1840 | Konong-Woontong Station, VIC |
| April 1840 | Merino Downs Station, Wannon River, VIC |
| 1 April 1840 | Fighting Waterholes, near Konongwootong Reservoir, VIC |
| June 1840 | Colac, VIC |
| June 1840 | Muston’s station, east of Mount Rouse, VIC (Eumeralla War) |
| June 1840 | Nangeela Station, Glenelg River, near Casterton, VIC |
| 9 June 1840 | Near Bowman and Yaldwyn’s run, central VIC |
| June–September 1840 | The Grange station, Victoria Valley, southern Grampians, n-w of Hamilton, VIC |
| July 1840 | Western District, VIC |
| August 1840 | Henry Dutton’s run, near Ararat, VIC |
| October 1840 | Dr Officer’s station, near Lake Bolac, 50 kms south of Ararat, western VIC |
| October 1840 | Boisdale and Bushy Park stations, 25 kms north of Sale, VIC |
| October–December 1840 | Nuntin Station, Gippsland, VIC |
| November 1840 | Murdering Flat, Wannon River, between Sandford Bridge and Glenelg River, VIC |
| 21 December 1840 | Pyrenees Range, VIC |
| 22 December 1840 | Boney Point, Gippsland, VIC |
| 1840–1841 | Woodlands Station, Wimmera River near Crowlands, VIC |
| Between 1840 and 1850 | Boole Boole, Gippsland, VIC |
| Between 1840 and 1850 | Holland's Landing, Gippsland, VIC |
| Between 1840 and 1850 | Lake's Entrance, Gippsland, VIC |
| Between 1840 and 1850 | Medusa Point, Gippsland, VIC |
| Between 1840 and 1850 | The Heart, Gippsland, VIC |
| c. 1841 | South-western VIC |
| c. 1841 | Piccaninny Waterhole, Springbank, Glenelg River, south of Casterton, VIC |
| 1841 | Butchers Creek (now Boxes Creek), Gippsland, VIC |
| 1841 | Glenormiston, VIC |
| 1841 | Near Lake Lonsdale, VIC |
| 1841 | Lexington, VIC |
| 1841 | Maffra, VIC |
| 1841 | Mt Bainbridge, VIC |
| 1841 | Portland, VIC |
| 1841 | Port Fairy, VIC |
| 1841 | Junction Wannon and Glenelg Rivers, VIC |
| 7 Feb 1841 | Bet Bet Creek, 14 Mile Creek (Far Creek), later Glenmona, west of Maryborough, VIC |
| 7 February 1841 | Loddon River, VIC |
| March 1841 | Mount Cole, VIC |
| 1 April 1841 | Central VIC |
| June 1841 | Near Mount Sturgeon Station, Wannon River, VIC |
| 2 June 1841 | Konongwootong Creek, near Coleraine, VIC |
| June–July 1841 | Burrumbeep, south of Ararat, VIC |
| July 1841 | Burrumbeep, south of Ararat, VIC |
| July 1841 | Hall’s outstation, Hall’s Gap, VIC |
| July 1841 | Good Morning Bill Creek, near Mount William, VIC |
| July-August 1841 | William Kirk’s station, Burrumbeep, VIC |
| August 1841 | Mt Emu, VIC |
| August 1841 | Mt William, VIC |
| 25 August 1841 | Murray River, VIC |
| About 6 October 1841 | Near Harmers Haven, near Watson's Hut, about 1.5 kilometres west of Cape Paterson, VIC Two whalers, William Cook (possibly of Sydney), and a man known as 'Yankee" (possibly an American are shot and killed by Tasmanians believed to have included Maulbouheenner, Tunnerminnerwait (Jack of Cape Grim), Pyterrunner, Planobeena and Truganini. Historians have suggested various theories about why the killings took place: self-defence, retribition for abuse and/or the killing of Pyterruner's husband, Probelattener, or mistaken identity? Read more about this incident in the article by Sandy Guy in Traces: Uncovering the Past, Volume 2, 2018, pp. 16–19. |
| 27 October 1841 | Leighton station, Hopkins River, VIC |
| December 1841 | Port Fairy, VIC |
| 1841–1842 | Burrumbeep, VIC |
| 1841–1842 | Barton Station, head of Mount William Creek, VIC |
| 1841–1842 | Lexington, La Rose and Mokepilly stations, VIC |
| 1842 | Bruthen Creek, Gippsland, VIC |
| 1842 | Net nat uungo, near Donald McKenzie’s station, Crawford River, south-west VIC |
| 1842 | Skull Creek, Gippsland, VIC |
| 1842 | Warndaa, Boggy Gully, near Black Swamp, west of Merrang House, south-west VIC |
| 1842 | Weereangourt or Mount Rouse Station, VIC |
| 3 January 1842 | Eumeralla Station, south-western VIC |
| February 1842 | Tarrone Station, Moyne River, 19 kms north of Port Fairy, VIC |
| 24 February 1842 | Lubra Creek, Caramut Station, near Lubra Creek Penshurst-Caramut Road crossing, VIC |
| August 1842 | Tahara or Spring Valley Station, south-western VIC |
| September 1842 | Mount Rouse, VIC |
| October 1842 | Mount Shadwell Station, south-west VIC |
| October 1842 | Tarrone Station, Moyne River, 19 kms north of Port Fairy, VIC |
| 10 December 1842 | Port Fairy, VIC |
| Before 1843 | Grampians, VIC |
| Before 1843 | Darlot, VIC |
| Before 1843 | Lake Colac, VIC |
| 1842 or 1843 | Spring Creek Station, 16 kms south-west of Caramut, VIC |
| 1843 | Fitzroy River, VIC |
| 1843 | Grampians, VIC |
| 1843 | Portland Bay area, VIC |
| 1843 | Western district, VIC |
| 1843–1849 | Castlemaddie or Ettrick pastoral runs, VIC |
| July 1843 | Gippsland, VIC, Aboriginal people kill Scottish colonist Ronald Macalister. |
| July 1843 | Warrigal Creek, VIC, SAcottish colonists massacre between 80 and 200 Kurnai people. |
| August 1843 | Koroit(e) Station, Wannon River, VIC |
| August 1843 | Wannon River, VIC |
| 6 August 1843 | Victoria Range, western VIC |
| 13 August 1843 | Near Mount Zero, VIC |
| September 1843 | Headwaters Crawford River, south-western VIC |
| October 1843 | Between Portland and Kanawalla station, Wannon River, south-west VIC |
| 9 Novenber 1843 | Glenelg River near Harrow, VIC |
| 1844 | Maffra, VIC |
| 25 January 1844 | Mullagh Station, 11 kilometres north of Harrow, VIC |
| 15 April 1844 | Grampian Range, VIC |
| May 1844 | Grampian Range, VIC |
| 15 May 1844 | 100 kilometres north of the Pyrenees Range, VIC |
| 19 October 1844 | 40 kilometres north of Longerenong Station, VIC |
| 1845 | Grampians, VIC |
| July 1845 | Mt Arapiles, VIC |
| 11 July 1845 | West of Horsham, VIC |
| December 1845 | Western Port, VIC |
| Early 1846 | Outside Anderson's Inn, Burbank (Lexton), VIC |
| February 1846 | Wimmera River, later site of the Ebenezer Aboriginal Station, VIC |
| 6 February 1846 | Mullagh Station, 11 kilometres north of Harrow, VIC |
| April 1846 | Pyrenees Range, VIC |
| 28 June 1846 | Avoca River near Charlton, VIC |
| August 1846 | Mouth of the Aire River, Cape Otway, VIC |
| November 1846 | Gippsland, VIC |
| December 1846 | Snowy River, VIC |
| 1846–47 | Central Gippsland, VIC |
| 1847 | Mount Eccles, VIC |
| 1847 | Mount Talbot, VIC |
| April 1847 | Eumeralla district, south-western VIC |
| 20 May 1847 | Euremete and Lyne Stations adjoining Branxsholme, south-western VIC |
| July 1847 | Mount Napier, VIC |
| October 1847 | Mount Talbot, VIC |
| 25 November 1847 | At or near Anderson and Mills’s public house, Buninyong, VIC |
| 1848 | Wimmera district, VIC |
| February 1848 | Murrumbidgee station, Murray area, VIC |
| 26 June 1849 | Wannon River, western VIC |
| 1840s–1850s | Murderers’ Flat, Darlots Creek, near Lake Condah Aboriginal Mission, VIC |
| 1850 | Brodribb River near Orbost, VIC |
| 1850 | East Gippsland, VIC |
| 1850 | Murrindal near Orbost, VIC |
| 1850s–1860s | Boomerang Point, Lake Reeve, south of Rotamah, 20 kms s-e of Bairnsdale, VIC |
| 1859 | Lake Bolac Station, western VIC |
| October 1868 | Lake Tyers, VIC |
| Date Unknown | Sale, VIC |
| Spring Hill Station near Wedderburn, VIC | |
© Compiled by Jane Morrison 2015–2022. Updated 3 June 2022, 5 October 2022. List compiled from the sources listed above, from the Bibliography and Journal Articles.