QSA846743 1860 Letter from Henry Challinor to Attorney General 27 December, Colonial Secretarys Office In Letters, In Letter 61:712, DR57357

Extract from a letter received by the Honble The Attorney General from Dr. Challinor, Coroner for the Ipswich District.

Ipswich 21st Decer. 1860

Sir, I forward you also by the same post, the Inquest proceedings taken in the case of the Aboriginals shot at the Dugandun Scrub. No one who heard the Aboriginals make their statements could for a moment doubt that a most atrocious and murderous assault was committed upon

upon them while encamped on the Mount Flinders side of the above Scrub, by a detachment of Native Police, in the presence and with the sanction and indeed under the orders of Lieut. Wheeler resulting in the death of two Aboriginals, the dangerous wounding by balls of three adults, and in a slighter gun shot wound of an infant. I did not discover the body of the Gin, the Aboriginal who interred her not being present to point out the place of its sepulture.

The Colony are indebted to Mr. George Thorne Jr. for bringing the affair promptly under judicial notice. The indisposition of his Brother Henry to render me the requisite aid to prosecute my Inquiries was so marked that

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I was under the necessity of telling[?] him, that I should have to report his conduct to the Attorney General. A report reached Normandy on Monday evening before I left that the same body of Native Police had been shooting the (crossed out word) Aboriginals at Fassifern that day, and those at Normandy were in great alarm of their Camp being attacked that evening.

I have the honor to the Sir Your Most obt St DLS[?] Henry Challinor

The Honble The Attorney General