Victims of Appin Massacre to be remembered at service

On Sunday hundreds of people will gather at Cataract Dam near the location of a dark point in the Macarthur region’s history.

Aunty Glenda Chalker at the Appin Massacre memorial site. Picture: Robert Pozo

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On Sunday hundreds of people will gather at Cataract Dam near the location of a dark point in the Macarthur region’s history.

On April 17 in 1816, at least 14 men, women and children from the local Dharawal people were murdered during what’s become known as the Appin Massacre, one of the worst colonial massacres in NSW history.

The massacre was carried out on the orders of Governor Lachlan Macquarie in reprisal for a series of clashes between settlers and Aboriginal people.

NSW Government archives reveal how soldiers from the 46th regiment attacked the Aboriginal camp at 1am, driving them towards a nearby gorge.

At least 14 Aboriginal men, women and children were killed. Picture: Robert Pozo

It is believed other bodies were lost or not accounted for in the gorge.

Local Dharawal elder Aunty Glenda Chalker, a descendant of a survivor, said it was important that the massacre was remembered.

“It’s good to see the children there learning about it because it wasn’t spoken about for many years,” she said.

Ms Chalker has called on academics and historians across Australian, but particularly in the Macarthur region, to place more focus on collating Aboriginal history.

“It’s all over the place, there’s bits and pieces in this museum and that museum, it needs to be all pulled together,” she said.

“My family were on the Macarthur property after the massacre and they were there right up until 1973.

The memorial ceremony has been held at Cataract Dam for several years.

“Aboriginal history is all intertwined in the non-aboriginal history, all these places like Camden Park etc is where they intermingled.”

The Winga Myamly Reconciliation Group and the Aboriginal communities of Macarthur will host the memorial service from 11am to 3.30pm on Sunday at the Cataract Dam picnic area.

The official ceremony begins at 1pm, which will include a Welcome to Country, a smoking ceremony, an Aboriginal dance performance and official speeches. A council memorial will be held from 10am to 11am next Wednesday, where the flags outside the Campbelltown Civic Centre will be lowered to half-mast.