REVEALED: The fascinating history of Murdering Creek

AN ACADEMIC who wrote the most comprehensive account of the Murdering Creek massacre has solved some of the mystery as to what happened at Lake Webya.

What happened on the shores of Lake Weyba? Picture: Facebook: The Shoot Out / Nicole

AN ACADEMIC who wrote the most comprehensive account of the Murdering Creek massacre has solved some of the mystery as to what happened at Lake Weyba.

Ray Gibbons wrote a nearly 400-page academic paper on de-constructing "the massacre at Murdering Creek".

Through painstaking research, Mr Gibbons was able to provide the most detailed accounts of when the massacre occurred and those most likely to have been involved.

Mr Gibbons did not support changing the name of Murdering Creek Road, which led into the estate on the banks of Lake Weyba.

The prominent Murdering Creek road sign. Picture: Jenni Lowe

But he did believe more should be done to place a memorial or a plaque at the site so people could be aware of its terrible history.

He said he has spent the last seven years asking the Noosa Council, the Maroochy Council, the combined Sunshine Coast Regional Council and then Noosa and Sunshine Coast again for something to be done.

A Sunshine Coast Council spokeswoman has said no "formal application" had been made for a memorial at the site.

The council also had no plan to change the road name.

"A formal application to re-name Murdering Creek Road was lodged and rejected in 2001," a spokeswoman said.

"Since then, council has fielded other inquiries, however no formal applications to have the road re-named have been lodged.

"Murdering Creek Road has significant historical and cultural reference to the local area.　

"Upholding this historic and cultural significance was the reason why council rejected the 2001 formal application to re-name the road."

What happened at Murdering Creek?

Mr Gibbons research showed it was most likely the manager at the Yandina station, a William Chippindal, who was behind the raids of the Aborigines at Lake Weyba in 1864.

Like many others, it was the name of Murdering Creek Road that made him determined to discover what happened there.

"I was puzzled as I am interested in place names, I was puzzled how this name arose."

"I decided to research it."

Through reading various memoirs he decided the massacre happened in "about 1864" and "it was "carried out by a fellow employed to manage Yandina station" who "decided to take the law in his own hands".

The exact number killed couldn't be determined.

"Anecdotal numbers suggest up to 70, but it was probably a lot less," Mr Gibbons said.

Mr Gibbons said it was "too important" to let this piece of Australia's history get lost.

Rosaleys Blaich, the woman who started the call for changing the name Murdering Creek Road, shared the same sentiment.

Ms Blaich had been surprised by the response to the article and she said many people had missed her intention, which was always to ensure what happened at the site was properly recognised.

How did Murdering Creek Road get its name?

Who gave Murdering Creek Road its name remains a mystery.

A Sunshine Coast spokesman said the naming of the road went "well before we moved to computer records".

"Maps of this area displaying sites where massacres occurred date back to 1850," he said.　

The name was also referenced "on the map of the Parish of Weyba in 1914".

Originally published as REVEALED: The fascinating history of Murdering Creek