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Waterloo Plains massacre

UNSOLVED1835Campaspe River, north of Kyneton, Victoria, Australia3 SOURCESUPDATED JUL 2026
Illustrative

Background

In late 1837, a sheep station was established on Djadjawurrung country north of Kyneton, in what is now Victoria, Australia, after an overseer, John Coppock, drove sheep to the site. According to historical accounts and testimony later recorded by Chief Protector of Aborigines George Augustus Robinson, some of the station hands in the district developed a pattern of violence toward the local Aboriginal people. Neighbouring runs were taken up in early 1838 by other colonists, several of whom are recorded in these accounts as holding or acting on exterminatory attitudes toward the Aboriginal population.

In April 1838, conflict between pastoralists and the neighbouring Taungurung people led to the killing of eight British stockmen near present-day Benalla (the Faithful Massacre), followed by reprisal raids. Violence spread to the Barfold district, where in May 1838 two of Coppock's convict workers were found dead and a large number of sheep were reported missing.

The massacre

In response, Coppock is recorded as assembling a party of roughly 20 armed and mounted convict men from Barfold and neighbouring stations. The party tracked a group of Djadjawurrung people to a camp in a gully, later known as Waterloo Plains, and attacked at night. Estimates of the number killed range from 8 to 23, with others wounded; two of the attackers sustained minor injuries. Robinson later recorded testimony describing the attackers firing from horseback at people who had little defence, including one man shot while trying to shield others.

Aftermath

The Melbourne police magistrate reported the killings to the Governor in Sydney, and Coppock and his party were summoned to account for them, but Coppock missed the boat from Williamstown and was never held to account; no one was convicted over the massacre. Violence in the district continued into 1839 and 1840, with further deployments of Border and Mounted Police against Aboriginal people and further deaths, including a raid in January 1840 in which at least two unarmed Djadjawurrung men were killed and another was captured and taken to Melbourne. The massacre is documented in Robinson's records and in later truth-telling archives.

Key facts

Victims
Munnangabumbum
Date
1835
Location
Campaspe River, north of Kyneton, Victoria, Australia
Case status
unsolved

Case timeline

  1. 1837

    Barfold sheep station established on Djadjawurrung country by William Henry Yaldwyn, with overseer John Coppock driving 4,000 sheep to the Campaspe River site.

  2. 1838

    Other colonists, including Henry Monro, Charles Hutton, Alexander Mollison, Charles Ebden, and William Bowman, take up land around Barfold.

  3. 1838-04

    Faithful Massacre of eight British stockmen near present-day Benalla during conflict with Taungurung people, followed by reprisal raids killing up to 100 Aboriginal people.

  4. 1838-05

    Two of Coppock's convict workers found dead near Barfold; 1,200 sheep reported stolen.

  5. 1838-06

    Armed party of about 20 men attacks a Djadjawurrung camp at night at Waterloo Plains, killing between 8 and 23 people.

  6. 1839-07

    Henry Monro wounded by a spear after his hut is robbed; Border Police and NSW Mounted Police deployed against Aboriginal people on several runs.

  7. 1840-01

    Chief Protector George Augustus Robinson locates the massacre site near Monro's station.

  8. 1840-01-27

    Henry Monro, four stockmen, and Mounted Police under Lieutenant Frederick Russell raid an Aboriginal camp, killing at least two unarmed Djadjawurrung men, wounding several more, and capturing Munnangabumbum.

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People

  • Munnangabumbum

    VICTIM

    Djadjawurrung man captured during the January 1840 raid on Monro's property; beaten, chained, and transported to Melbourne.

  • John Coppock

    CHARGED

    Overseer of Barfold station who organised the armed party responsible for the June 1838 killings; summoned to Sydney to explain his actions but was never held to account after missing the boat from Williamstown.

Roles reflect public records and court outcomes at the time of writing — supporting citations are on file under Sources.

Places

Campaspe River, north of Kyneton, Victoria, Australia

-37.1300, 144.4500

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Common questions

What happened to the victim?
In June 1838, an armed party of convict station hands and settlers killed between 8 and 23 Djadjawurrung Aboriginal people at Waterloo Plains, Victoria, in a reprisal raid following the killing of two convict shepherds and the theft of sheep.
Where did the massacre happen?
Campaspe River, north of Kyneton, Victoria, Australia.
What is the current status of the case?
Status: unsolved.
More cases in Victoria

Sources

  1. ENCYCLOPEDICWaterloo Plains massacreWikipedia · 2026-07-10
  2. OFFICIAL / AGENCYContemporaneous coverage — nla.gov.aunla.gov.au · 2026-07-10
  3. PRESSContemporaneous coverage — ABC News (Australia)ABC News (Australia) · 2026-07-10