www.monumentaustralia.org.au

Mount Dispersion CairnPrint Page Print this page

23-April-2018
23-April-2018

Photographs supplied by David Brighton

The cairn commemorates the incident and naming of Mount Dispersion in 1836.

In May 1836, Major Mitchell after being followed for several days by Aborigines, armed his men (against New South Wales Government orders) and organised an unprovoked ambush of them.  The massacre actually took place over the course of several days. While he was acquitted by an enquiry, the incident tarnished his reputation for the rest of his career.

He wrote in a letter to Governor Bourke "on the morning of 27 May there were following us closely along the river with tumultuous shouting, and our own safety and further progress evidently depended on our attacking them forthwith. But it was difficult to come at such enemies hovering in our rear with lynx-eyed vigilance of savages. I succeeded however. Attacked simultaneously by both parties the whole betook themselves to the river, my men pursuing them and shooting as many as they could, Numbers were shot swimming across the Murray, and some ever after they had reached the opposite shore as they descended they bank. Thus is in a short time the usual silence of the desert prevailed on the banks of the Murray, and we pursued our journey unmolested."  Mitchell named the spot Mount Dispersion.  
Source Project Gutenberg: Thomas Mitchell.


Note : On 24 April 2020, Mount Dispersion was recorded in the New South Wales Government Gazette as an Aboriginal Place under the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974. (NSW). It was officially listed on 27 May 2020, 184 years to the day that the massacre took place.

 

Location

Address:Tapalin Mail Route Road, Midway between Mildura and Robinvale, Euston, 2737
State:NSW
Area:AUS
GPS Coordinates:Lat: -34.586684
Long: 142.475376
Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate.
View Google Map

Details

Monument Type:Monument
Monument Theme:Conflict
Sub-Theme:Frontier
Actual Event Start Date:27-May-1836
Actual Event End Date:27-May-1836

Dedication

Approx. Monument Dedication Date:September-1963
Front Inscription

Plaque:
Mt. DISPERSION 
Named By 
MAJOR MITCHELL
On May 26th 1836
After An Encounter With 
Aborigines At This Spot

Plaque:
     THIS SPOT 
Was Marked By The 
Mildura Historical Society
September 1963

Source: MA,RUMV
Monument details supplied by Monument Australia - www.monumentaustralia.org.au