Konongwootong Quiet Place Print Page

The commemorative "Quiet Place" at the general location of the "Fighting Waterholes" massacre of Aboriginal people. A tree was planted by the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs (Tim Bull) at the reservoir in memory of the Aboriginal men, women and children who were killed and buried in a mass grave on the bank of the creek.

Wannon Water, which manages the reservoir, worked with the Gunditj Mirring Aboriginal Corporation to construct a memorial at the site.

In April 1840, old men, women and children of the Konongwootong Gunditj clan were killed as they camped beside the creek, in what became known as the Fighting Waterholes massacre. A tribe had stolen 40 sheep and over 60 aboriginals were slaughtered by the settlers.

It was the second massacre on the Konongwootong Gunditj in as many months, with at least 40 people killed at a site known as Fighting Hills.

About a century after the killings, heavy rains uncovered the bones of some of the victims, who had been buried in a mass grave on the bank of the creek where they were killed. A local farmer named T. J. Fitzgerald recovered the remains and reburied them.

Location

Address:	Reservoir Road, Konongwootong Reservoir, Konongwootong, 3315
State:	VIC
Area:	AUS
GPS Coordinates:	Lat: -37.499301 Long: 141.652994 Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate.

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Details

Monument Type:	Monument
Monument Theme:	Conflict
Sub-Theme:	Frontier
Actual Event Start Date:	01-April-1840
Actual Event End Date:	01-April-1840
Link:	https://c21ch.newcastle.edu.au/colo…