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Home » Themes » Conflict » Indigenous
Michael TobinPrint Page 
A grave commemorates Michael Tobin who was fatally speared by an Aborigine in April 1907. Tobin was a member of the exploration party led by Alfred Canning
On the Canning Stock Route the wells built by Alfred Canning became sites of conflict between cultures. Conflict on the stock route was also triggered by, and in response to, the men who made the wells, and the drovers who came to use them.
During Canning's return to Wiluna in 1907, Michael Tobin, was fatally speared at Natawalu (Well 40). In the same moment Tobin shot and killed Mungkututu, the Aboriginal man who had speared him. To this day, the reasons given for this incident are varied. One account says that Tobin had taken Mungkututu's wife, while another says that it was revenge for the theft of sacred objects by Canning's men.
Location
| Address: | Canning Stock Route, near Well 40, Tobin Lake |
|---|---|
| State: | WA |
| Area: | AUS |
| GPS Coordinates: | Lat: -21.667166 Long: 125.791416 Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate. |
Details
| Monument Type: | Grave |
|---|---|
| Monument Theme: | Conflict |
| Sub-Theme: | Indigenous |
| Actual Event STart Date: | 06-April-1907 |
| Actual Event End Date: | 06-April-1907 |
Dedication
| Approx. Monument Dedication Date: | 1908 |
|---|
Sacred to the memory of Michael Tobin
Speared - 6 / 4 / 07
Erected by M.W.S. Dept, 08
