Appin massacre: remembrance

17 April

Content note: This page discusses colonial violence and loss of life without graphic descriptions. Linked historical sources may contain distressing accounts, outdated language, and names or images of deceased people. You can choose how much to read.

17 April marks the anniversary of the Appin massacre of 1816. This is a date for remembering the Aboriginal people killed, acknowledging the grief and ongoing effects for Dharawal people, and recognising the continuing life of families, culture and Country.

The history behind the date

The massacre occurred during a military expedition ordered by Governor Lachlan Macquarie. On the early morning of 17 April 1816, a detachment led by Captain James Wallis encountered an Aboriginal camp near the Cataract River at Appin, in what is now south-western Sydney.

Museums of History NSW holds instructions relating to the expedition and a copy of Wallis’s journal. These records help establish the chronology, but they were produced within the colonial system responsible for the violence. They should be read with attention to whose actions they explain and whose experiences they leave unrecorded.

Lives, Country and continuing impact

Campbelltown City Council’s account places the massacre within Dharawal history and acknowledges its continuing effects. It records that survivors fled to neighbouring Country and that the consequences were not confined to one day.

Remembering Appin should not reduce Dharawal people to the violence inflicted on them. Culture, family relationships and connection to Country continue. Community accounts and remembrance practices provide essential context that cannot be replaced by military records alone.

What the records can and cannot tell us

Institutional accounts identify at least 14 people killed. The surviving written evidence does not provide a complete account of every life lost or affected. A respectful introduction can acknowledge the loss without treating a recorded minimum as an exhaustive total.

The Australian Museum places Appin within a wider history of conflict, colonial orders and restrictions on Aboriginal life. This context helps explain why the massacre should not be presented as a disconnected incident or a story concerned only with the intentions of colonial officials.

Marking the anniversary with care

Begin with local community guidance and the resources below. Give people a choice about reading or participating, avoid graphic images and reenactments, and do not ask Aboriginal students or colleagues to describe family trauma or speak for all communities.

The historical anniversary is 17 April. A public memorial or ceremony may take place on another date, and attendance, access and photography need to follow current organisers’ advice. Learning can include listening, examining the language of historical records and considering what acknowledgement and responsibility mean today.

Sources and further reading

The resources below provide historical records, community or institutional perspectives, and further learning. Linked material may include historical language, names or images of people who have died.

Appin Massacre. Campbelltown City Council. Local history and acknowledgement of the continuing impact on Dharawal people.
Appin Massacre

The Appin Massacre. Australian Museum. Historical context within the Unsettled exhibition resources. Contains distressing material.
The Appin Massacre

Massacre at Appin, 17 April 1816. Museums of History NSW. Archival instructions, journal material and an account of the historical date. Contains distressing material.
Massacre at Appin, 17 April 1816