Waterloo Creek massacre: remembrance

26 January 1838 · Remembrance

Content note: This page discusses death, violence or the ongoing impacts of injustice and may be distressing. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised that it may name people who have died. Please choose whether and when to continue.

This calendar marks 26 January as a date of remembrance for the Waterloo Creek massacre of 1838. It centres the Gamilaraay people killed and the families and communities who carry this history.

Remembering Gamilaraay lives

The University of Newcastle’s research database records 26 January 1838 for the Waterloo Creek, Jews Lagoon site. Its narrative concerns mounted police and colonists attacking Gamilaraay people. This entry follows that research date while recognising that the wider violence unfolded through a campaign rather than an isolated moment without context.

Historical records and careful interpretation

Sources use overlapping names for places and episodes of frontier violence. Some use Slaughterhouse Creek in connection with Waterloo Creek, while the Newcastle database also has a separate Slaughterhouse Creek entry for later violence in 1838. These should not be silently merged.

Reported death tolls and accounts differ. A remembrance page should name those limits rather than present an uncertain total as an exact count. Colonial accounts should be read critically alongside First Nations histories and community perspectives.

The date is also used for several other significant events. Sharing a day in the calendar does not make their meanings interchangeable. This entry is remembrance of lives lost and continuing connection, rather than a celebratory anniversary.

Remembering with care

Identify which place, date and source an account describes. How can a summary acknowledge uncertainty while remaining clear about the violence and the people remembered?

Approach this history with care for descendants, families and communities. Use the linked sources to understand the particular place and people, and follow local guidance about appropriate remembrance. Participation in discussion should be a choice; nobody should be asked to share personal or family experiences.

Sources and further reading

• Waterloo Creek, Jews Lagoon — University of Newcastle, Colonial Frontier Massacres research project
• Waterloo Creek Massacre Site — Heritage NSW

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