Gudyarra

The First Wiradyuri War of Resistance — The Bathurst War, 1822–1824

Stephen Gapps

• Publisher: NewSouth
• Year: 2021
• eBook ISBN: 9781742249971
• Edition: 0
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: Australian & Oceanian History
• Index: History

'In May 1824, what can only be described as a period of all-out, total gudyarra ('war' in the Wiradyuri language) had begun west of the Blue Mountains. Relations between Wiradyuri people and the colonists in the country around Bathurst had completely broken down, and the number of raids and killings occurring across isolated stock stations in the district had intensified.' In Gudyarra, Stephen Gapps—award-winning author of The Sydney Wars—unearths what led to this furious and bloody war, beginning with the occupation of Wiradyuri lands by Europeans following Governor Macquarie's push to expand the colony west over the Blue Mountains to generate wealth from sheep and cattle. Gudyarra traces the co-ordinated resistance warfare by the Wiradyuri under the leadership of Windradyne, and others such as Blucher and Jingler, that occurred in a vast area across the central west of New South Wales. Detailing the drastic counterattacks by the colonists and the punitive expeditions led by armed parties of colonists and convicts that often ended in massacres of Wiradyuri women and children, Gapps provides an important new historical account of the fierce Wiradyuri resistance.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Halftitle Page
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Contents
• Warning
• A note on terminology
• Introduction: ‘About twenty went out and shot and killed any they came across’
• Chapter 1: ‘Horses, arms and ammunition’ Murriguwalbang (Strangers): The Europeans, 1813–15
• Chapter 2: ‘They must be numerous indeed’ Madhu mayini (Many people): The Wiradyuri, 1816–17
• Chapter 3: ‘Black man die fast since white man came’ Dugul balu (Sickness and death): 1818–21
• Chapter 4: ‘At war with the whites’ Gudyarra gawaan (War against white men): 1822–23
• Chapter 5: ‘Tumble down whitefellows’ Dhalgirridhunyal gawaan (I will kill you, white men): Late 1823
• Chapter 6: ‘The natives may now be called at war with the Europeans’ Gudyarra gawaan (War against white men): January–June 1824
• Chapter 7: ‘Shoot them all and manure the ground with them’ Dhalgirridhunyal (I will crush or crack you, I will kill you): July–September 1824
• Chapter 8: ‘All were destroyed, Men Women and Children!’ Dhalabanha gibirrgirrbang, gambingum, galingabang bur (Destroy men, women, children): October 1824
• Chapter 9: ‘A label, with the word “PEACE” ’ Warraabarra gulbalanha (Make peace): November–December 1824
• Chapter 10: ‘Matters of history’ Maradhal (The past)
• Mandaang guwu (Thank you)
• Bibliography
• Notes
• Index