The Cullin-la-ringo massacre remains the largest attack on European settlers in Australian history

Countries & Cities · Published 15 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: On October 17, 1861, a massive settlement party in Central Queensland was attacked by Indigenous Australians, resulting in nineteen deaths. This event, known as the Wills tragedy, triggered a brutal series of punitive expeditions that decimated local Gayiri people and left a lasting mark on the frontier history of Australia.

The Cullin-la-ringo station was established by Horatio Wills, who led a massive expedition from Brisbane over eight months. His party included bullock wagons and over 10,000 sheep, intended for a 260-square-kilometre property. On October 17, 1861, while the party was camped near modern-day Springsure, at least 50 Gayiri people attacked the settlers using nulla nullas. Nineteen of the twenty-five people present were killed, including Wills and several members of the Baker and Mannion families. John Moore, a survivor who avoided detection, was the only European eyewitness to the event.

The attack was reportedly motivated by revenge for the murder of Gayiri men by a neighbouring squatter, Jesse Gregson, who had falsely accused them of stealing cattle. The aftermath saw a swift and violent response from white settlers and police. A vigilante party of eleven armed men and two trackers pursued the Indigenous group, eventually storming their camp on November 27, 1861. While historical estimates for the number of Indigenous people killed in these punitive expeditions have reached as high as 370, recent research by the University of Newcastle Colonial Frontier Massacres project suggests a figure of 90.

The massacre had a profound impact on the region, influencing local architecture and culture. The Old Rainworth Stone Store was built in 1862 specifically as a fortified safe haven against potential future raids. The event has also been extensively explored in literature and art, appearing in works like Alex Miller's 2007 novel Landscape of Farewell and Martin Flanagan's 1996 book The Call. Despite various myths—such as a debunked 1895 Chicago Tribune article claiming Tom Wills participated in reprisal killings—the massacre remains a pivotal, well-documented moment in the Queensland frontier wars.

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