Coniston Massacre — What happened at Coniston in 1928?

PLEASE NOTE: This case study contains names, images and/or voices of deceased Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Case Study Overview

In 1928 at least 31 and possibly more than one hundred Indigenous people were killed near Alice Springs after a local dingo trapper was found dead. A Government Inquiry found the killings were justified. Were they? How can such a terrible event have happened? Students investigate the evidence to try to establish the facts, and to understand the attitudes, values and clash of cultures that made these events possible.

The case study has been recently updated to our fully iPad friendly web format.

Case Study unit of work inquiry structure

  • Activity 1: Understanding a key concept
  • Activity 2: Visiting the scene of the events
  • Activity 3: What happened at Coniston in 1828?
  • Activity 4: Coming to a conclusion
  • Activity 5: How has the Coniston Massacre been commemorated?
  • Activity 6: Reflection and Creating a final representation of the Coniston Massacre

For Primary & Secondary Students

AUSTRALIAN CURRICULUM:
HISTORY YEAR 6
• Australia as a nation

HISTORY YEAR 10
• Rights and freedoms (1945 - present)

Case Study Resources

  • Interactive website
  • Print Resources (PDF)
  • Worksheets (DOC)
  • High Quality Video
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