Battle of Fairy Meadow 1830

Australian Aboriginal / Indigenous / First Nations Archive Joseph Lycett, Contest with spears, shields and clubs , c.1820, watercolour, National Library of Australia. Contents Introduction Martin Lynch account Discussion References  ----------------------- 1. Introduction Martin Lynch (1821-1905) arrived in the Illawarra in March 1827, and as a young boy observed a tribal fight which took place around 1830 between the Illawarra and Bong Bong Australian Aboriginal (Indigenous / First Nations) tribes. When the 76 year old Lynch was interviewed by parliamentarian and local historian Archibald Campbell  (1834-1903) on 22 February 1898, he described the encounter in some detail. He later expanded upon this description in a  letter  to Campbell dated 20 April of that year. Both the letter and interview accounts are reproduced below. They are the only extant records of the conflict. A relevant summary abstract from the letter reads as follows: ........