Sydney Morning Herald Apologizes for its Role in Covering Myall Creek Massacre
The Sydney Morning Herald (SMH), one of Australia's oldest newspapers, has apologized for its coverage of the Myall Creek massacre and two subsequent trials in the 19th century. The paper said it failed "dismally" in its coverage of the incident. On 10 June 1838, a dozen stockmen led by John Henry Fleming mercilessly killed at least 28 Wirrayaraay women, children, and elderly people at Myall Creek Station, while their young men were away helping another settler. In an editorial published on Friday, the Herald said the paper essentially campaigned for the 11 accused mass murderers to escape prosecution. The Herald also opposed the death sentence eventually handed to seven of the men.
The SMH editor, Bevan Shields, said the attitude of the paper cannot be excused by the historical context as it was not necessarily shared by other publications at the time, which had "much more respectful" coverage. The newspaper encouraged readers "to shoot and kill Aboriginal people if they ever felt threatened," a move which "helped support the proposition colonists should be entitled to impunity for violence against Aboriginal people." Brooke Boney, a Gamilaroi woman and a Nine journalist, wrote an accompanying piece about being a descendant of the Myall Creek massacre.
The decision by the Nine Entertainment publication to apologize follows the Guardian's recent series Cotton Capital that saw the owner of the Guardian, the Scott Trust, apologize for the role the newspaper's founders had in transatlantic slavery. The Scott Trust said it expected to invest more than £10m, with millions dedicated specifically to descendant communities linked to the Guardian's 19th-century founders. The Herald also apologized in 2016 for the hurt and suffering caused by the publication of the names, addresses, and professions of 53 people arrested during the 1978 Mardi Gras.
The apology by the SMH is seen as significant, given the newspaper's history and reputation. The move is part of a broader trend in Australia aimed at recognizing and rectifying past wrongs, particularly those against Aboriginal people. Boney said that despite the feeling that the country has moved on from the massacres, the same kind of language and sentiment still exists. The paper's apology has been welcomed by many as an important step towards reconciliation.
