. ▁Thomas ▁Mitchell ▁was ▁again ▁involved ▁in ▁a ▁mass acre ▁of ▁Ab original ▁people , ▁this ▁time ▁along ▁the ▁Murray ▁River . ▁Mitchell ▁felt ▁threatened ▁by ▁a ▁group ▁of ▁around ▁ 1 5 0 ▁Ab original ▁Austral ians ▁and ▁divided ▁his ▁expedition ▁team ▁into ▁two ▁groups ▁with ▁about ▁ 8 ▁men ▁in ▁each ▁group . ▁The ▁first ▁group ▁drove ▁the ▁Ab original ▁Austral ians ▁to ▁the ▁river ▁forcing ▁them ▁with ▁gun fire ▁to ▁enter ▁the ▁water ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁attempt ▁escape . ▁The ▁second ▁group ▁of ▁armed ▁men ▁then ▁reun ited ▁with ▁the ▁first ▁and ▁comm enced ▁firing ▁at ▁the ▁Ab original ▁Austral ians ▁as ▁they ▁sw am ▁across ▁the ▁river . ▁For ▁around ▁ 5 ▁minutes , ▁ 1 6 ▁men ▁fired ▁approximately ▁eight y ▁r ounds ▁of ▁am mun ition ▁at ▁the ▁fle eing ▁Ab original ▁Austral ians . ▁It ▁was ▁claimed ▁that ▁a ▁maximum ▁of ▁eleven ▁people ▁were ▁shot ▁dead , ▁although ▁this ▁is ▁almost ▁certainly ▁an ▁under est imation . ▁ ▁A ▁government ▁inqu iry ▁was ▁organ ised ▁into ▁the ▁mass acre ▁after ▁Mitchell ▁published ▁his ▁account ▁of ▁the ▁incident , ▁but ▁little ▁consequence ▁came ▁of ▁it . ▁Mitchell ▁subsequently ▁named ▁the ▁area ▁where ▁the ▁shoot ings ▁occurred ▁Mount ▁Dis p ersion . ▁▁ 2 6 ▁January ▁ 1 8 3 8 . ▁The ▁Water lo o ▁Creek ▁mass acre , ▁also ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁Australia ▁Day ▁mass acre . ▁ ▁A ▁New ▁South ▁Wales ▁Mount ed ▁Police ▁det achment , ▁des patch ed ▁by ▁acting ▁Lieutenant ▁Governor ▁of