▁the ▁Western ▁Australia ▁Police ▁and ▁Northern ▁Territ ory ▁Police ▁and ▁others . ▁Most ▁mass ac res ▁were ▁perpet r ated ▁as ▁summary ▁and ▁ind isc rim inate ▁pun ishment ▁for ▁the ▁killing ▁of ▁sett lers ▁or ▁the ▁the ft ▁and ▁destruction ▁of ▁liv est ock . ▁There ▁are ▁over ▁nine ▁known ▁cases ▁of ▁deliber ate ▁mass ▁poison ings ▁of ▁Ab original ▁Austral ians . ▁ ▁Also ▁included ▁in ▁the ▁list ▁are ▁inter - t rib al ▁Ab original ▁mass ac res ▁which ▁have ▁been ▁recorded ▁since ▁ 1 7 8 8 . ▁American ▁academ ics ▁Lawrence ▁K ee ley ▁and ▁Norman ▁Na im ark ▁have ▁research ed ▁pre - colon ial ▁mass ac res ▁in ▁a ▁global ▁context , ▁and ▁Geoff rey ▁Bla ine y ▁has ▁written ▁of ▁inter - t rib al ▁wars ▁in ▁Australia . ▁ ▁The ▁following ▁list ▁tal lies ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁better ▁documented ▁mass ac res ▁of ▁Ab original ▁and ▁Tor res ▁Stra it ▁Island er ▁Austral ians , ▁most ▁of ▁which ▁took ▁place ▁during ▁the ▁colonial ▁period . ▁ ▁Col onial ▁period ▁mass ac res ▁ ▁New ▁South ▁Wales ▁▁ 1 7 9 0 s ▁▁ ▁July ▁ 1 7 9 1 ▁Governor ▁Arthur ▁Phill ip ▁wrote ▁in ▁his ▁own ▁journal ▁that ▁he ▁granted ▁ 2 7 ▁ex - conv ict s ▁all ot ments ▁of ▁land ▁at ▁Pro spect ▁Hill ▁and ▁The ▁P onds . ▁He ▁gave ▁them ▁mus k ets ▁which ▁were ▁util ised ▁to ▁shoot ▁at ▁Ab original ▁Austral ians ▁in ▁the ▁area .