Descendants of the Balanggarra people and representatives from the Western Australia Police recently met at the former Forrest River Mission to remember the 100th anniversary of a mass killing.

Balanggarra 族人的後代與西澳警察代表最近在前佛雷斯特河傳教區會面，紀念一次大規模殺戮的一百週年。

The events of 1926 were caused by the death of a white landowner, Frederick Hay, after a violent fight with an Aboriginal man named Lumbia. In response, a group of thirteen police officers and civilians carried out a several-week operation, which led to the illegal killing of at least eleven people in three different areas. Evidence from a later official inquiry showed that ovens were used to burn the bodies. Commissioner George Wood noted that about 30 people disappeared, suggesting that the death toll was higher than official records showed. However, no police officers were convicted; Lumbia was the only person to be sent to prison.

1926年的事件是由一名白人地主 Frederick Hay 在與一名叫 Lumbia 的原住民發生激烈衝突後死亡而引起。作為回應，一組由十三名警察與平民組成的隊伍進行了為期數週的行動，導致三個不同地區至少有十一人被非法殺害。隨後的官方調查證據顯示，當時使用了烤爐來焚燒屍體。警察局長 George Wood 指出，約有 30 人失蹤，顯示死亡人數高於官方記錄。然而，沒有警察被定罪；Lumbia 是唯一被送入監獄的人。

Historical records show that this period in northern Australia was marked by systemic violence and conflicts over land. Stories from the Balanggarra community describe the use of chains and the targeted killing of women and elders. Although some writers have questioned these stories, the forensic evidence from the 1920s supports the survivors' accounts. Furthermore, the families involved suffered more economic hardship after the state government closed the Oombulgurri community in 2020.

歷史記錄顯示，當時澳洲北部的特徵是系統性暴力與土地衝突。Balanggarra 社區的故事描述了鏈條的使用以及對女性與長者的針對性殺戮。雖然部分作家質疑這些故事，但 1920 年代的法醫證據支持倖存者的描述。此外，在州政府於 2020 年關閉 Oombulgurri 社區後，相關家庭承受了更多經濟困難。

Recent efforts to improve relations were shown by the attendance of Superintendent John Hutchison. The Western Australia Police, which had denied the massacre happened as recently as 2001, now formally admit the event took place. Superintendent Hutchison described the massacre as a 'confronting chapter' in the police force's history and emphasized that authority must always be lawful and ethical. The Balanggarra descendants viewed this admission as an important step toward healing.

近期改善關係的努力體現於總警監 John Hutchison 的出席。西澳警察在 2001 年仍否認大屠殺發生，但現在正式承認事件確實發生。Hutchison 總警監將大屠殺描述為警隊歷史中一個「令人不安的章節」，並強調權力必須永遠合法且符合倫理。Balanggarra 的後代將這次承認視為走向療癒的重要一步。

The centenary event ended with the state police formally admitting to these historical crimes, allowing for a symbolic reconciliation between the victims' descendants and the police force.

這次百年紀念活動以州警正式承認這些歷史罪行而結束，使得受害者後代與警隊之間達成象徵性的和解。