Sand Dune Slaughter: The Maria Massacre

In June 1840 the brigantine Maria was wrecked on rocks near Cape Jaffa, South Australia. The passengers and crew reached land and then began the trek along the Coorong towards Adelaide. When natives reported to the authorities at Encounter Bay that the bodies of white people had been found south of Lake Albert an expedition was mounted to attempt to rescue any remaining survivors of the wreck. The searches found blood-stained clothes, wedding rings, part of the ship's log and pieces of newspaper, confirming the identity of the brutally slain remains of all the passengers. Their bodies had been stuffed into wombat holes and under a large rock. An expedition was ordered by Governor Gawler to find and punish the murderers. This is a fictional account, based on documentary evidence, of what has become known as the Maria massacre.