Correspondence with the Colonial Secretary's Office

Alexander Balbi being duly Sworn States I am the landlord of the Bush Inn Fassifern. On Christmas day last several blacks came into my place requesting me to allow them to sleep in my stable because the black Police had been shooting some old blackfellows in the scrub in one of the Paddocks belonging to Mr Hardie. I told them they could sleep in the Paddock attached to my house and I would protect them there. This was about eleven or twelve o'clock in the forenoon. They continued to sleep in my Paddock a few nights and appeared very much frightened of the Native Police persuing them to that place. I saw the bodies of three blackfellows lying dead in the said scrub when I went there on the third instant. From the appearance the camp presented to me that day I should think it would have been suddenly deserted by the blacks. Dillies, broken spears, shields and articles of clothing lying scattered about. I was desired by the Coroner to go with him and bring my blackfellow named "Shepherd Tommy" as a guide to where the bodies were lying. I had not seen them since they were shot before that day. I recognised two of them. They were very old and decrepid men.

[signed] Alex Balbi

Taken and acknowledged upon oath before me at Ipswich this fifth day of January 1861. [signed] Heny Challinor J.P.

John Hardie Grazier being duly swornstates. I am a Joint Proprietor of the Fassifern Run. I remember the twenty fourth day of December last I was present at the head Station on that day. I did not leave the Station till about twelve or one o'clock about noon that day. I returned to the Station about five or six o'clock in the evening. I returned to dinner. We dine about half past seven o'clock generally. I am not aware personally of anything having occured on the head Station that day. I heard conversation some time that day of something having occured. A man told me there was a dead black fellow lying in the ajoining scrub. It was John Jones who told me he was lying there. I am not certain whether it was the evening of the twenty fourth of December or on the morning of the following day that he told me. I think it was the same day that he told me that I went and saw the body lying there. He looked to be an elderly man. He was lying just inside the edge of the scrub close to where some blacks had been camping. The body was not burnt when I saw it. It was the day before the black's dogs were sShot that I saw the body. I told them, (the blacks) if they did not remove their dogs I would destroy them. They did not remove them so I got them destroyed as they were hunting the horses in the paddocks. I requested the dogs to be collected and burnt that they might not create an offensive smell. Some blacks assisted