aboriginal warfare at cobargo

There are historical reports of tribal wars in the early 1800's and earlier. W.D. Tarlinton, an early settler at Cobargo, reported in the early 1800's that 'Aborigines roamed the district and blacks from the tablelands frequently journeyed down to make war on the Cobargo blacks'. This story was recounted in the first history of the Bega Valley written by A.B. Chauncey in 1916 -

'About the beginning of the last century the Monaro tribes had encroached on the land of the coast tribes, and the savages' way of settling disputes was by war. As was usual, the chiefs met beforehand to decide all particulars, and the spot chosen for the conflict was where the Cobargo Showground is now. This was about 1830, and the actual fight was witnessed by the late W.D. Tarlinton. The battle lasted all day, being won by the Monaro tribes, and the next morning there were 60 dead blacks on the field'.

See also Indigenous History, Indigenous People, Indigenous Places