On 30 June 1875 at the Roper River, a telegraph worker from Daly Waters had been killed, and his two mates badly wounded, probably by Mangarrayi men.
[Brutal Truth about what happened in the Gulf Country]
CH Johnston, Charles Rickards, Abram Daer and two
unnamed Aboriginal people left Daly Waters station and travelled to Roper Bar searching for
stock. They met with Aboriginal people on the way to Roper Bar who were described as 'very
quiet to all appearances, some of them riding on the wagon'. However while stopped at Roper
Bar for lunch the three European men were speared (Johnston was speared and killed while
swimming, Rickards was speared though not fatally and Daer died some weeks later from his
wounds). Before his death Daer reported that there were 'very few old Roper natives, none of the
old Bungawah's being there'. He thought that the Aborigines responsible were mostly 'Moles Hill
blacks' (Mole Hill is located on the eastern boundary of Elsey PL) (Northern Territory Times, 17
July 1875). [Aboriginal land commissioner reports - Urapunga].,