Kilcoy Massacre III

‘Kilcoy Massacre III’ was commissioned in 2002 for the exhibition 'Native Title Business' which toured Australia from 2002 to 2005. It is the third work in a series started by Wakka Wakka/Kabi Kabi artist Vincent Serico (1949–2008) in 1993.

The Kilcoy Massacre occurred in early 1842 at Kilcoy Station, in South East Queensland. An estimated 50-80 Aboriginal people were poisoned by flour that had been laced with arsenic. Despite allegations of premeditated murder and initial investigation, no action was ever taken by authorities. The massacre is poorly documented in historical records, but is often regarded as a major catalyst for resistance and declarations of war by Aboriginal peoples in the surrounding regions in the years that followed.

“Growing up in Cherbourg, Kilcoy was quite close in proximity and I get a lot of stories by reading history books and a lot of stories from listening to old people. This series of paintings tells the tragic tale of guilt and betrayal by some trackers of their own people at Kilcoy in South East Queensland around the 1840s. Trackers were brought down from different tribes to hunt and trap those people who were fighting for their land. This was seen as causing trouble for the police and the white settlers. The tracker was responsible for giving the people rations of flour and sugar laced with arsenic. These deaths continued after the Kilcoy Massacre and caused revenge and resentment from everyone.” (Vincent Serico, 2005)

‘Kilcoy Massacre III’ is the third and final work in the series and focusses more broadly on the ‘grand narrative’ of colonial-era exploration in Queensland and the violence that ensued. In this work, native troopers can be seen engaged in combat with local Aboriginal people; people are on the lookout for the arrival of the colonisers; Elders conduct a Bora Ring ceremony; people hunt with fish traps and live as a community. The wedge-tailed eagle seen at the top of the work is the artist's totem. Serico's distinctive techniques are observed in this work with a use of traditional ochre colours alongside a heightened palette of cross-hatching.

Serico, whose artistic body of work spans over 40 years, regarded himself as a history painter. His works are known for documenting significant events in his life and those of previous generations, as Indigenous peoples struggled with cultural and lifestyle changes including forced removal from Country and kin, life in missions, deaths in custody, and frontier violence. His artistic endeavours aim to shed light on the dark history of his ancestors.