Full Story The Descendants episode 1: decoding a massacre
Jan 4, 2026
In this insightful discussion, Sarah Collard, an Indigenous affairs reporter for Guardian Australia, reveals her groundbreaking investigation into Major Logue's coded diaries. She uncovers the chilling history of the 1854 Winter massacre at Bootenal Springs, challenging the ‘colonial silence’ perpetuated by descendants of both settlers and victims. Sarah emphasizes the importance of truth-telling for healing and reconciliation, while recounting her powerful encounters with both Yamaji people and settler descendants. These personal stories highlight the urgent need for honesty about Australia’s past.
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Coded Confessions In A Diary
- Major Logue's diary uses a simple Pigpen code to conceal passages about killings.
- Decoding those passages reveals matter-of-fact descriptions of murder and massacre by settlers.
Journalists Decode The Pigpen
- Sarah Collard and Lorena Allam decoded the Pigpen sections themselves and found graphic, uncaring language about killing people.
- Seeing the translated words was sickening and contrasted with trivial complaints in the diary.
Massacre Numbers Diverge Dramatically
- Local organised armed groups, led by John Nicol Drummond, attacked Aboriginal camps in 1854 with heavy casualties.
- Oral histories say hundreds died while official records report far fewer, showing a deep discrepancy.