The Secret War: A True History of Queensland's Native Police

by Jonathan Richards

An authoritative and groundbreaking contribution to the study of Australian colonial history, this record reveals little-known information about a brutal police force of Aborigines that operated under the command of white officers on the Queensland frontier during the 19th century. Arguing that these native patrols—which are charged with killing large numbers of indigenous people in Australia—were a key part of a colonizing tactic used successfully across the the British Empire, this examination exposes native involvement in the white settlement of Australia, the cover-up of the murders by the native police forces, and the approval of the killings by government officials of the time.

Genres: History

310 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2008

Reviews

[T.S. Flynn · Rating 1 out of 5]

Terrible book. There were only ever 100 to 170 officers and men in this unit, but according to this book they killed more men than Rambo.

There were three parliamentary enquires into the force in its first fifteen years of operation and after that the authorities kept a close eye on the force.

Out of the 250 commissioned officers who served on the force, 25 were sacked for misconduct.

This isn't a history book, it's a gross distortion and the author should be ashamed of himself.