'In June 1926, a posse of police officers and white civilians murdered at least twenty Oombulgurri people at Forrest River in the Kimberley. After the massacre, a conspiracy of silence descended. Witnesses vanished. Charges against two of the officers were dropped for insufficient evidence.
'One of the massacre's perpetrators was Bernard O'Leary, a former soldier whose land holding was known as 'the underworld'. At the 1927 Royal Commission into the killings, O'Leary was portrayed by his lawyer as a simple honest backwoodsman who was framed. In this powerful account, Kate Auty argues that O'Leary was in fact 'vicious, brazen and a bullshitter', with 'a propensity for brutality'. Although never charged, he played a leading role in the murders, and his duplicitous testimony thwarted the commission's work. In electric prose, Auty depicts O'Leary as a merciless killer, while the apparatus that concealed his crimes is portrayed with great realism and clarity. Driven by both forensic and moral judgement, the book exposes the injustices embedded in Australian settlement history, and the culture of denial that has prevented truth-telling in this country.' (Publication summary)
'Kate Auty's O'Leary of the Underworld expands historical work begun by Neville Green's The Forrest River Massacres (1995), but through the eagle eyes of legal analysis, a perspective for which Auty is well-known. Auty's aim is to profile the dishonesty and murderous actions of Bernard O'Leary, one of the main perpetrators of the Forrest River massacres in the Kimberley region. She brings together various contexts, personalities, and events that culminated in the case and trial. The killings that preceded the Forrest River massacre are also detailed (pp. 22–29). Auty's work is uncommon in targeting a specific individual, providing detailed backstories. She retrospectively charges O'Leary of crimes for which he was absolved. The book is illustrated with unique and well-sourced maps, photographs, and sketches that help the reader visualise events.'(Introduction)
Kate Auty in Conversation
Nico Callaghan
(interviewer),
2023
26203229
2023
single work
podcast
interview
'A recording of the launch for Kate Auty’s book, O’Leary Of The Underworld: The Untold Story of the Forest River Massacre. This book is a powerful investigation that reveals the deep injustices inflicted on Aboriginal people in the Kimberley in the 1920s.
'Please note, this episode contains discussion topics and readings from Auty’s work that some listeners may find distressing.' (Introduction)
'With the coming referendum on the Indigenous Voice to Parliament, the concept of “truth-telling” is currently getting more airtime than ever. For decades, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have been calling on Australia to front up to the truth of the past so we can deal with the present and move towards a more positive and collaborative future. Until this truth has been confronted, the racist lies this country was built upon will continue to fester, erupting in more acts of violence and erasure.' (Introduction)
'With the coming referendum on the Indigenous Voice to Parliament, the concept of “truth-telling” is currently getting more airtime than ever. For decades, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have been calling on Australia to front up to the truth of the past so we can deal with the present and move towards a more positive and collaborative future. Until this truth has been confronted, the racist lies this country was built upon will continue to fester, erupting in more acts of violence and erasure.' (Introduction)
'Kate Auty's O'Leary of the Underworld expands historical work begun by Neville Green's The Forrest River Massacres (1995), but through the eagle eyes of legal analysis, a perspective for which Auty is well-known. Auty's aim is to profile the dishonesty and murderous actions of Bernard O'Leary, one of the main perpetrators of the Forrest River massacres in the Kimberley region. She brings together various contexts, personalities, and events that culminated in the case and trial. The killings that preceded the Forrest River massacre are also detailed (pp. 22–29). Auty's work is uncommon in targeting a specific individual, providing detailed backstories. She retrospectively charges O'Leary of crimes for which he was absolved. The book is illustrated with unique and well-sourced maps, photographs, and sketches that help the reader visualise events.'(Introduction)
Kate Auty in Conversation
Nico Callaghan
(interviewer),
2023
26203229
2023
single work
podcast
interview
'A recording of the launch for Kate Auty’s book, O’Leary Of The Underworld: The Untold Story of the Forest River Massacre. This book is a powerful investigation that reveals the deep injustices inflicted on Aboriginal people in the Kimberley in the 1920s.
'Please note, this episode contains discussion topics and readings from Auty’s work that some listeners may find distressing.' (Introduction)
