Editing Roma, Queensland (section)

=== Arrival of British pastoralists and frontier conflict ===
When Mitchell returned to [[Sydney]] from his expedition, he encouraged his friend and head colonial government bureaucrat, [[William Macpherson (bureaucrat)|William Macpherson]], to take up land on the Fitzroy Downs. Macpherson's son, [[Allan Macpherson]], subsequently took 20 men and around 10,000 head of sheep and cattle from his property at [[Keera, New South Wales|Keera]] on the [[Gwydir River]] and headed for the Fitzroy Downs. In October 1847, he established the [[Mount Abundance Homestead|Mount Abundance pastoral station]], which covered 400,000 acres from Muckadilla Creek on the west to Bungil Creek on the east. The township of Roma now stands on the part of the station where Macpherson decided to graze his cattle.<ref name="collins">{{cite book |last1=Collins |first1=Patrick |title=Goodbye Bussamarai, The Mandandanji Land War, Southern Queensland 1842-1852 |date=2002 |publisher=UQP |isbn=0702232939}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article98179058 |title=Maraona 70 Years Ago. |newspaper=[[Western Star And Roma Advertiser]] |issue=3941 |location=Queensland, Australia |date=30 June 1917 |accessdate=4 September 2023 |page=4 |via=National Library of Australia |archive-date=9 July 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240709231407/https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/98179058 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article98179130 |title=Maranoa 70 Years Ago. |newspaper=[[Western Star And Roma Advertiser]] |issue=3943 |location=Queensland, Australia |date=7 July 1917 |accessdate=4 September 2023 |page=5 |via=National Library of Australia |archive-date=9 July 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240709231412/https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/98179130 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article98179191 |title=Muranoa 70 Years Ago. |newspaper=[[Western Star And Roma Advertiser]] |issue=3945 |location=Queensland, Australia |date=14 July 1917 |accessdate=4 September 2023 |page=4 |via=National Library of Australia |archive-date=9 July 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240709231409/https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/98179191 |url-status=live }}</ref>

In August 1848, James Blyth attempted to establish a [[sheep station]] on [[Bungil Creek]] but the resident Mandandanji drove him off, spearing Blyth in the leg, killing his stockman and taking 3,000 of his sheep. This incident was the start of a lengthy war between the Aboriginal people of the area and the colonists. In late 1848, Macpherson had several skirmishes with Aboriginal people around Bungil Creek, killing an indeterminate number. By April 1849 the Mandandanji had killed seven of Macpherson's stockmen, and the local [[Commissioner of Crown Lands (Australia)|Crown Lands Commissioner]], John Durbin, with his contingent of mounted [[Border Police of New South Wales|Border Police]] troopers was called in to give armed assistance. Despite this, Macpherson was defeated and forced to abandon his Mount Abundance station in May 1849.<ref name="collins" /><ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article98179272 |title=Maranoa 70 Years Age. |newspaper=[[Western Star And Roma Advertiser]] |issue=3947 |location=Queensland, Australia |date=21 July 1917 |accessdate=4 September 2023 |page=5 |via=National Library of Australia |archive-date=9 July 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240709231412/https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/98179272 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article98179364 |title=Maranoa 70 Years Ago. |newspaper=[[Western Star And Roma Advertiser]] |issue=3949 |location=Queensland, Australia |date=28 July 1917 |accessdate=4 September 2023 |page=5 |via=National Library of Australia |archive-date=9 July 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240709231413/https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/98179364 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article98179433 |title=Maranoa 70 Years Ago. |newspaper=[[Western Star And Roma Advertiser]] |issue=3951 |location=Queensland, Australia |date=4 August 1917 |accessdate=4 September 2023 |page=4 |via=National Library of Australia |archive-date=9 July 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240709231412/https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/98179433 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article98179563 |title=Maranoa 70 Years Ago. |newspaper=[[Western Star And Roma Advertiser]] |issue=3955 |location=Queensland, Australia |date=18 August 1917 |accessdate=4 September 2023 |page=6 |via=National Library of Australia |archive-date=9 July 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240709231416/https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/98179563 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article98179483 |title=Maranoa 70 Years Ago. |newspaper=[[Western Star And Roma Advertiser]] |issue=3953 |location=Queensland, Australia |date=11 August 1917 |accessdate=4 September 2023 |page=6 |via=National Library of Australia |archive-date=9 July 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240709231913/https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/98179483 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Upon their exit, Macpherson and Durbin requested the government to mobilise the newly formed [[Native Police]] force to eliminate Aboriginal resistance in the region. Subsequently, in July 1849, [[Frederick Walker (native police commandant)|Frederick Walker]] led his Native Police troopers against the "Fitzroy Downs blacks", shooting many
during a large skirmish. In late 1850, the Mandandanji regrouped to attack Paddy McEnroe who had attempted to re-establish the Mount Abundance pastoral station. They killed one of his shepherds, burnt down a hut and took 400 cattle. Roderick Mitchell, the local Crown Lands Commissioner who had replaced Durbin, led a reprisal raid consisting of his police troopers and nearby squatter colonists, which recovered the cattle and killed 13 Aborigines.<ref name="collins" />

In 1851, a large Native Police barracks was established at nearby [[Moraby, Queensland|Wondai Gumbal]] which housed up to 35 troopers. These troopers under officers George Fulford, James Skelton and Richard Dempster, conducted several patrols of the Mount Abundance area, shooting Aborigines when hostile contact was encountered. In November 1852, Mandandanji resistance on the Fitzroy Downs was finally crushed when Skelton dispersed with "severe means" a large group of Aborigines, killing at least six including Mandandanji leader Possum Murray (Bussamarai).<ref name="collins" />

In 1858, the Mount Abundance pastoral station was sold to Stephen Spencer who was able to peacefully re-occupy the property with his family, 13 stockmen and 1,000 head of cattle. A new Native Police barracks was formed in 1859 on Bungil Creek under Sub-Lieutenant William Morehead which ensured British control of the region.<ref name="mcmanus">{{cite book |last1=McManus |first1=Mary |title=Reminiscences of the Early Settlement of the Maranoa District |date=1903 |url=https://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks13/1300171h.html |access-date=9 September 2023 |archive-date=17 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231017122012/https://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks13/1300171h.html |url-status=live }}</ref>