BOOK LAUNCH : MARK TEDESCHI’S ‘MURDER AT MYALL CREEK’

Whether Mark Tedeschi, AM, QC, the State’s Senior Crown Prosecutor, intended this or not, he has written a trilogy of three legal cases each from a different point of view. In EUGENIA, the central subject, Eugenia Falleni, is a murderer, though some simplicity is elicited, KIDNAPPED whose main subject is Graeme Thorne, the kidnap victim, and now his latest  book MURDER AT MYALL CREEK where a courageous colonial Attorney General and the legal system itself is put on trial.

In 1838, 11 convicts and former convicts were put on trial for the brutal murder of 28  indigenous men, women and children at Myall Creek in  Northern New South Wales. Controversial for the colonial era this was the first time Europeans were charged with the murder of indigenous people who were ranked lower than sheep and cattle in the eyes of the law. It would become one of the most serious trials of mass murder in Australia’s history.

The trials prosecutor was the Attorney General of New South Wales John Hubert Plunkett. It proved to be Plunkett’s greatest test as it pitted his forensic brilliance and his belief in equality before the law against the combined forces of the free settlers, the squatters, the military, the newspapers and even the convict population.

In addition to founding the St Vincents Hospital and being an inaugural trustee for the University of Sydney, Hubert Plunkett was also on the first Board of Trustees for Sydney Grammar where the book launch took place.

After a Welcome to Country by Uncle Ray and a brief introductory speech by Simon and Schuster’s Larissa Edwards, the book was launched on Thursday November 3 by Mark’s former boss, Nicholas Cowdrey, AM, QC who fullsomely praised the book.

Mark then spoke about the genesis and content of the book and thanked his family and friends who attended the launch and for Sydney Grammar hosting the event. Mark lamented the fact that this legal  giant and communal benefactor is only remembered for Plunkett Street Primary School.

The audience was unusual in that members of the indigenous community and descendants of the colonials who told the authorities of the massacre and were witnesses in the prosecution case were also in attendance.

Mark Tedeschi’s book MURDER AT MYALL CREEK, published by Simon and Schuster, is now available at all leading bookstore and online retailers. Recommended Retail Price is $32.99.

All images by Ben Apfelbaum.