On 1 September 2026 the Archaeology of the Native Mounted Police project reached a milestone, with the publication of “Buried: Archaeology, Frontier Conflict and the Queensland Native Mounted Police” by authors Heather Burke, Lynley A. Wallis and Bryce Barker.
Buried investigates the Australian frontier by combining archaeological evidence for the NMP’s activities – both violent and mundane – with historical evidence and oral histories from descendants of NMP troopers, officers and massacre survivors. Presented as part archaeological investigation and part social history of a still poorly understood frontier policing force, Buried tackles some of the most complex issues surrounding frontier violence, and challenges us to think more broadly about both the colonial past and its historical legacies in the present.
We recognise that for the general reader, Buried is a mass of people and place names – even longterm residents of Queensland can find it hard to know where all the key locations are. To assist people in understanding the geography of 19th century Queensland, we have prepared a series of maps that are included in the book.
As a further aid, we also prepared a precis of each pastoral district as posted on this blog. Covering key geographical features, a succinct history of the earliest European incursions into the district, the NMP presence, maps and lists of key pastoral stations, population centres and historic travel routes, key pastorals and politicians, each precis is a useful introduction to the history of each pastoral district, the convoluted and inter-related nature of early White settlers and the violence that accompanied the ‘settlement’ of the State.
Each precis can be accessed by clicking on its name in the table on the Queensland Pastoral Districts page (which also shows an historic map of all the districts), or the direct links below:
- Burke
- Cook
- Darling Downs
- Gregory North
- Gregory South
- Kennedy (North and South)
- Leichhardt
- Maranoa
- Mitchell
- Moreton
- Port Curtis
- Warrego
- Wide Bay and Burnett
Praise for Buried:
"Brilliant! This landmark interdisciplinary study weaves together diverse sources to produce a vivid, embodied analysis of the everyday work and life of Queensland’s dreaded Native Mounted Police. Over eight decades this murderous paramilitary force wrought terror and death – this book digs up its forgotten traces and through rigorous analysis confronts us with its horrifying impact and continuing legacies in the present. Skilfully combining extensive archaeological investigation, historical analysis and First Nations memories the authors reconstruct the chillingly ordinary landscapes of genocide." - Professor Jane Lydon, University of Western Australia
“Never before, in Australian historiography, has material evidence been so effectively combined with the sources of social and political history to build a humanising portrait of the inhumanity of colonial conquest.” – Professor Tim Rowse, Western Sydney University
“An important and impressive book. By providing us with such a meticulous investigation of the Queensland Native Mounted Police, the authors have made a notable contribution to the nation’s ongoing pursuit of truth-telling.” – Professor Henry Reynolds, University of Tasmania