The Yiman, also known as Yeeman, Eoman[1] or Jiman,[2][a] and by themselves in modern times as Iman, are an Aboriginal Australian people living in the Upper Dawson River region around Taroom of eastern Central Queensland.
The incident took at a site known as "Goongarry" which had been squatted by the Scottish immigrant Andrew Scott who had applied for a tender over this area of Yiman traditional land in late 1853.
Fraser died later that year of pneumonia, and the lease was continued by his wife, 5 sons and 4 daughters, who, disregarding Scott's advice not to allow blacks anywhere near the holding, befriended the local Yiman, since they had experience earlier of friendly Aboriginal hands on various stations on the Darling Downs.
[9] The following day, Walter Powell and his native police tracked down and ambushed one of about 10 bands believed to be responsible, the only one thought to have moved westwards, killing five and wounding several others.
[8] Tracking suspected participants hailing from the Baking Board district, west of Chinchilla, they came across a band of Aborigines at Redbank, rounded them up and killed them over the protests of the local Ross family.
[11] The flight of the Yiman deep into the Auburn and Burnet districts may suggest that they had cultural ties with groups indigenous to this region.
[12] In the reprisals by settlers in the district and native police, upwards of 300 Yiman were hunted down and killed, and the executioners were not subject to prosecution.
[15] On 23 June 2016, the case was concluded when John Reeves, J. of the Federal Court, sitting in Taroom, approved a consent decree.