The Incident At Afghan Rocks

*The Incident at Afghan Rocks* by Patrick Green is a tightly focused historical booklet that revisits a little-known moment on Australia’s frontier, where the camel routes of the inland met the harsh edge of the south coast.

In August 1894, a caravan of 108 camels and 17 Afghan cameleers reached Windanyer—now called Afghan Rocks—near Israelite Bay in Western Australia, after setting out from Bourke, New South Wales. Tensions over access to water escalated into a violent confrontation, leaving one man dead and another injured. Drawing on recorded documents from the time, this account preserves original spellings and place-name variations, offering readers a direct window into the sources rather than a smoothed-over retelling.

Ideal for readers of Australian history, Western Australian local history, colonial-era true events, and anyone interested in Afghan cameleers and the outback camel trade.

Add it to your basket and explore a stark, revealing episode from 1890s Australia.