George DYAS

Sub-Inspector George Dyas was transferred from Georgetown to Normanton on 8 January 1881. He set out with Constable McGrath and on the 13th made camp at 40 Mile Waterhole. At 6am the next day McGrath left to collect the horses but at 7.30am he returned to tell Dyas that they were gone. Dyas immediately set out to search and later returned to report to McGrath that he had found horse tracks, but because of sore feet, he could not continue on to get them. Dyas pointed McGrath in the right direction and instructed him to take a bridle and find the horses.

At 11am McGrath found the tracks and, about 3pm, the horses. On his return to camp he was surprised to discover that Dyas had left taking his gun, cartridge belt and bridle. He waited at the camp for 24 hours and then left for Normanton to report the incident to Sergeant Byrne. Byrne and McGrath then left for Bynoo Native Police Camp to report the situation. Soon after, Sub-Inspector Almond and several troopers left for 40 Mile Waterhole. The search for Dyas started on the morning of the 18th, four days after he went missing.

Dyas’ tracks were found and followed for 10 miles down a creek to where he had taken off his boots. Some time was then lost while other footprints were investigated, later found to belong to a mailman. Lamond continued the search and on the morning of 22nd he found Dyas' bridle hanging in a tree and tracks left by a group of Aboriginal people. On the 23rd Lamond followed more tracks and spotted a series of arrows and the word DYAS written in the dirt. At 8am Lamond finally found where Dyas had slept and tragically where he had been murdered, stripped and buried.

Lamond believed that Dyas was murdered on the night of 20 January and that he had been speared in the back. His body was left buried at the site of the murder. It has never been ascertained why Dyas left the camp while McGrath was away looking for the horses.