In the mid 1830s, the Gringai people who lived in the valleys and hills to the north of Newcastle, were at war with the British. In 1835, in response to the murder of two shepherds Richard Bourke, Governor of New South Wales, ordered 50 soldiers from the 17th Regiment to proceed to the scene of the disturbance. This military operation was commanded by Major William Croker, and his directive was to vigorously suppress the resistance. Croker's men returned after a month in the disputed area.