The battle fought between bullets and wooden shields is one that Butchulla elder Glen Miller believes has gone unrecognised for too long.
It inspired him to create what the state government is describing as a first-of-its-kind warrior memorial, which recognises Butchulla men who fought to defend their land during the colonisation of Australia.
The monument that was unveiled before hundreds of people in the heritage city of Maryborough, three hours north of Brisbane, is simple in its design.
But Mr Miller said the image of fallen shields represented something greater.
"I thought about what the results would be of an encounter between Aboriginal men armed with spears, and white men armed with firearms," he said.
"The end result would have not only been dead men, but shields on the ground with bullet holes in them.
"So, I thought three shields lying on the ground with bullet holes would get a powerful message across in a very simple way."
'First and only monument'
The violent conflicts between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people, known as the Frontier Wars, took place throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries, according to Queensland government records.
Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships Craig Crawford said the monument shone a light on Queensland's history of colonisation.
"I think this is a significant moment, not just for Maryborough, not just for Butchulla, but for Queensland because this is the first and only monument of this type of the Frontier Wars," Mr Crawford said.
Mr Crawford said the unveiling of the memorial was timely with the 2023 Treaty Bill.
"We have a bill before parliament right now, which hopefully will be passed next month, that will put together a formal commission of inquiry into the history of Queensland," he said.
"Once the bill passes, we will be able to stand that inquiry up towards the end of this year and it will go back and pull together all of that history … from the very beginning of colonisation and right up until modern day.
"A lot of this information is recorded in university and [by] historical writers, but it's not recorded by government, and it needs to be."
Mr Miller said the community support left him hopeful on the path to reconciliation.
"For me, it's an indication that this community has a desire to recognise the past, but also, for us to all walk forward together," he said.
"To see so many people coming up to look at the monument and read the storyboards is just the best feeling."
