Milperra massacre

Police believe that the war began over turf, drugs or a combination of both. The clubs had a no drugs policy and Colin "Caesar" Campbell, Sergeant-at-Arms of both Comanchero chapters and Sergeant-at-Arms of the Bandidos after they were patched over, points to the acrimony of the split as the sole reason. According to Campbell, in late 1983, one of his brothers and another Comanchero had called on another member and caught the Comancheros' president (and founder) William George "Jock" Ross, in a compromising position with the member's wife. As Sergeant-at-Arms, he ordered Ross to face charges of breaking one of the ten club rules.[lower-alpha 1] If found guilty, Ross would have been expelled from the club. Ross failed to appear at the first two meetings and after arriving at the third, simply announced that the club would be split into two chapters and walked out. Those who supported bringing charges against Ross, the six Campbell brothers, the three McElwaine brothers, Anthony "Snodgrass" Spencer (Snoddy) and Charles "Charlie" Sciberras remained at the Birchgrove clubhouse that overlooked Yurulbin Park[4] while Ross and the remaining Comancheros set up a new clubhouse in Harris Park.[5]

During the club's 1983 Christmas run fighting broke out between the two chapters, prompting the Birchgrove chapter to break away and form a new club. Spencer had visited several outlaw clubs in America two years earlier and remembered how much respect U.S. Bandidos showed to him, so he contacted their National President Ronnie Hodge. After much correspondence, he received approval to form the first Australian Bandidos chapter and become its national president. The new Bandidos members then incinerated their Comanchero colours in a ceremonial act. Clubhouse attacks and other violence continued until August when Campbell alleged that Spencer and Ross "declared war" in a phone call.[3]

An advertisement for a British motorcycle club swap meet was placed in a few local press releases, to be held at the Viking Tavern, with a scheduled start at 10 am on Sunday, 2 September 1984. On that day at around 1 pm, 19 armed Comancheros entered the car park of the Viking Tavern during the swap meet and took up positions in hiding. Using walkie-talkies for communication, Comanchero leader "Jock" Ross, a military enthusiast, intended to stand in the open to give the appearance he was alone, hoping to draw the Bandidos into a pincer movement that was based on the "Bullhorn Ambush" that he read had been used in the Anglo-Zulu War.[6] He was distracted by the presence of members of a rival club the Mobshitters and went to the back of the tavern to ensure they were not going to get involved.

The Bandidos were late and, thinking that the opposing gang was not coming, some Comancheros went into the Viking Tavern bar. About 20 minutes later, 34 equally armed Bandidos members arrived. Caught off guard, the Comancheros were scattered around the car park. The Bandidos pulled up in a group at the western end of the car park and after distributing guns and other weapons, moved to confront the Comancheros president. The initial confrontation between the clubs was verbal, involving the brandishing of "non-lethal" weapons and challenges to drop the guns and settle it like men but ended with the accidental discharge of a shotgun into the air. The involuntary discharge was the catalyst for pitched battle involving fists, guns and other weapons. Contrary to some newspaper reports, there was no charge toward one another, nor were formal battle lines drawn. Although never mentioned by the media or charged, several wives and girlfriends of the club members took part.[7][8]

Once the first shot was fired, it evolved into a series of bashings and kickings with sporadic gunfire. Bandido member Gregory "Shadow" Campbell was shot in the throat by a shotgun and died instantly. Because of the number of charges this man's brother was charged with the murder. Bandidos vice president Mario "Chopper" Cianter was shot twice in the chest with a shotgun and died instantly. After realising he'd been caught off guard and not having had the chance to set up a formal battle plan, Jock Ross ran from the back of the tavern holding a machete in one hand and a pick handle in the other. Almost immediately he was hit in the foot by shotgun pellets. Staggering on, he was hit again in the head and chest and collapsed.[7][8]

Police responded after receiving reports that a man had gone berserk with a rifle at the Viking Tavern in Milperra and that shots had been fired. The fighting continued for at least 10 minutes, while police helicopters circled overhead, with members of the public fleeing to the tavern and nearby properties as soon as the shooting started. The first of more than 200 police arrived 15 minutes after the fighting ended and cordoned off the area. Two Comancheros had died from shotgun wounds, another two Comancheros died after being shot with a Rossi .357 Magnum rifle, two Bandidos died from shotgun wounds and a 14-year-old bystander, Leanne Walters, also died after being hit in the face by a stray .357 bullet. A further 28 people were wounded with 20 requiring hospitalisation.

Ron Stephenson who led the police investigation into the shoot-out stated in 1994: "In the middle of it all, the pub staff were still selling beer. People actually sat in the hotel drinking while the war was going on outside. I will never forget the sight when I arrived that day. The car park was packed with leather-clad bikies, police and ambulance officers treating the injured. One sergeant arrived with a young constable and commented, ‘Take a look at this son because you’ll never see anything like it again.’ The bikies appeared to be quite proud of what they had done."[9] Constable John Garvey who arrived at the scene stated: "The wounds on the men were horrific. I mean, those sorts of weapons can do some terrible damage."[9] Garvey was confronted by Raymond “Sunshine” Kucler of the Comancheros who was armed with a shotgun.[9] Gavery recalled: "Kucler was covered in blood and appeared to have a wound below one eye. He was very pent-up; you could see the anger and emotion in his eyes. The situation had suddenly changed, and I knew it was a critical moment in which my life was in danger. Here I was armed with a shotgun facing a very angry man with a shotgun he had obviously used; it was not something I could walk away from. Kucler wanted me to get ambulances to help his injured mates but I told him we couldn’t until he surrendered his weapon. We argued and finally he said he would give up his gun if I did the same.".[9] Both men placed their shotguns on the ground.[9]

Bandidos sergeant-at-arms, Colin "Caesar" Campbell, was shot six times and spent six weeks in intensive care before checking himself out. Four shotgun pellets remained in his body which were dug out by his wife before he fled to Western Australia.[10] Campbell later claimed that the wife of one of the Comancheros had shot him several times with a handgun.

Mark Pennington, one of the first police officers on the scene, was later awarded $380,000 (2011: $1,026,500) compensation for psychological damage. Bandido member John "Whack" Campbell never fully recovered from the injuries he received and in 1987 died in jail from complications. Jock Ross suffered a brain injury after being shot in the head. He lost much of his vision as well as the ability to read and write.[11] The Viking Tavern has since been renamed the Mill Hotel.

One man who took part in the shoot-out in the Viking Tavern who wished to be anonymous stated in 2014: “Milperra was catastrophic; it was a ridiculous and terrible thing to happen. We have all paid a terrible price and we will never be allowed to forget it or escape from it...Milperra changed everything. We came from all walks from life — optometrists, engineers, clerks and blue collar workers — and all had our reasons for being there (in a motorcycle gang). Many of us just wanted to escape our dreary lives; escape for one night a week, dress up like Marlon Brando and be a wild one."[9] Stephenson dismissed the later claims made by both the Comancheros and Bandidos that no violence was planned for the swap meet as he stated: "I simply can’t accept that. They knew it was going to happen and both gangs were prepared for the fight. They had declared war on each other, and once that happens you can be assured a full-scale battle will take place if they meet in public".[9]

In 2002, Australian film maker Martin Brown produced a documentary titled 1% One Percenters Search for a Screenplay in an effort to raise interest for a big budget movie of the massacre. The documentary, first aired on 2 February 2003, follows Brown as he looks for screenwriters, funds and a director for his movie. It includes interviews with the police investigating officer, former superintendent Ron Stephenson, Comanchero president "Jock" Ross, Bandido vice president "Bullets" and several other Milperra survivors.[21]

A television mini-series Bikie Wars: Brothers in Arms, based on the book Brothers in Arms by Lindsay Simpson and Sandra Harvey, screened on Australias Network Ten in May 2012. The screenplay was written by Greg Haddrick, Roger Simpson and Jo Martino. It is directed by Peter Andrikidis.[22] It stars Callan Mulvey, Matt Nable, Susie Porter, Maeve Dermody, Anthony Hayes, Todd Lasance, Luke Ford, Jeremy Lindsay Taylor, Damian Walshe-Howling, Nathaniel Dean and Luke Hemsworth. Colin "Caesar" Campbell has criticized the series for a lack of consultation with those who were there, its incorrect chronology of events, errors in motives and the portrayal of "lazy stereotypes".[23]

• Campbell, Colin "Caesar"; Campbell, Donna (2011). Wrecking Crew. Macmillan Publishers. ISBN 9781742628325.
• Casualty Disambiguation: see Federal Court of Australia (Sydney NSW) decision on 22 September 2014 in Francis v Allen & Unwin [2014] FCA 1027 by Katzmann J, parties Janette Gail Francis v Allen & Unwin Pty Limited, Lindsay Simpson, Pamela Walters, Rex Walters, Lorraine Walters.
• Simpson, Lindsay; Harvey, Sandra (2001). Brothers in Arms. Allen & Unwin. ISBN 9781865085012.
• GEOFF CAMPBELL'S BOOK WILL BE PUBLISHED BY SEPTEMBER 2023 ... Will keep the post here updated

• List of disasters in Australia by death toll

• News footage of the event on YouTube