CHAPTER XII 



TYPES OF SQUATTER 



Australian history has no more picturesque figure than 

 that of the pioneer squatter. Rarely a native, almost 

 always a gentleman immigrant, often a man of educa- 

 tion and culture, " Glover of Corpus," accidentally 

 forgathering with " Hallett of Oriel," merry-hearted and 

 of undaunted courage, he was partly driven, and partly 

 he set himself, to find out unconquered pasture-lands 

 in the wild. 



Portraits of typical squatters have been limned for us 

 by various hands. Mr. Nehemiah Bartley, Mr. A. C. 

 Grant, Mrs. Campbell Praed and dozens of others have 

 left luminous silhouettes. He was unique and sui 

 generis, according to Mr. Bartley. Generally, tall and 

 sinewy, -with iron-gray hair and often hard eyes, he had 

 a strong, concentrated, purposeful, earnest gaze. Edu- 

 cated and intelligent, he possessed ample savoir-faire 

 and knowledge of the world. Frank and hospitable 

 on his station, he showed abundant aplomb in his city 

 club. A born leader, he had a commanding eye, and 

 had many a time directed a dangerous wild ride on a 

 mountain-side to hinder the escape of wild cattle. No 

 coward he, nor his wife either, for they had fought the 

 blacks in their barricaded cottage for seven hours on 

 end, a hundred miles from all possible aid. Each firing 

 and loading alternately, they at length drove off the 

 blacks with heavy loss. We are not surprised that the 

 daughter of such a couple should have " a look of 

 resolution " on her face. (Bartley, pp. 341-2.) 



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