TYPES OF SQUATTER 79 



sively from personal observation of the blacks. Rolf 

 Boldrewood himself has been a voluminous and success- 

 ful author. While Fred Burchett was "a well-read 

 man and a fair scholar," and Robert Craufurd, a younger 

 brother of the Scots judge, Lord Ardmillan, was a " fair 

 scholar " (Rolf is somewhat exacting on the score of 

 " scholarship " — in the bush !), a Avriter of jeux d'esjrrit, 

 a thorough sportsman, and an inveterate practical joker. 



The moral lineage of most of the squatters of Rolf 

 Boldrewood's acquaintance was unmistakable. They 

 were gentlemen by birth and education, and by their 

 pedigree belonged to the EngHsh country gentry. The 

 Cox family has, perhaps, *' furnished more pattern 

 country-gentlemen to Australia than any other." 

 Another fine family was that of the Hentys, three in 

 number, the pioneer squatters of Portland Bay. They 

 were explorers, sailors, squatters, farmers, merchants, 

 and politicians, but as Carlyle saj^s, they are " all 

 vanished now, all vanished ! " The squatters, stalwart 

 and steadfast, yet genial and hilarious, massed them- 

 selves there, as elsewhere, in family groups. There 

 were, in that Western Division of Victoria, three Winters, 

 two Jamieson brothers, three Allans, three Burchetts, 

 and four Hunters. The majority of the " Mount 

 Gambier mob " " had attained to social distinction." 

 Evelyn Sturt was aristocratic, athletic, adventurous 

 • — the Bayard of squatters. 



Another was " a man of remarkable intellect," and 

 still another, apparently of foreign origin, was " a man 

 of brains and method, culture and knowledge of the 

 world." One of the most successful was " tall, slight, 

 deHcate in frame and constitution — cultured and ar- 

 tistic." 



One Victorian squatter was " a stalwart Australian " 

 six feet four in his socks. Another was " small of 

 stature and not stalwart," but yet held his own \vith 

 his fellow-squatters. A third was tall and soldierly- 

 looking and portly. Rank sometimes was not lacking, 

 even among foreign nationalities. A hereditary Prince 



