86 THE PASTORAL AGE IN AUSTRALASIA 



The Tasmanian stream was soon augmented by a 

 smaller stream from New South Wales. It was led by 

 the first overland expedition, with Joseph Hawdon and 

 John Hepburn at its head ; they formed, near the 

 Yarra, the first cattle station in Victoria. A few sheep 

 stations were already in existence. In 1838 the pioneers 

 took up the first run connecting the line of squatters 

 from Sydney-side who had crossed the Goulburn 

 River, with the pioneers from Van Diemen's Land. The 

 station was formed by a Mr. Howey, and was near the 

 township of Gisborne. Others followed. In 1839-40 

 a long series of other stations was formed.* 



Almost all the pioneer squatters discovered the runs 

 they afterwards occupied. Thus (to take here one or 

 two instances) G. D. Mercer relates how he and two 

 others went out beyond the boundaries of settlement 

 in the plains, in May, 1838, and folio-wing up the creeks, 

 discovered the country now occupied as stations by four 

 squatters, and themselves took up five runs on it. 

 Messrs. Manifold " discovered their present run." A 

 squatter and an overseer, prospecting away from the 

 rivers, discovered the Mount Talbot country — one of 

 the finest runs in the country. Hunter and Campbell 

 discovered the station on the Upper Goulburn River 

 that Hunter afterwards occupied. We cease to wonder 

 that the pioneers claimed their stations by right of 

 " discovery and conquest." f 



The earher pioneers in Victoria confined themselves 

 to the coastline, but not for long. Two or three years 

 after the later squatters pushed inland, and settled on 

 the creeks forming the river Wannon. Next, they 

 formed stations on the west and on the east bank of 

 the Glenelg. Others, on creeks, as Bryant's, or on 

 rivers, as the Wando. Others, later still, on both shores 

 of the Glenelg, lower down or higher up. In the early 

 days very little of the country that had no frontage 

 to rivers or creeks was considered available for settle- 



* Victorian Pioneers, pp. 46-55. 

 t Ibid., pp. 156, 179-80, 154. 



