22 THE PASTORAL AGE IN AUSTRALASIA 



naturalist of the French discovery-expedition that touched 

 at Austraha in 1802, called attention to a hitherto un- 

 observed feature. He noted " the pecuHar nature and 

 agreeable perfume of the native herbage," probably 

 accompanied by an attractive flavour, that made it 

 doubly grateful to cattle, horses, and sheep. He already 

 foresaw the creation of a new and lucrative branch of 

 Enghsh commerce. 



The earlier travellers had generalised too hastily from 

 an insufficient field of observation. They did not 

 know — what was not discovered till long afterwards — ■ 

 that the grasses of the interior are far hardier than those 

 of the coast. They were unaware that other vegetation 

 besides the grasses was available. The salt-bushes, 

 for example, are the hardiest of all the vegeta,l growths, 

 and of the greatest value to pastora lists.* 



Hem-y Kingsley describes the portions of New South 

 Wales where he settled in the fifties. He writes of the 

 " bright green grass " (which often deserves to be called, 

 never-green), of the rich pastoral downs, of the broad, 

 well-grassed plains, of the richly grassed volcanic plains, 

 of the fertile grassy land on the volcanic slopes, and of 

 the grassland stretching before one " like a waveless 

 sea.f He carries his characters into Gippsland, and 

 there some Victorian pioneers had found 20,000 acres 

 of the finest herbage — a fine feeding country, hghtly 

 timbered, with hills and glens, and suited for stations. 

 Yet only 1,000 miles in 14,000 were good pastoral 

 land. J 



Pastoral Victoria was, at the end of the thirties, as 

 Golden Victoria was fifteen years later, the cynosure of 

 all eyes. It was looked upon as the source of unbounded 

 wealth, by " affording unhmited pasture for sheep, and 

 that of the finest kind." When they landed at Mel- 

 bourne, the adventurers found the country, for miles 

 around Melbourne, grassy and luxuriant, with trees 



* Palmeb, Early Days in N. Queensland, p. 228. 

 t Geoffry Hamlyn, pp. 320, 322, 346, 379. 

 X Victorian Pioneers, pp. 295, 297, 193, 197. 



