66 THE PASTORAL AGE IN AUSTRALASIA 



recognised boundaries of settlement. All unlicensed 

 squatting was henceforth to be suppressed. 



That able Governor, Sir Richard Bourke, developed 

 the system. In common with previous Governors he 

 held all land beyond the recognised boundaries of 

 settlement as public commons that were free to all 

 as pasture, so long as they were not wanted for settle- 

 ment. It was, as we know, the old German and the 

 old Aryan system, if, indeed, we should not carry it 

 still further back. Had these squatters been allowed 

 to remain unhcensed, each endeavouring to hold his 

 own, and hold it by main force, against the aggressions 

 and encroachments of rivals, society in those parts 

 would soon have reverted to a state of nature. To 

 obviate disputes, Bourke required that each squatter 

 should take out a yearly hcense, for which the fee was, 

 and long remained, £10. In addition, a small assess- 

 ment on each head of sheep, cattle, or horses provided 

 for the maintenance of a border poUce for squatting 

 districts. 



These proceedings were by no means taken ■with the 

 object of aiding the pastoral advance. On the contrary, 

 Acts were regularly passed, year after year, perhaps for 

 the last time in 1845, to restrain unavithorised occupa- 

 tion. In the following year the customary annual 

 motion was introduced to re-enact the measure. It 

 was strenuously opposed by Robert Lowe and Dr. 

 Lang, James McArthur, Wentworth and Windeyer. 

 The high permanent officials and the nominee members 

 voted for it, but all the elective members voted against 

 it. On the motion of Richard Windeyer it was thrown 

 out, and by a majority of 19 to 10. Evidently, the 

 Government was still at heart opposed to the extension 

 of pastoralism. So it remained during the term of the 

 following Governor, Sir Charles FitzRoy. When flocks 

 were already being driven far to the north of the twenty- 

 sixth degree, FitzRoy desired to prevent the occupation 

 of the country " by private enterprise in opposition 

 to the rights of the Government." None the less, the 



