THE ROUTE OF THE PASTORALIST 85 



led (Brodribb believes *) to the settlement of Victoria, 

 not only by the Tasmanians, but by the Australians 

 also. Many settlers who had thus formed stations on 

 the Upper Hume in 1836-8 moved on to Port Phillip 

 country. Large sheep and cattle stations were formed 

 there ; over 100,000 sheep crossed the Murrumbidgee 

 in three months. f 



After Melbourne had been settled in 1836 by a band 

 of daring adventurers from Launceston, two streams of 

 pioneers concentrated themselves upon Victoria. Re- 

 ports of the new-found country spread from Launceston 

 to Hobart, and from many parts of Van Diemen's Land, 

 where both stock and stations had risen to exorbitant 

 prices, settlers crowded over the narrow Straits. 



The squatters came with their flocks and herds and 

 their ripe experience, and in a very few years as much 

 progress was made as might otherwise have been made 

 in a quarter of a century. Within two years, it was 

 authoritatively stated, no fewer than 250,000 sheep 

 had been transported, chiefly from Tasmania, and 

 perhaps half-a-hundred stations formed ; and the 

 greater part of Western Victoria taken up.{ Geelong 

 was the first centre of settlement, and about thirty 

 stations were, in 1837, formed along the banks of the 

 Moorabool, Barwon, and Leigh rivers. In the following 

 year other stations were made higher up the same 

 rivers. At almost the same times Melbourne and 

 Portland were the initial points of further settlement. 

 In 1837 four Tasmanian squatters occupied the Colac 

 country, finding already one pioneer there. Early in 

 1838 eight more took up unoccupied land round about 

 Lake Colac. Others stretched out westwards, and 

 towards the end of 1838 and the beginning of 1839 

 Tasmanian squatters spread rapidly over Western 

 Victoria. 



* Brodbibb, Recollections, pp. 13-5. 

 t Ibid. 



X Victorian Pioneers, p. 272. See map in the same volume, 

 p. 39. 



