THE ROUTE OF THE PA8T0RALIST 93 



them famous as an explorer — who had moved up from 

 Wide Bay. Blackman and Young were other followers 

 of the Archers, and on their report in 1855 these 

 Blackmans tendered for four separate stations, and 

 held a fifth till recent years. Young led the way rMrtli- 

 ward and aided in opening the countiy between Glad- 

 stone and Rockhampton. A dozen others followed 

 Young. 



The high price of wool raised the value of all the 

 pastures, and there was a constant push to the great 

 unoccupied tracts of the far north and west from the 

 southern parts of Queensland and the southern colonies. 

 After Leichhardt made his discoveries individuals 

 pushed out towards Peak Downs. Among the first 

 was Stuart, Avho in 1861 overlanded his sheep from 

 Victoria all the Avay, while the first mob of cattle was 

 brought for two new stations on the Thomson. After 

 these, " runs were taken up with, astonishing rapidity " 

 in both north and west. James Gibson was the pioneer 

 in the Burke district and was the first on the Flinders, 

 where he stocked a number of runs. In 1863 Rule 

 arrived at Aramac Creek and formed a station there. 

 In 1864 Gibson settled two more stations. Another 

 squatter, N. Buchanan, who had been one of the first 

 on the Thomson, crossed the Albert and sat down on 

 Beames Brook station. Not content Mith this, he took 

 up another run, twelve miles in length, along the banks 

 of the Landsborough, at a place Avhere the river was a 

 mere waterhole. J. G. Macdonald, who had explored 

 the country years before, now set up at Floraville and 

 afterwards on Gregory Downs, close by the river 

 Gregory. Two brothers named Brodie came from New 

 South Wales, and settled Donor's Hill. Two or three 

 squatters from Wide Bay — Atticus Tooth, Edward 

 Palmer, and W. Shewring — sat down on Conobie in 

 1865. Others advanced by Bowen River and Cape 

 River, and settled on the junction of the Cloncurry 

 and the Flinders. 



Another v.ave of occupation flowed past the runs 



