FIRST CENTURY OF DAIRYING IN NEW SOUTH WALES. 



of trade was being done in wool, horns, hides, and tallow. 



In these year^ 1830-35 the cattlemen had what was called heirVr 

 station-. The>e heifer station^ were, generally speakin.tr, isolated 

 gullies with but one inlet, which was al>o the only outlet. The heifer-, 

 would be placed in there in charge of a stockman and hut man. The 

 bull- were kept in secure paddocks, and therefore the heifers would 

 not be allowed near the bull until about three years old. When they 

 calved they were large, full-framed animals, with plenty of constitu- 

 tion. 



To give an idea of the cla/ss of qattle used hundreds of miles from 

 Sydney: In 1831 Dr. Dobic imported a 'few cattle from England, in- 

 cluding a very fine Shorthorn bull (Spencer, 8623, C.H.B.). Spencer 

 was bred by Lord Althrop, and was }i\- "Mercurv" (^301, C.H.B.), dam 

 by Dandy (051, C.H.B.), g.d. by Cecil (120, C.H.B.), gr.g.d. bv Midas 

 (435- C.H.B.), by Meteor (431, C.H.B.), by Petrarch (488, C.I!.!'-.) 

 by Alexander (20, C.H.B.), by Traveller (655, C.H.B.), by Son of 

 Bo!:ngbroke (86, C.H.B.). This bull died 1840. and was merely one 

 of many such animals imported to New South Wales for service on 

 cattle stations, with the object of improving the existing herds of 

 cattle throughout the colony. Spencer's progeny were afterwards 

 used by Mr. W. R. Jenkins, of Berkeley, Ilia warm. 



1832. When Governor Bourke arrived in Australia it was the cus- 

 tom of all Governors to give free grants of hind at a <;uit rent to 

 all deserving settlers. Unfortunately no sensible provision had been 

 made to prevent the dissipation of these grants by their temporary 

 holders. It would appear that none but rich men or men of daring 

 enterprise, combined with genius, could afford to hold on to those 

 early grants. This is shown by the large number of transfers issued 

 by the Colonial Secretary's Office and the extensive sales of stock fo! 

 lowing in the line Oif depression that this country nassed through up 

 to the discovery of gold in the fifties. During 1832 it was an ominou^ 

 fact that the conversion of the smaller grants into large holdings nnd 

 the large holdings into wide domains has kept the progress of the 

 country back and is still retarding its progress. 



In the early thirties the produce of the settlers around Wollongong 

 was taken to Sydney for sale in "sloops." The producers used to 

 go to Sydney with their own produce and sell it on the wharf, then 

 purchase with the proceeds the stores and provisions reciuired for 

 their own use, and return in the " sloop" to Wollongong. This prac- 

 tice was almost general throughout the district, until a Mr. Meikle- 

 john. who had a small farm in the district, undertook to do all the 

 selling of produce and marketing for his neighbours. This may be 

 termed the commencement of the commission agency business as re- 

 gards the South Coast district. 



^ There was a great newspaper war raging among the Press of Xcw 

 South Wales in the early thirties, and one cannot help referring to 

 o;u- writer, who stated as follows : "Where land is a luxurv the 

 luxurious find its enjoyment heightened by solitude. ' \Yoe,' cried the 

 am-irnt prophet, 'to them that lay field to field till there; be no place 

 that they may be placed alone in the midst of the earth.'" The sequel 

 of the land grant system of \Y\ V South Wales goes to prove that 

 that quotation was prophetic. 



1832. Capital combined with industry and enterprise. The favoured 

 " those day-, u ho knew whe,v to tap the golden stream, no! 

 only received a maximum of profit with a minimum of toil and 

 anxiety, but they lived in an age wlu-.n money could procure for them 

 Selves an enjoyment of litY far Linger, far moiv various, and far mote 

 elmed than WAS possible before iu this country. lint, unfortunatelv. 

 there i> another -ide t.. tin- picture. For during those M) year-; that 

 had such an uncommonly happy time for the rich it is impossible to 

 much lor tlie i)oor struggling settlers. 



