OPENING UP THE COLONY. 



of this breed were not possessed of more than a cross of Devon blood 

 in their veins. They were, however, splendid milkers, and possessed 

 good constitutions. 



The Australian Auction Company sold in Sydney 200 head of cows 

 and heifers of the Durham breed, in calf to imported bulls from the 

 celebrated herds of Captain Piper and Mr. A. R. McKenzie, of 

 Bathurst, and Mr. Thomas Icely, of Coombing Park, Carcoar. These 

 cattle were much liked by the settlers, and Sydney being the chief 

 market of the colony, many of the coast dairymen purchased these 

 cattle through their Sydney agents, who were principally city mer- 

 chants trading in cattle and their products and farm produce. The 

 Hunter River Auction Company, which was a branch of the Aus- 

 tralian Auction Company, sent mobs of the best of cattle to Sydney 

 market ; these animals would eventually be purchased by coast buyers 

 to supply the increasing demand among the smaller settlers, who had 

 but scant opportunities for rearing stock. One of the largest sales 

 conducted in the colony up to this date was that of Richard Jones, 

 Esq., M.C., who owned several cattle stations. He had the Fleurs 

 Estate, South Creek, on which he carried on breeding. His catjtle 

 were of very superior quality, and comprised the Devon and Durham 

 breeds. The chief cattle in the market for dairy 'purposes were Dur- 

 hams, Ayrshires, Devons, and Suffolk breeds. Howe's cattle were 

 mentioned as Howe's breed, and Macleay's cattle as Macleay's breed 



In 1841 Ben Boyd was building a town and port at Twofold Bay ; 

 had already two steamboats and a schooner yacht, the Wanderer. He 

 had obtained possession of a vast number of sheep and cattle stations. 

 He branded his cattle >irom hip to shoulder with " BEN BOYD." He 

 also devised a wild scheme of saving labor by putting 3000 sheep in- 

 stead of 800 under the charge of on|e shepherd on horseback. He 

 dispaired of the prosperity of the colony, unless the wages of a shep- 

 herd could be brought to 10 a year, or about 35. lod. a week, with 

 meat and flour without tea and sugar. The two last had been pre- 

 viously universally allowed. He engaged 100 men in Sydney at this 

 wage, and sent them by boat to Twofold Bay, free ; but they were 

 to pay 5 for a return passage. A number of them walked back to 

 Sydney. Boyd founded the Union Club, Sydney. 



Mr. Joseph Townsend, speaking of the Berry Bros.' estate, Coolan- 

 gatta, in 1842, said : " Great pains have been taken to improve the 

 breed of cattle on this estate, and bulls have been imported -from Eng- 

 land at great expense. ' Ella,' a fine Longhorned Dulrham, is a 

 splendid creature, and cost 500 ; and there are also some beautiful 

 Ayrshire bulls. Choice animals of this description are kept for sale, 

 in an extensive clover paddock devoted to them alone ; and to this 

 place they become so much attached that there is a difficulty in re- 

 moving them, ,even in the company of cows. Some of the bullocks, 

 reared and fed on this country, attain a great size, some as much^ as 

 I5cwt, and the rolls of fat on their backs form hollows something 

 like a saucer. One beast yielded 25olb. of caul and kidney fat ; and 

 5cwt. O'i tallow was obtained by boiling down two of them all grass- 

 fed. Drafts of fat cattle are constantly sent from this estate to Syd- 

 ney, and many dairy cows sold to other settlers. A large dairy is 

 kept on foot, where often 200 cows are milked, but only once a day ; 

 for, after the morning's milk is taken from them the calvos are al- 

 lowed with them until night. These cows yield about two gallons 

 of milk each per day ; and under another system would doubtless give 

 more. The skim-milk feeds a little army of pigs. Many beautiful 

 mares are to be found among the herds of horses ; and a stallion 

 from the English turf was in the stalls. The horses bred on this pro- 

 perty attain a great size ; their points are well developed, and many 

 have been sent to India." 



In describing the boiling-down establishments as carried on by the 

 Messrs. Berry and other settlers in the colony, Mr. Henderson said : 



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