G'day Bill D,

(who, presumably, is no more called Bill DBill D than I am Bob BoltonBob Bolton!).

The person who 'selected' land under the Land Selection act was often called a 'Free-selector' even though he eventually had to pay for the land, as well as comply with the Government clearing objectives that have stripped away 90% of the trees that were holding down the last of the thinnest soil on earth!

When I talk of 'freehold' above I mean the modern state of owning the land totally under the (now) old freehold title - as opposed to the lesser certainties of 'Torrens Title' ... the modern replacement that lets governments and authorities take it back under some conditions (which they write).

"The Eumarella Shore" is a song dating back to the beginnings of free-selection and is written from the 'squatters' point of view. ... OK, it is true that a lot of the new free-selectors did a bit of free-lance 'duffing' (the Australian equivalent of rustling) - particularly of 'cleanskin' calves wandering unfenced squatters' runs. The free-selectors were obliged to fence their land and didn't lose track of any of their own small herd on a smaller run.

Of course, before free-selection, these same squatters had been energetically pinching each other's cattle ... but that was different ... they were the same class, and it all balanced out in the end ... but these damned cocky farmers ....!

There were, of course, in the earlier days many duffers who simply herded cattle into quiet, unmapped valleys and rounded them up to sell miles away, but that is why governments employ surveyors ... and troopers. After the Gold rush of the 1850s brought thousands of gold-seekers into the inland ... and hundreds of government officials to milk as much as possible in the way of license fees ... the areas were better known.

Very few large-scale duffings occurred in the latter parts of the 19th century, anywhere but at the further edges of the outback. Howvever, it is said the only time a grazier ever ate his own beef was when he dined with his neighbour's!

Regards,

Bob Bolton