In the world of cattle duffing, the branding iron gives way to the gun. These days, when the men are out mustering until well after dark and I am home alone cooking dinner, I have every light on inside and outside the house. As I walk from room to room, I carry my rifle with me. So much has happened over the past six years that now all I feel is a strange coldness deep inside me. I know that if someone was to come into my house yard and up the steps, and if I do not know them, I will shoot to kill... This is an engrossing tale of mayhem, villainy and pillage. What is most shocking about this book is that it is not fiction. It is the story of one family¿s struggle for survival on a cattle station in far north Queensland. The chronicle - a relentless unfolding of events over six years - tells of cattle duffing, organised harassment, victimisation, arson, corruption in local and state politics, and bent police.
The frontiersmen who came to the Victoria River District of Australia’s Northern Territory included cattle and horse thieves, outlaws, capitalists, dreamers, drunks, madmen and others, from the explorers of the 1830s and 1850s to the founders of the big stations in the 1880s and 1890s, and the cattle duffers in the early 1900s. This book looks at them all. Drawing on painstaking research into obscure and rich documentary sources, Aboriginal oral traditions, and first-hand investigations conducted in the region over thirty-five years, Darrell Lewis pieces together the complex interactions between the environment, the powerful and warlike Aboriginal tribes and the settlers and their cattle, which produced what truly became A Wild History.
In this volume, Drake focuses on the famous pastoral explorers, drovers and trail drivers; the poddydodgers, horse-thieves and rustlers; the wars of the land grabbers with Australian Aborigines and the American Indians; the clashes of lawless western entrepreneurs with the laws of the bit cities in the east; the colourful females who ventured our into a man¿s world and made thier names, the transport by puffing billies and famous stage coach lines and buckjumpers, roughriders and rodeos.
This book sets out the evidence to answer to this question and outlines its development and spread from one side of the continent to the other. It’s an amazing and quintessentially Australian story, one of the many stories from Australia’s ‘hidden history’. It will be of great interest to all the men and women who have used the technique, to those who are now attending bronco branding competitions, to any who have wondered at an old bronco panel or a faded photograph of broncoing in action, and to all who are fascinated by Australian history.
'From the helicopter I could see the property's waterholes surrounded by paperback trees, its red-stone cliffs lit by the rising sun. And grass, endless seas of grass. Here was the vision splendid: Nat Buchanan's grass castle. Gurindji country. And my country, Australia.' This is big country, the outback, home to the largest cattle and sheep stations in the world. Yet few of us know what goes on behind the farm gate. What's life really like when next door is 500 kilometres away, and a day's work involves mustering livestock in their tens of thousands, dealing with extreme heat and backbreaking physical labour? Bestselling author Evan McHugh heads down the road to find out. He goes behind the scenes at Adria Downs in the dead heart of Central Australia, helps drove cattle from the air at Wave Hill and gets a lesson trapping dingoes at the remote Commonwealth Hill. McHugh reveals the fascinating history of these outback stations, and what it takes to work on one today. 'Outback Stations is about as Australian as damper and dust.' Weekly Times
In this volume of The Wild West, Drake tells stories about the squattocracy, the cattle kings and the land barons; mounted police, sheriffs and posses in the pursuit of their elusive prey; bushrangers and outlaws and why they are so loved in popular fantasy; stockmen, ringers and cowboys; early white settlement and both friendly and hostile contact with indigenous peoples; and six shooters, gun slingers, snider rifles and infamous shoutouts.
So Far and Yet So Close provides a comparative study of frontier cattle ranching in two societies on opposite ends of the globe. It is also an environmental history that at the same time centres on both the natural and frontier environments. There are many points at which the western Canadian and northern Australian cattle frontiers evoke comparisons. Most obviously they came to life at about the same time: late 1870s-early 1880s. In both cases corporations were heavy investors and utilized an open range system in which tens of thousands of cattle roamed over thousands of square acres. Rancher.
An Alice Girl is Tanya Heaslip's extraordinary story of growing up in the late 1960s and early 70s on a vast and isolated outback cattle property just north of Alice Springs. Tanya's parents, Janice and Grant 'the Boss', were pioneers. They developed the cattle station where water was scarce, where all power was dependent on generators and where a trip to town for supplies usually meant a full day's journey. Grant was determined to teach his children how to survive in this severe and isolated environment and his lessons were often harsh. Tanya and her siblings led a childhood unimaginable to many Australians. Whether working the mobs of cattle with the stockmen, playing cattle-duffing on horseback or singing and doing lessons at their School of the Air desks, the children were always aware of the demands of the land. But while her sister and brothers loved riding and working stock, Tanya's heart longed to be back at the homestead with her books and stories. In a childhood that many would consider very tough, Tanya tells of this precious time with raw honesty, humour, love and kindness. This is the story of an Alice girl. 'Tanya Heaslip lived the outback childhood of Australian mythology. Stories like this remind us that love of place is universal.' Kim Mahood, NSW Premier's Literary Award for Craft for a Dry Lake 'Tanya's story glows with love for family and the rugged, wild outback land that never leaves her heart.' Toni Tapp Coutts, bestselling author of A Sunburnt Childhood 'Territory station kids like Tanya had the ultimate upbringing . . . A great read!' Ted Egan AO, bestselling author of Outback Songman
Outback adventurer and television star, Troy Dann, grew up on a cattle station near Alice Springs. From the day he was born, he learned all that the bush could teach him. So who better to bring the outback alive for all Australians? In his first book for younger readers and families, Troy explores and exposes his Australia. He takes us on a wonderful journey of discovery, where we can find out about brumbies and dingoes, lizards and euros, pearls and opals, death adders and ferocious salt water crocodiles. He takes us to some of his favourite spots, like the breathtaking Litchfield waterfall, and the wide brown land near his homestead. Troy shares some of his insights and observations about Australia's unique bird life, and he introduces us to some of the more colourful people who have made their mark on outback Australia. How do you break in a camel? Is there still gold in the outback? What do you do if you come face-to-face with a deadly tiger snake? All of these questions and more are answered in Troy Dann's Outback. And Troy lets us in on some of his secrets, as well as useful tips for getting by in the bush This beautifully designed book, complete with gorgeous full-colour photographs, is a 'must have' for everyone! ABOUT THE AUTHOR Troy Dann is a true Australian original. A young man, born and raised in the outback, he has a deep affinity with the land. His television program 'Outback Adventures' is popular with audiences around the world, and it's easy to see why. Troy has a genuine passion for Australia's rich heritage, and wants all Australians to share this passion. He is particularly interested in raising children's awareness of our wonderful country, and makes it the focus of his public appearances. Troy's many talents include property management, fixed wing and helicopter pilot, movie producer and director, television star and, author. SELLING POINTS * Marvellous full-colour photographs throughout - many from Troy's own personal collections * Troy is loved by people everywhere, particularly children, and this is the first book of its kind for his adoring audience. *Troy's very own personal tips and hints alongside photos of him performing certain stunts or deeds will captivate children's interest. * The writing syle and layout will be user-friendly. Text is clear and easy-to-follow, information easy to digest. *The topics covered in the book are of general interest to many people across the board. Our unique wildlife, landscapes, heroes and legends, intrigue scores of Australians and visitors to our country. SPECIFICATIONS: No. pages: 128 Size: 286 mm x 225 mm Description: Full colour
'This English girl will never stick it out, ' said one of the bridegroom's friends when Evelyn Evans arrived in Cairns in 1912 to marry Charles Maunsell. She went from a comfortable house near London to an isolated Mount Mulgrave homestead with unlined roof and ant-bed floors. For months in the wet season the station was cut off from the outside world, and more than once in the lonely weeks when the men were away mustering Evelyn Maunsell came near to death from illness or marauding Aborigines. Hector Holthouse, author of a number of books on Australian history, was born on Queensland's Darling Downs. He became a sugar chemist and spent several years in the north Queensland sugar belt, during which time he became interested in the colourful history of the north. The first of his Australian histories, River of Gold, is an account of the Palmer River Gold Rush. S'pose I Die is about the same country, after the rush was over and beef had replaced gold as its main export. It is based of Eve Maunsell's written recollections and her conversations with Hector Holthouse about her life in the Mitchell River country and on the Atherton Tableland
