Pioneer Residences.

Pelorus Guardian and Miners' Advocate., Volume 26, Issue 63, 3 August 1915, Page 2

Pioneer Residences.

All over Australia the oldest country houses are the chief squattage residences.

The buildings themselves may not l)e old—for in most cases the original ■house has been replaced by one with more pretensions to comfort and elegance—hut almost always some remnant of the old place remains to speak in eloquent terms of past days of incident and romance.

The big runs are slowly but surely passing out of the Australian’s ken, and closer settlement is remorselessly ending the reign of the large landowner ; but old stagers can still dip into the past and tell of the breathless happenings of early days. After the exploring was done and a suitable run decided upon, a track was blazed for the guidance of the teams which would bring the stores and tools, and for the drovers who would bring the cattle and sheep,

Watercourses and mountains formed the only fences and boundaries, so the cattle had to be tailed until they settled down in their new environment ; afterwards they had to be protected against marauding blacks.

Stations were constantly patrolled by armed men who keep a sharp lookout for any signs of cattle spearing. At Wooroowoolgen, on the Richmond River, the manager tells of an incident Which occurred while he was ridin'g out one morning. He happened to look up while he was passing at a wild apple tree ; but was somewhat disconcerted to see perched like crows on the bare limbs a score of naked blacks. $

As they all were armed he did not stop to inquire the reason for their presence, but returned to the homestead, at once issuing the order that all the trees should he ringbarked anywhere near the house. Some of the pioneers carried their building timber with them, but the way was so devious and ditlicult that the majority preferred to use the material that happened to be on the spot.

Bark humpies and tents, therefore, were the first residences that sprang up, and were shortly followed by humpies of split slabs and bark roof, which, if not elegant, were comfortable and secure.

In central Queensland stone and mud were much used, while in western Queensland one still comes across an occasional house constructed of mud and straw.