The Coolidge examiner., 1938-08-11

Prepared by National Geographic society
Washington. d. C.-WNU Service.
NUT in the more remote
regions of Queensland,
- Northern Territory and
Western Australia, and in the
arid center of Australia, cat
tie properties are still meas
ured in square miles, not
acres.
Picture a single cattle station
larger than Massachusetts and Con-
necticut. Look at il also as band
five miles wide extending all the
way from New York TO San Fran
cisco; or, fantastic thought. a land
path more than a mile wide all the
way from the farthest side of Aus
tralia 10 Maine! For il is 10000
square miles!
One cattle man, whose station lies
on the Queensland-Northe Terri
tory border, tells you quite casually
that it is l25-mile horseback jour-
ney from his back porch to the
back line Of his property.
Like many Of the older holdings.
none Of his land is fenced. so the
cattle often stray far afield.
During the summer months they
move southwark into the prevailing
winds TO rid themselves Of the my
riad flies that poster them. Conse-
quently. the station hands often
have the task Of riding $50 miles to
get their stock back to their own
property. The herds also may wan
der 40 or so miles in the direction
of storms if they lack water.
Early one morning a Geographic
staff writer flew out to a cattle sta
tion, 300 miles into the Queensland
interior. landed in field near the
house. and TAXED up to the gateway.
What One Station Is Like.
The station was not large as many
of the inland stations run, but it was
a goodly block Of land, 200 square
miles-pasturing $4,000 head of
stock!
AS he rode its ranges, he saw one
herd of l,500 steers that had Just
arrived from a four months trek
OF a thousand miles down from the
gulf country. From the fattening
paddock where they grazed to mar
ket was still another 200-mile over
land journey.
Upon food and water hinges sue
cess or failure. How many times
tragedy has stalked beside dried
up water holes and parched pas
turesi Whole herds have perished
in rigorous seasons and the stren-
uous labor of cattlenen has come
to dramatic nought.
AS shearing is the big event on
sheep stations, so mastering for
branding and sorting is the chief
activity on cattle ranches.
Herds on this property are han
died from is mastering camps and
ii usually takes four to six months
to complete the work.
Here, where life is attuned to the
ceaseless moan and below of cattle
about water holes and in branding
corralS, the American Wild West is
reflected in ten-gallon Stetson hats
that have come into fashion in the
last few years.
But the staggering cowhand
with a handy lariat and a pair of
six-shooters strapped on his thighs
is unknown. Australian cattlemen,
instead of roping their beasts for
branding, in most cases pen them
and hold them in system of
gates.
Why "Duffing" Is Rare.
DO you have any cattle rustling?"
you ask.
1--WE cali it 'dufing' here" replies
the manager. But it's very rare.
Distances are too great; it doesn't
pay.
One story that you hear stands
out as an excellent example.
1t seems that two men desired
TO increase their stock, so when
rains had filled water holes along
the way, they rode $50 miles to a
station and drove off about 300 cat
tie. The ranch owners and police
tracked the animals down and
brought them back, together with
the culprits.
The men were then committed to
stand trial in Darwin, nearly thou
sand miles away. Eventually one
man pleaded guilty and was sem
fenced to FIVE years Imprisonment.
For lack of evidence the other man
was released. But by the time he
got home again he had travelled
nearly 5000 miles!
Far out in the interior, remote
from railways and easy means of
transport, station homes have few
er amenities. There are no electric