The Squatters

AUTHOR: Barry Stone PUBLISHER: Allen and Unwin

RRP: $29.99 REVIEWER: F.J. O’Dwyer

THIS is an important piece of history about the pastoral pioneers. Barry Stone’s examination of journals, diaries and newspapers has revealed what it took to succeed in building pastoral empires.

The settlers grabbed the land with little regard to Aboriginal claims and Crown rights.

Many early settlers knew how it felt to have their ancestral homes taken away but showed no mercy to the indigenous people.

The massive stations in the Gulf Country came at a huge cost to 19 indigenous language groups. In the Burnett district the Yarmburra, Thibura and Nukunukubura around Mount Perry, the Warbaa from Monduran and the Yawai of Walla numbered in the thousands prior to European encroachment. In just over 30 years that number was reduced to about 150.

It took generations of commitment for pastoral families to emerge but, to this day, Australians have little notion of the debt that is owed to the legions of indigenous peoples who, against their will, helped build a nation right on top of their own traditional lands.

These pastoral pioneers then went on to produce meat for the growing colony and wool for export and laid the foundations of a prosperous nation.