Factsheet 02 – Why was Captain Starlight such a successful rogue?

Quirky fact : Cattle duffing was very common. Many small farmers rounded up stray cattle to stock their own properties, Australian Curriculum Links changing brands or Year Subject Curriculum Links 5 Geography ACHGK028 branding cleanskins. History ACHHK094 Most were also 6 History ACHHK116 respectable 7 Geography ACHGK043 members of the Science ACSHE224 community. 8 Geography ACHGK048

Background Information Harry Redford’s bold exploits as a cattle duffer earned him an uncharted journey. The mob moved along the Barcoo River enduring place in Queensland’s history. The expert bushman and Cooper Creek and down the Strzelecki Track. Cattle and cattle drover turned his handy work to ill-gotten gain were sold along the way and on reaching Adelaide the gang when, in 1870 he, along with a small group of hand-picked members split up and went their separate ways. companions, stole 1,000 head of cattle from Bowen Downs. The law eventually did catch up with Redford and his men At that time, many properties were vast and Bowen Downs and they were brought to trial at Roma. Nevertheless, much at roughly 1,744,000 acres (1 acre = 0.404685 hectare) was to the outrage of the courts, all were found innocent by one such property. It occurred to the 28 year-old Redford that sympathetic juries. stock from the property’s remote reaches could be stolen Redford’s exploits earned him the nickname Captain without detection. He and his gang erected cattle yards in a Starlight – the name of the fictitious central character in secluded area close to the Thomson River. When the yards Rolfe Boldrewood’s Australian classic ‘Robbery Under were ready, they mustered small mobs from the station and Arms’ penned in the early 1880s. Although Redford’s when numbers reached about 300, they were driven south to criminal exploits made him famous, he was one of the a small holding property owned by Redford’s unsuspecting first pioneers of the lower Cooper Creek and was the first employer. to overland cattle down Strzelecki Creek. His skills as a great When the cattle numbered 1,000 plans were made to drive drover and his cattle drives of the early 1880s were matched them overland to South Australia, though two of Redford’s only by other legendary Queensland drovers Patrick Durack men refused to go, afraid they would not survive the largely and Nat Buchanan.

Mustering at sunset

54 Outback Queensland Education Handbook | Australian Curriculum Factsheets Inquiry Questions Subject Years Questions ADDITIONAL RESOURCES Geography 5/6 How did stockmen deal with the challenges of Music Australia – Musical score and play travelling through this environment with cattle? www.musicaustralia.org/apps/MA?function =showDetail¤tBibRecord=00004286 7/8 How did the landscapes and environment 6387&itemSeq=&total=&returnFunction=get ACopy&&sessionId= influence the way stockmen operated? Sensational Cattle Stealing Case History 5/6 What aspects of society made it easy for criminals A Harry Redford Story like Starlight to succeed? Has this changed? Author, Albert H. Sutton First published in 2002 Science 7 How did scientific knowledge (astronomy, geology, biology, physics, chemistry) help these REFERENCES stockmen succeed? Westprint Maps J. Deckert

Longreach Regional History Points of Interest www.longreach.net.au/lre_history.html Redford’s most famous legacy in the Longreach district is ‘Starlight’s Savannah Guides Lookout’ also known as Cassidy’s Knob. On this hill which rises gently over the www.sgltd.com.au surrounding plains, Redford is purported to have placed a man to keep watch FURTHER INFORMATION while they were gathering cattle from Bowen Downs. Australian Stockman’s Hall of Fame and The Harry Redford Old Time Tent Show Outback Heritage Centre Landsborough Highway, Longreach Laugh at the antics of Australia’s most famous cattle duffer, Harry Redford QLD 4730 or ‘Captain Starlight’, with live animal acts, stockmen and stockhorse Phone: (07) 4658 2166 comedy acts. A mix of poetic story and Australian humour to create live Email: museum@stockmanshalloffame. com.au theatre, Outback style! www.stockmanshalloffame.com.au Kinnon & Co. Store, Eagle Street, Longreach Email: [email protected] Phone: (07) 4658 1776 Website: www.kinnonandco.com.au Thomson River Cruise, Dinner and Sound and Light Show Watch the sun set while cruising on the historic TORRENS CREEK Thomson Belle Paddlewheeler or Thomson Princess 112 43 PRAIRIE Riverboat. Afterwards, on the banks, enjoy bush poetry 0 64 STAMFORD and a 2 course dinner around the campfire before 144 MOORRINYA NATIONAL being immersed in the spirit of Harry Redford in the 67 PARK 360 Starlight’s Spectacular Sound and Light Show. CORFIELD Townsville 205 248 Mt Isa r e Eagle Street, Longreach QLD 4730 v Rockhampton i LongreachFOREST R 83 Email: [email protected] DEN o 74 d

NATIONAL n Phone: (07) 4658 1776 Charleville BRISBANE WINTON PARK a

y

Website: www.kinnonandco.com.au l e

MUTTABURRA B 89 63 LAKE Qantas Founders Museum, Longreach DUNN BLADENSBURG 22 67 Powerhouse Museum, Longreach NATIONAL 179 116 R i v e r 125 PARK ARAMAC e Longreach School of Distance Education, Longreach c i l 100 A OPALTON 67 27 LONGREACH ILFRACOMBE BARCALDINE r e JERICHO v i 80 R 87 53 n LOCHERN o ALPHA m s 89 101 NATIONAL o PARK h 151 T 44 106 120 121 46 ISISFORD 104 112 BLACKALL 99 STONEHENGE 102 47 r 12 e 114 67 v 52 42 i 101 R EMMET IDALIA JUNDAH o o NATIONAL 92 c YARAKA r PARK 120 a TAMBO B 50 94 r e

Outback Queensland Education Handbook | Australian Curriculum Factsheets 55