Factsheet 28 – What was life like during the 1800s for the pioneer settlers of the Outback?

Quirky fact : At the end of Australian Curriculum Links

shearing or ‘Cut Out’, Year Subject Curriculum Links a bush race meeting 5 History ACHHK097 was held to celebrate. 6 History ACHHK116

Background Information The first known white man to pass through the area of back. Lawns, citrus trees and grape vines flourished. There Richmond was William Landsborough, an explorer and were several other buildings; these included a jackaroo’s expert bushman in 1861 when he was placed in charge of an quarters (with their own cook and housemaid), ringers expedition to search for the lost explorers, Burke and Wills. quarters, a butcher shop with two full time butchers and a blacksmith shop. Water would have been carted from the Following his expedition and glowing account of the rich nearby creek. grazing country, the rush of settlers began as part of the inexorable expansion of graziers across . That In 1864, Cambridge Downs marked the limit reached by herds expansion took the form of herds of cattle or flocks of sheep and flocks; it was recognised as an outpost of settlement and being driven ever further inland in search of unclaimed pasture the threat of attack by local Aboriginals was ever present as and water for stock. they recognised the disastrous impact the white man and his animals were having on their traditional way of life. Cambridge Downs was the second property north of the In later years, when the main house was built, the original and was taken up in 1864 by Kennedy and building became a general store/post office servicing the MacDonald. surrounding properties. Supplies for the store were shipped in The need to take precautions against native attack was by the family and delivered by the Cobb & Co Coaches that ran fundamental when the Cambridge Downs homestead was through the station on their way to the northern goldfields. built. The site of the homestead, well out on a clear flat 300 The Cambridge Downs shearing shed was known as the metres away from the wooded Cambridge Creek, is supporting biggest and best equipped shed in the district with 26 stands. evidence of the pioneer’s defence strategy. The walls were of A wood fired mobile steam engine powered the old Cambridge local flagstone rock mostly up to three centimetres thick laid plant. Up to 80 men camped in a string of tents along the bore horizontally and cemented one above the other in a wall 30 drain and shore up to 250, 000 sheep and many shearing to 40 centimetres thick and about two metres high. Windows records were set. were square openings without glass but with vertical iron bars two and a half centimetres thick. Doors were solid timber The property also bred fine thoroughbred horses. swung on solid timber frames. The roof was initially thatch in a Cambridge Downs was a focal point of social life in the area timber frame laid on top of the walls; later on when galvanised and has been the centre of many colourful and tragic events. iron become available the roof was replaced. The remains of the original homestead are still visible from The main building was linked by a passageway to a store room the Croydon Road approximately 40 kilometres north of the and office. The cookhouse with a big clay oven was out the Richmond township.

106 Outback Queensland Education Handbook | Australian Curriculum Factsheets Inquiry Questions ADDITIONAL RESOURCES “Pioneering Days: Thrilling Incidents”, Across Subject Years Questions the Wilds of Queensland with Sheep to the History 5/6 What were interactions like between early settlers Northern Territory in the Early Sixties, by George Sutherland (1855-1905). Published and local Indigenous Australians? by W. H. WENDT & Co. Ltd, Printers, , 1913. A Project Gutenberg of eBook at http://gutenberg.net.au ; eBook No. Points of Interest 0701081.txt Cambridge Downs Heritage Display Centre “Early Days in North Queensland”, by The 97 Goldring Street, Richmond QLD 4822 Late Edward Palmer. Published 1903. A Project Phone: (07) 4741 3429 1300KRONOK Gutenberg of Australia eBook at http:// Email: [email protected] gutenberg.net.au ; eBook No. 0901071.txt Website: www.kronosauruskorner.com.au Australian Dictionary of Biography - Durack, Patrick (1834-1989) at http://adbonline.anu. Kronosaurus Korner, Richmond edu.au/biogs/A040117b.htm

Pioneer Cemetery, Richmond REFERENCES Queensland Department of Education Lake Fred Tritton, Richmond www.deta.qld.gov.au

Historical Walk, Richmond Department of Environment and Heritage Protection www.ehp.qld.gov.au

Richmond Shire Council Library Phone: (07) 474130777

FURTHER INFORMATION Richmond Shire Council Phone: (07) 47413277

Department of Environment and Heritage Protection www.ehp.qld.gov.au

Cambridge Downs Heritage Display

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Outback Queensland Education Handbook | Australian Curriculum Factsheets 107