With the help of these two guides , young British men were urged to seek their fortune as squatters in the Australian colonies in the l880s. They were advised that any pioneering type intent on going to the antipodes should do so without a female companion because of the tough life . In other words , get yourself a male cobber , a mate, to help your efforts . The books are part of a special display dealing with the pastoral industry mounted by Special Collections in the Eddie Koiki Mabo Library , James Cook University ,Townsville .
The sheep guide , published in 1884, includes advice on the rough life in Australia , peculiarities of the Merino , how to deal with lazy hands , shearing and being a "good master. "There were 70million sheep in the Great South Land at the time which had resulted in immense exports producing the best and cheapest meat supply known ; in addition , Australia had built cities and world famous exhibition palaces .
LAND OF OPPORTUNITY
Celibate kings in grass castles
Long experience had shown that no country offered such favourable terms to men of limited capital and bucolic tendencies as Australia . However, that bucolic person was given some sound advice about the need to delay saddling up with a "ladye-fayre"in Australia .
Beware Queensland cattle duffers.
Would be cattlemen were told that there was a bright future for frozen meat exports to England since a trial shipment aboard the Strathlever arrived as fresh as the day killed , which could spark rivalry with the wool kings .
Cattle duffers were a problem in Australia ," a famous robbery "in Queensland cited. It involved a gang of cattle thieves who used nefarious operations with impunity to steal more than a thousand head , which were sold in South Australia. A sympathetic jury in Roma acquitted the defendant despite overwhelming evidence .
If this story put you off the idea of making your fortune in Australia, there was an advertisement in one of the guides promoting a book about prospects in Canada .
