• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

The Institute of Australian Culture

Heritage, history, and heroes; literature, legends, and larrikins

  • Home
  • Articles
  • Biographies
  • Books
  • Ephemera
  • Poetry & songs
    • Recommended poetry
    • Poetry and songs, 1786-1900
    • Poetry and songs, 1901-1954
    • Rock music and pop music [videos]
    • Early music [videos]
  • Slang
  • Timeline
    • Timeline of Australian history and culture
    • Calendar of Australian history and culture
    • Significant events and commemorative dates
  • Topics

“Peacocking” a run [30 August 1875]

17 March 2014 · Leave a Comment

[Editor: An article regarding the practice of “peacocking” used by some squatters. Published in The Sydney Morning Herald, 30 August 1875.]

“Peacocking” a run. —

The Border Post says:— As far as we can ascertain, to Messrs. Ronald and M’Bain is due the honour of being the first pastoral tenants in Riverina, if not in New South Wales, who have availed themselves of the advantages contained in the 31st, or what is popularly known as the “peacocks’,” clause of the Amending Land Act of New South Wales, which came into operation on the 12th instant.

The clause entitles the pastoral tenant to the pre-emptive right of purchase of 640 acres — in every run containing 3200 acres — by virtue of improvements intended to be erected. As the square mile can be taken up in forty-acre allotments, every five square miles may have, at the option of the squatter, sixteen “eyes,” and the holder of an area of 20,000 acres can have as many “eyes” as Argus spread over the run like a peacock’s tail, to the intense mortification of the cockatoos.

The gentlemen referred to picked six “eyes” in their run on Thursday last, at the Wagga Wagga Land Office. Before three months are over, the occupation of the land sharks will be gone, and for ever. Peacocking will henceforth be a favourite and lucrative pastime.

[With reference to the above, we are requested, in order to prevent misapprehension and mischief, to draw attention to the law as to the taking up of Crown lands by virtue of prospective improvements, to be made by holders thereof. The Border Post (Albury) states that the 31st clause of the Amending Land Act “entitles the pastoral tenant to the pre-emptive right of purchase of 640 acres in every run containing 3200 acres, by virtue of improvements intended to be erected.”

The 31st clause of the Act alluded to says ;— “Any person holding Crown lands under lease or promise of lease for pastoral purposes,” may make “an application in writing for liberty, by reason and in virtue of improvements intended to be made thereon, to purchase any area of such land not exceeding 640 acres, nor less than 40 acres.” . . . “Provided also that no such application to purchase as aforesaid shall be made for more than one square mile within each block of five miles square, out of each lease, or a proportionate quantity out of any holding of less area.”

From these extracts from the clause it will be evident — 1st, that only one square mile can be taken out of every twenty-five square miles, or, in other words only 640 acres out of every 16,000 acres — and not, as stated by the Post, 640 acres out of 3200 acres. Secondly, that the holder of the pastoral lease can only make one application under that clause, and if such holder makes one application for 40 acres out of this lease be exhausts the power conferred upon him by the clause.

In support of this view, we would draw attention to the 10th section of the regulations under the Act, viz.:— “No application can be made for more than one portion not exceeding 640 acres within each block of five miles square of the applicant’s leasehold, or a proportionate quantity out of any holding of less area.” The paragraph alluded to states that the square mile can be taken up in sixteen separate 40-acre blocks. Such is clearly not the case, and those who have made such applications will find out their mistake. Indeed, we have been authoritatively informed that applications of this character have been already rejected by the Minister for Lands. — Ed. S. M. H.]



Source:
The Sydney Morning Herald, (Sydney, NSW), 30 August 1875, p. 4

[Editor: The original text has been separated into paragraphs.]

Filed Under: articles Tagged With: SourceTrove, squatters, year1875

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Australian flag, Kangaroo, Wattle, 100hThe Institute of Australian Culture
Heritage, history, and heroes. Literature, legends, and larrikins. Stories, songs, and sages.

Search this site

Featured books

The Man from Snowy River and Other Verses, by Banjo Paterson A Book for Kids, by C. J. Dennis  The Bulletin Reciter: A Collection of Verses for Recitation from The Bulletin The Songs of a Sentimental Bloke, by C. J. Dennis The Complete Inner History of the Kelly Gang and Their Pursuers, by J. J. Kenneally The Foundations of Culture in Australia, by P. R. Stephensen The Australian Crisis, by C. H. Kirmess Such Is Life, by Joseph Furphy
More books (full text)

Featured lists

Timeline of Australian history and culture
A list of significant Australiana
Significant events and commemorative dates
Australian slang
Books (full text)
Australian literature
Rock music and pop music (videos)
Folk music and bush music (videos)
Early music (videos)
Recommended poetry
Poetry and songs, 1786-1900
Poetry and songs, 1901-1954
Australian explorers
Topics
Links

Featured posts

Advance Australia Fair: How the song became the Australian national anthem
Brian Cadd [music videos and biography]
Ned Kelly: Australian bushranger
Under the Southern Cross I Stand [the Australian cricket team’s victory song]

Some Australian authors

E. J. Brady
John Le Gay Brereton
C. J. Dennis
Mary Hannay Foott
Joseph Furphy
Mary Gilmore
Charles Harpur
Grant Hervey
Lucy Everett Homfray
Rex Ingamells
Henry Kendall
“Kookaburra”
Henry Lawson
Jack Moses
“Dryblower” Murphy
John Shaw Neilson
John O’Brien (Patrick Joseph Hartigan)
“Banjo” Paterson
Marie E. J. Pitt
A. G. Stephens
P. R. Stephensen
Agnes L. Storrie (Agnes L. Kettlewell)

Recent Posts

  • A billabong: Goulbourn River [postcard, 27 November 1907]
  • Dear Mac [postcard, early 20th Century]
  • The New to the Old [poem by Randolph Bedford, 3 January 1896]
  • New Year greetings [postcard, early 20th Century]
  • New Year greetings [postcard, early 20th Century]

Top Posts & Pages

  • Under the Southern Cross I Stand [the Australian cricket team’s victory song]
  • Australian slang
  • Timeline of Australian history and culture
  • Click Go the Shears [folk music, lyrics; traditional Australian song, 1890s]
  • The Man from Snowy River [poem by Banjo Paterson]

Archives

Categories

Posts of note

The Bastard from the Bush [poem, circa 1900]
A Book for Kids [by C. J. Dennis, 1921]
Click Go the Shears [traditional Australian song, 1890s]
Core of My Heart [“My Country”, poem by Dorothea Mackellar, 24 October 1908]
Freedom on the Wallaby [poem by Henry Lawson, 16 May 1891]
The Man from Ironbark [poem by Banjo Paterson]
Nationality [poem by Mary Gilmore, 12 May 1942]
The Newcastle song [music video, sung by Bob Hudson]
No Foe Shall Gather Our Harvest [poem by Mary Gilmore, 29 June 1940]
Our pipes [short story by Henry Lawson]
Rommel’s comments on Australian soldiers [1941-1942]
Shooting the moon [short story by Henry Lawson]

Recent Comments

  • Annie Crestani on Under the Southern Cross I Stand [the Australian cricket team’s victory song]
  • Peter Pearsall on The Clarence [poem by Jack Moses]
  • Trevor Hurst on Timeline of Australian history and culture
  • Ju on Under the Southern Cross I Stand [the Australian cricket team’s victory song]
  • David Carroll on Queensland [poem by Philip Durham Lorimer]

For Australia

Copyright © 2023 · Log in