Three years of research has culminated in a hefty 530-page record of western Queensland property Barcaldine Downs.
Author Ian Waples unveiled his latest project at the 100th Barcaldine Show on the weekend, saying collecting all the history of the property had been a wonderful journey.
The town, settled in 1886, got its name from the property, established by enterprising Scotsmen, Donald Cameron and his son John, along with James and William Crombie, who overlanded sheep from the NSW New England region in 1863.
"It fascinated me that for two decades they had no railway nearby and had to move their wool by wagon to Rockhampton," Mr Waples said.
He said he'd obtained a lot of his research online from Trove, as well as personal stories that had been told to him.
"The book would be a good tool for family history," he said.
The Barcaldine region and the Tree of Knowledge is known as the spiritual birthplace of the Australian Labor Party, and Mr Waples documents the 1891 shearers' strike on the property through newspaper accounts.
It includes the arrival of 'free' labourers and a gruesome murder in the Barcaldine Downs shed that he said was not related to strife in the wool industry at the time.
The Sydney Morning Herald of May 1, 1891 reported that 'the free shearers, with machines, are now shearing 100 sheep per man per day, on the Barcaldine Downs', and that 'a detachment of mounted infantry returned (from the property) on Monday evening'.
Mr Waples' history documents visitors by Governors and Premiers, the fight to fence kangaroos and dingoes off the land, burials on the property, and the ongoing effects of droughts and floods.
The property's long ownership by Clark & Tait, "one of the greatest pastoral businesses in Australia", is also well documented.
A former manager of nearby properties Isis Downs and Portland Downs, Paul Lilley says the name Barcaldine Downs is at the forefront of highly regarded Australian pastoral stations.
"The book is a most interesting read, tracking the history of western Queensland from when the country was first selected to the present day," he said.
Sharon Broughton, the daughter of a Barcaldine shearer, comments that Mr Waples' approach to telling the story of 'Barcy Downs' gives new life to the property's history.
"The range and number of sources have created a refreshing, more comprehensive story that reads like an historical novel to some extent," she said.
Mr Waples, a retired engineer, said the people in the book were among those who had founded the nation.
"One I interviewed, a young jillaroo, said her experience at Barcaldine Downs set the guidelines for her life," he said.
Stories about the property were still coming out on the day as people at the show attended the launch to buy a copy of the book.
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Sally Gall
Based at Blackall, CW Qld, where I've raised a family, run Merino sheep and beef cattle, and helped develop a region - its history, tourism, education and communications. Get in touch at 0427 575 955 if you've got a story idea for me.
Based at Blackall, CW Qld, where I've raised a family, run Merino sheep and beef cattle, and helped develop a region - its history, tourism, education and communications. Get in touch at 0427 575 955 if you've got a story idea for me.
