Trees played a major part in the development of our area – the term ‘blazing a trail’ literally meant carving marks into trees to indicate the best route over unknown terrain for horsemen or bullock wagons; as well, marked trees could indicate the perimeters of early holdings.
Our present roads, though now much modified, generally followed the inevitable rough tracks.
A leasehold system of property tenure was brought in here in 1848.
As Sommerlad wrote in The Land of the Beardies in 1922:
“Prior to 1847 the pastoral industry in this district in common with all districts ‘outside the boundaries of location’ was in a most unsatisfactory state.
Squatters held their huge areas by annual lease only with nothing to indicate whether that licence might at any time come to a sudden and complete end.
In 1847 however the system of leasehold was introduced in place of licence and with the fixture of tenure came a new era in the pastoral development of the country…”
The Act came into force for New England in 1848 – in a proclamation …on August 14, 1848, applications were invited for the runs in this area.
The lessees lodged applications with the required particulars, giving as best a description of their areas as they could.
That for Rangers Valley included an indication of a tree line boundary.
“Holder, Oswald Bloxsome; estimated area 70,000 acres; estimated carrying capacity 18,000 sheep. Bounded on the west by broken ranges of mountains to the west of Beardie Water; north by a leading range dividing it from Mr Robertson’s run by Rocky Point, and from thence to Beardie Water; east by part of same range and a marked tree line to Sugarloaf Mountain dividing it from Mr Windeyer’s station and Dundee run; and south from Sugarloaf Mountain by a broken range to Beardie Water…”
No wonder without a professional survey and such rather vague descriptions of boundaries that there were frequent arguments over the extent of holdings, and straying stock being impounded.
Today we have sophisticated methods of surveying properties.
On Saturday March 15 at 2pm at The Land of the Beardies Museum former Real Estate Agent and Valuer Mike Williams will give a lively talk about the changes in the demographics and values of land in the Glen Innes district, including Soldier Settlement on Rangers Valley.
All welcome.
