Droving

In researching my great great grandfather Isaac (Galemor) Gallimore (1844-1926)’s life through a number of ‘stock movement reports’ in newspaper articles on Trove [1], I discovered he had worked as a drover. Details were also found of his sons, Robert Thomas Gallimore (1869-1951) and Isaac George Gallimore (1877-1955) being drovers at one time in their lives. I was curious to know more about the life and occupation of drovers, the Stations they moved cattle between, the Travelling Stock Routes, or highways accessed for the trip, and the stock and station agents who ultimately facilitated the process. In the following are details of droving in Australia in the late 19th century.

Droving is an iconic Australian occupation, initiated in the early 1800s on the east coast of Australia. The journey taken by stockmen and stock was called ‘overlanding’. Until trains and trucks came into being, a droving team was needed to move cattle and sheep to another property, to market or to look for feed in times of drought. Many poems, ballads and books have been written eulogising the outback life of a droving team.

Before we explore the Gallimore’s droves and the relevant Stations, describing the drover’s ‘team’ and functions will guide our appreciation of the lifestyle and work involved.

Droving was a team effort as it took experienced horsemen (and sometimes women), horses, dogs especially for sheep work, a vehicle/s to carry needed supplies that was called the ‘plant’ or ‘turnout’ for the weeks to months the trek would take. The plant carried items such as food, cooking implements, camping equipment, fencing to be used for nighttime sheep containment if no fenced paddock was available, bales of feed for horses if feed on the track was known to be scarce, and any extra horse tack and material needed for the dogs.

The team was led by the drover/boss drover/in charge. Like managers in any workplace, he was ultimately responsible for all decisions, payments of staff and documentation, including the extra needed for crossing Colony (now State) borders and dealing with stock inspectors. The next staff member on the pay roll scale was the cook. His/her role was feeding the crew, driving the plant vehicle, as well as watching stock while the droving hands were eating breakfast and dinner. Next, the ‘horse-tailer’, who was responsible for all the horses. The role was usually found in cattle droves as more horses were needed than with sheep as dogs covered some of horsemen’s work.

The balance of the team was ‘ringers’. When droving cattle, each ringer rode with the mob to keep them on track, mustered strays and did overnight herd surveillance in shifts. The number of cattle or sheep and the land terrain impacts the number of hands required. For 2,000 to 3,000 sheep, a team of three plus dogs and for 1,000 head of cattle, six to seven hands would be needed, in ideal conditions. The drover was paid on the number of stock delivered so the aim was to run an efficient drove.

Horses were pivotal to the whole operation. When droving cattle, each ringer needed five or six horses, plus one for the night. Only one or two horses may be needed per ringer for sheep, given the work of the sheep dogs. Cattle were to cover about 10 miles/day (16 kilometers/day) and sheep 6 miles/day (10 kilometers/day). Nevertheless, these distances may not have equated with water sources for all or adequate feed on the route/distance travelled. The boss drover had to decide where and how far they travelled on the day. ^{[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]}

The formal network of set routes and reserves were gazetted and called the TSRs – Travelling Stock Routes in 1874. In total, for New South Wales only, there were 4,570 gazetted TSR stock routes and reserves, covering approximately 10,906,660 acres (4, 413,728 hectares). ^[7]

Now for information on the routes the overlanders and stock travelled. Maps were not available; the boss drover was expected to know the route. Their paths were initially through bush and along bush tracks that linked pastoral stations and grazing areas, between property lines, through properties, through recently found routes in the outback, with the focus being where regular water sources were available. Only a specific width of land was allocated to the route, initially up to one mile wide, but that reduced over time with increased permanent pastoral and agricultural use. ^[8] You can imagine the number of problems that could arise, disagreements between squatters, landowners and the drover, feed and or water issues, sick cattle or staff, dingoes, snakes, and poisonous weeds, to name a few. Indeed, stock and drovers perished, especially in times of drought when feed and water were scarce. Ultimately, New South Wales and Queensland were the two Australian States with the most intricately developed TSRs, some of which are still used today. The other States did have a network of TSRs but in comparison, they were greatly less developed and not continued in use over time. ^{[9] [10]}

With the increasing development of the pastoral farming sector in the mid nineteenth century, a new role developed, the stock and station agent. He was an intermediary between the farmers and markets in selling and buying stock and eventually properties, and conducted livestock auctions. The drove records found of Isaac’s and his sons may have included a stock and station agent for the stock’s owners to organise transactions and planned overlanding. ^[11] Indeed, a report of store cattle and bullocks from Milton, Queensland purchased by one of the White Bros., whom the Gallimores drove for, included the detail the stock-broker and auctioneer agent was Messrs. Wyndham and Cadell, Tamworth. ^[12] Other stock agents and auctioneering firms were Pitt, Son and Badgery, Griffiths and Weaver, Harrisons, James and Davlin, Brunker and Wolfe, Dransfield and Co, and Hill, Clark and Co. ^{[13] [14]}

When Isaac Gallimore married Caroline Allen in Muswellbrook, 10 February 1866 his stated occupation was drover, but no records have been found to date of droves predating his marriage. Between the years 1882 and 1893, at their children’s baptisms and weddings, Isaac also stated he was a drover. The first instance found was when Isaac gave evidence at Denman Police Court in 1892. Isaac Gallimore, on oath, stated: “I am a drover, residing at Denman …assisted defendant with a mob of 700 head of cattle across the river close to the complainant’s paddock; I believe about 100 got into the paddock, there being no fence to protect the cattle from going in…” The cattle owner’s detail was not included but an Oliver Silcox also gave evidence as he was at the complainant’s house. He was stockkeeper employed by Edward White, a local land owner, from a family of renowned pioneer pastoralists in the Hunter Valley. ^{[15] [16]}

A few of the White brothers, James, Henry and Edward are mentioned as owners of cattle Isaac drove. Various records of where Issac and family lived were either at or nearby one of their stations. Whether Isaac contracted to them, or was an employee, to drove their cattle is yet unknown. The Whites had a number of properties in the Hunter Valley, including, amongst others, ‘Edinglassie’, near Muswellbrook, ‘Merton’ and ‘Martindale’, near to Denman where Isaac and family lived for many years; and ‘Bando’ further afield, near Gunnedah. The family were involved in stock breeding and dealing, and had an extensive involvement in horse breeding and racing. ^{[17] [18] [19]}

The following year, June 1883, Isaac was in charge of droving 1,950 from Edgeroi NSW, passing Jerry’s Planis to Homebush, NSW. ^[20] The newspaper article does not state whether they were cattle or sheep going to, most likely market in the State’s capital. However, the entry before Isaac’s was of 2,000 fat sheep from Piallaway, and another drove earlier in the month, also from Edgeroi to Sydney, was of 1,910 fat wethers, so perhaps Isaac was droving sheep also. ^[21]

The next drove found of Isaac’s was late 1887, this time a lengthy interstate trip. He purchased “a first class lot” of 800 bullocks from Young and Gannon at ‘Broadmere’ station, for the above mentioned Edward White’s brother, James. Broadmere station was about 18 miles (30 kilometers) north west of Taroom, Queensland. Isaac drove them home to the Hunter Valley. ^[22] Droves of such length took months to complete. Given that cattle were to be moved 10 miles (16 kilometers) per day, on current roads that would be much more direct, the distance between Broadmere, Queensland and Muswellbrook (Hunter Valley), via St. George, Queensland is about 620 miles (1,000 kilometers), over two months travel time for the late 1880s TSRs.

Isaac drove 1,000 store cattle for the White Bros. next; on 21 June 1889, he was reported passing Narrabri on his way to Muswellbrook. Where he brought them from was not stated. ^[23] Store cattle were those to be fattened on greener pastures, such as 100 bullocks of the White Bros fattened at ‘Edinglassie’ before going to the West Maitland market for sale as ‘fat cattle’. ^[24]

The following year, on 23 October 1890 Isaac was reported droving from Martindale and passing Jerry's Plains to Sydney, NSW with 200 of the White’s fat bullocks. ^[25] These were overlanded to Sydney rather than by rail as owners found it a more cost-effective option than by rail. However, the market would be lost if the Hunter River was in flood as in 1890 there was no bridge for crossing the cattle at Bowman’s Crossing, which was the usual route to Sydney. ^[26]

Shortly after, Isaac left for ‘Cashmere Station’, Queensland on the Maranoa River, about 280 Miles (450 kilometers) west of Brisbane, to overland 1,000 bullocks for Robert McMicking. By late June 1891, they passed St George, Queensland on their way to Forest Vale, Queensland. It was reported 400 were in the mob but 600 were still at large. The Maranoa region was an ideal and valuable pastoral country for Queenslanders. ^{[27] [28]}

Gallimore in charge (Christian name/initial not reported) and his droving team then headed back south with 700 bullocks from ‘Forest Vale’, also on the Maranoa River. The Station was then owned by Robert Copeland Lethbridge Jnr. Robert’s brother-in-law Arthur S. King, co-owned ‘Forest Vale’ until he disposed of his interest). Interestingly, in March 1891 the afore mentioned ‘Broadmere’ Station changed hands to a Mr W. R. King. Whether the Kings were related has not as yet been ascertained, but is likely given the number of pastoralists there at the time. ^[29]

By 25 June 1891, Gallimore was first reported nearing St George, Queensland with 700 bullocks by the Maitland Mercury and Hunter River General Advertiser newspaper; no destination included. However, The Queensland newspaper reported on the 27 June 1891, Gallimore in charge with 1,000 store bullocks from ‘Forest Vale’ to Muswellbrook were “passing St George tomorrow”. Both said a ‘Gallimore’ was in charge/drover, the latter indicated the owner was H. White (Henry Charles White (1837-1905)), one of the previously mentioned White brothers whose property near Muswellbrook was ‘Edinglassie’. ^{[30] [31]}

The next Gallimore droving newspaper entry is on 24 July 1891 for a J. Gallimore, drover, whom, with 900 store bullocks from ‘Forest Vale’, Queensland passed St George on 23 July, on their way to the owner, Edward White’s station, ‘Martindale’, NSW. At St George, the river was four feet about summer level but they had progressed to Bando (Gunnedah), New South Wales by 3 September 1891. ^[32] There was still, on today’s roads, 140 miles (230 kilometers) to travel to ‘Martindale’.

As J. Gallimore drover/in charge was reported passing St George one month after ‘Gallimore, drover/in charge’ passed, it may have been Isaac’s son, Isaac George Gallimore (1877-1955) who was known as John, but he was born November 1877 and was only 14 years old in July 1891 which seems young to be a drover in charge of a team with 900 bullocks. At nearly 24 years old though, in 1901 John Gallimore was in charge of droving 90 store cows from Muswellbrook to Moolarben, near Mudgee for the owner Mr. J. C. Sawds. ^[33] Another of Isaac’s sons, Robert Thomas Gallimore (1869-1951) also indicated he was a drover on his 1891 church marriage register; but he had no known name starting with ‘J’. No details of his droves have been found.

Two years later another Gallimore travelled to the Leichardt district of Queensland again, this time to ‘Hornet Bank’ station. ‘Hornet Bank’ is on the Dawson River, about 30 miles (48 kilometers) from Taroom, and was owned by the Scotts family. ^[34] ‘Hornet Bank’ adjoined ‘Broadmere’, the station Isaac drove cattle from six years earlier, in 1887. ^[35] Gallimore was droving bullocks south from near Taroom, through Roma then St George, to ‘Martindale’ near Denman, NSW.

There are three newspaper reports with confusing details, that is, the drover Gallimore’s Christian name/initial differs in each instance. All have 1,000 bullocks from and heading to the same stations.

On 12 September 1893, The Australasian reported J. Gallimore, drover with 1,000 bullocks from ‘Hornet Bank’ (near Taroom), passed Roma, Queensland on their way to Edward White’s property, ‘Martindale’, NSW. ^[36]

However, four days later on 16 September, the Western Star and Roma Advertiser reported an Isaac Gallimore, in charge was passing Roma today with 1,000 bullocks from ‘Hornet Bank’ on their way to Edward White’s at Martindale, NSW. ^[37]

By 5 October 1883, the Western Star and Roma Advertiser reported that between 23 September and 6 October, T. Gallimore, in charge passed St George, Queensland with 1,000 bullocks from ‘Hornet Bank’ for Edward White at ‘Martindale’, NSW. On today’s roads, it is about 124 miles (200 kilometres) from Roma to St George, QLD and then another 440 miles (700 kilometres) to Denman, NSW. Perhaps all entries were of Isaac Gallimore’s drove with the 1,000 bullocks and name initials and dates were unclear for the newspaper reporters. ^[38]

Despite the lack of clarity of which Gallimore was in charge on the droves, the reports give us some idea of the length in distance and time taken to overland the cattle. Their families back at home also had to manage family life, births and deaths, without their husbands/fathers there. The information of what droving entailed speaks of the lives lived in the countryside without shelter and infrequent access to supplies, if they ran out, they did without. Overall, their stories speak of strong and enduring people.

Sources

1. ↑ Browne, C. W. (1868). Overlanding in Australia. Mason, Firth & Co, Melbourne, NSW, https://books.google.com.au/books?id=7j9cAAAAcAAJ
2. ↑ Cameron, J. M. R. & Spooner, P. G. (2010). Origins of Travelling Stock Routes. 2. Early development, management, and the growing embrace of the law (1830-70s). The Rangeland Journal, 32, 341-351. DOI: 10.1071/RJ10010
3. ↑ Lennon, J. (2014). ‘The long paddock’, Australia’s travelling stock route network – a distinctive cultural heritage. Historic Environment, 26(1), 47 – 60.
4. ↑ McHugh, E. (2010). The drovers: stories behind the heroes of our stock routes. Viking: e-book, ISBN-10:0670072508
5. ↑ McKnight, T. L. (1977). The long paddock: Australia’s travelling stock routes. University of New England: Armidale.
6. ↑ Perkins, J. & Thompson, J. (1992). The technology of open-range cattle farming in early European Australia. Prometheus, 10(1), 113 – 127. DOI: 10.1080/08109029208629517
7. ↑ Vella, Bruce, Conzalez, Prue & Spooner, Peter G. (2019). The New South Wales Travelling Stock Route and Reserve (TSR) network: historical extent, spatial distribution and drivers of loss, 1884 – 2017. Australian Geographer, DOI: 10.1080/00049182.2019.1682321
8. ↑ Spooner, P. G. (2005). On squatters, settlers and early surveyors: historical development of country road reserves in southern New South Wales. Australian Geographer, 36(1), 55-73. DOI: 10.1080/00049180500050870
9. ↑ NSW Government, Local land services (2023). Travelling stock reserves – TSRS. Accessed 21 Oct 2023, https://www.lls.nsw.gov.au/help-and-advice/growing,-grazing-and-land/travelling-stock-reserves
10. ↑ Queensland. Surveyor General's Office, cartographer, issuing body & Gordon, P. R & Queensland. Commissioner for Railways, cartographer & Watson, Ferguson & Co., lithographer. 1893, Map of Queensland : illustrating the stock routes & main roads, railway lines, principal railway stations, stock trucking yards, and government artesian bores & tanks Surveyor General's Office, Brisbane, viewed 21 October 2023, http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-646320151
11. ↑ Ville, S. (2000). The rural entrepreneurs: a history of the stock and station agent industry in Australia and New Zealand. Cambridge University Press: Cambridge, United Kingdom.
12. ↑ 1889 'Pastoral and Agricultural.', Evening News (Sydney, NSW : 1869 - 1931), 15 October, p. 8. , viewed 24 Oct 2023, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article117026504
13. ↑ 1884 'STOCK SALES.', The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954), 28 October, p. 6. , viewed 01 Nov 2023, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article28367535
14. ↑ 1885 'HOMEBUSH SALEYARDS.', The Daily Telegraph (Sydney, NSW : 1883 - 1930), 20 July, p. 5. , viewed 01 Nov 2023, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article237253666
15. ↑ 1882 'DISTRICT NEWS.', The Maitland Mercury and Hunter River General Advertiser (NSW : 1843 - 1893), 16 February, p. 7. , viewed 13 Jun 2023, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article847906
16. ↑ ‘White, Edward (1839–1913)', Obituaries Australia, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, https://oa.anu.edu.au/obituary/white-edward-1033/text1034, accessed 22 October 2023
17. ↑ Martha Rutledge, 'White, James (1828–1890)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/white-james-4837/text8073, published first in hardcopy 1976, accessed online 23 October 2023.
18. ↑ 1901, The Pastoralists' review : a journal and record of all matters affecting the pastoral and agricultural interests throughout Australasia Twopenny, Pearse and Co, Melbourne viewed 24 October 2023 http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-578228794
19. ↑ 1898 'Monster Bullocks.', The Walcha Witness and Vernon County Record (NSW : 1895 - 1906), 20 August, p. 3. , viewed 17 Oct 2023, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article194104095
20. ↑ 1883 'DISTRICT NEWS.', The Maitland Mercury and Hunter River General Advertiser (NSW : 1843 - 1893), 2 June, p. 3. (Second sheet to The Maitland Mercury), viewed 30 Aug 2023, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article904887
21. ↑ 1883 'Grazier News in Brief.', Australian Town and Country Journal (Sydney, NSW : 1870 - 1919), 5 May, p. 21. , viewed 20 Oct 2023, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article70998804)
22. ↑ 1888 'COUNTRY MAILS.', The Brisbane Courier (Qld. : 1864 - 1933), 9 January, p. 7. , viewed 22 Sep 2023, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3464587
23. ↑ 1889 'PASTORAL INTELLIGENCE.', The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954), 22 June, p. 9. , viewed 22 Sep 2023, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article13739024
24. ↑ 1888 'MESSRS.'PARKS AND CLIFT'S REPORT.', The Maitland Mercury and Hunter River General Advertiser (NSW : 1843 - 1893), 30 June, p. 6. , viewed 24 Oct 2023, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article18966446
25. ↑ 1890 'STOCK PASSINGS.', Singleton Argus (NSW : 1880 - 1954), 25 October, p. 2. , viewed 19 Sep 2023, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article79802801
26. ↑ 1890 ‘AT MUSWELLBROOK.’, Singleton Argus (NSW : 1880 – 1954), 12 March, p. 2, viewed 24 Oct 2023, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article79798236
27. ↑ Maitland Mercury and Hunter River General Advertiser (NSW : 1843 - 1893), Tuesday 7 July 1891, page 5, viewed 16 Jun 2023, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article18998456
28. ↑ Queensland Government Intelligence and Tourist Bureau (1916). The forest District (South Western Queensland): its wonderful pastoral and agricultural resources, and its illimitable possibilities (1st ed.). Queensland Government: Brisbane, Queensland. https://archive.org/details/TheMaranoaDistrictSouthWesternQueensland/page/n99/mode/2up
29. ↑ Fox, M. J. (1923). The history of Queensland: its people and industries, Vol 1a. States Publishing Company: Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, accessed 23 Sep 2023, https://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:216975/AU4021_Foxs_History_Queensland_1a.pdf
30. ↑ 1891 'ST. GEORGE (QUEENSLAND.)', The Maitland Mercury and Hunter River General Advertiser (NSW : 1843 - 1893), 25 June, p. 5. , viewed 20 Sep 2023, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article18988634
31. ↑ 1891 'Late Telegrams.', The Queenslander (Brisbane, Qld. : 1866 - 1939), 27 June, p. 1241. , viewed 22 Sep 2023, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article20293949
32. ↑ 1891 'QUEENSLAND.', The Brisbane Courier (Qld. : 1864 - 1933), 24 July, p. 5. , viewed 21 Sep 2023, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3529008
33. ↑ 1901 'DISTRICT NEWS.', The Muswellbrook Chronicle (NSW : 1898 - 1955), 8 June, p. 2. , viewed 20 Aug 2023, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article107004061
34. ↑ Fox, M. J. (1923). The history of Queensland: its people and industries, Vols 1a & 2b. States Publishing Company: Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, accessed 23 Sep 2023, https://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:216975/AU4021_Foxs_History_Queensland_1a.pdf
35. ↑ 1936 'BROADMERE STATION SOLD', The Telegraph (Brisbane, Qld. : 1872 - 1947), 4 February, p. 5. (STUMP SCORES), viewed 28 Sep 2023, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article181886506
36. ↑ 1893 'PASTORAL NEWS.', The Australasian (Melbourne, Vic. : 1864 - 1946), 7 October, p. 9. , viewed 25 Oct 2023, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article138109139
37. ↑ 1893 'WEATHER AND STOCK.', Western Star and Roma Advertiser (Qld. : 1875 - 1948), 16 September, p. 2. , viewed 25 Oct 2023, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article97467136
38. ↑ 1893 'COMMERCIAL.', Western Star and Roma Advertiser (Qld. : 1875 - 1948), 11 October, p. 2. , viewed 25 Oct 2023, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article97467522