North Queensland Register (Townsville, Qld. : 1892 - 1905), Monday 31 July 1905, page 56


ODD STOCK AND OTHER r- ? NOTES.

iy H7H iu "Rockhamptoa Bulletin.")

Bp-'I wrote you last from a salt arm of jptho Victoria Elver called Horse Creek

over the border la the Territory,

|||ULd at the present time of writing I

'Within a tew .miles of Lissadale, on

P4tji« 1.0rd.: River, where we are to lift fpjiie cattle for Southern Queen|)and;

S If they start, and at present

doubtful if they will.,

i^g Crosflng the'foot of the mountains

* the "Victoria Riv£r We had a bad

of it. One of the difiys came to , the bff-sfde wheel 'going to

and this despite the fact that made a fair sort of road for -jpfeftsoge of our vehicles. We were

enough to secure a second-hand

wheel belonging to Wave Hill loo at the police camp near by,

fixing the box ot the broken Into it. vfre jH&d no further trouble

thetyre coming off once ; but 'nothing, One cannot grumble fefiiotbliie m6re serious than that

iTddiesB has broken but in ttye West,

I two of our hands are now in or

^<s i way to Wyndham Hospital. (Walter Fennel 1) is in a rather

..With what looks to the writer

like.scurvy, while the other jiffuirayr is almost blind with

^ Apart from these "

sen/the Mklth of the camp is .. id tucker/fairly. plentiful. ,W,P, , t -^iree toiia of rations *by team i lit>UplB i»t da*'S' tlme.. .These were from Townsville to Wyndham by boat.

There is no doubt about this coun-

here were a poor, weedy, tick-infested lot, not much larger in frame than a kangaroo dog, and I was prepared to find things as stated. Judge of my surprise to find a better class of cattle out here than is to be found in your state, and better bred Also; that is, bred on more distinct lines. They are large beef-producing cattle; and the breeders I saw on Victoria Downs, Auvergne, Argyle, &c., were big enough to swallow the average Queens land breeders, more particularly those sent into the Charleville sales. Sorry as I may be to admit it, the fact re mains that the Territory and Western Australian cattle men are breeding a better and bigger class of cattle than the cattle breeders of Queensland.

Leaving Horse Creek, the scene of our breakdown, the track for some fourteen miles or so is through sandy ti-tree flats until teaching Auvergne

Lagoon; where a great change for the better comes in and the country be comes more open, with a better class of feed, and the ti-tree disappears, to be replaced by box and apple. This holds until within a few miles of the Baynes River East, on which is situ-ated Auvergne Station, the property of Messrs. Connor, Doherty, and Dur ack.

Auvergne Station was originally ta ken up in 1886 and 'stocked with a Shorthorn herd. At present; the herd

numbers 20,000 and is in splendid con

dition. The property comprises an area of 1640 square miles and is abun dantly watered by the Baynes River East, Baynes River West, and numer ous creeks, billalbongs, and lakes. In fact, it is one of the best Watered runs in these parts..: The station sire is Rondex by Ronda, out of Nlxie. Ron-da was by Trenton out of Mona and

ran second to Glenloth the year that

horse won the Melbourne cup. Nixie

was by Goldsborough out of Lady Lur-line so that Rondex's breeding is good enough for anything. Rondex is mat ed with good mares, and has produced

some fine sorts of stock and general . purposes horses, which grow and de velop well on the Auvergne country. Messrs. Connor, Doherty and Durack control 150.000 cattle and brand from 26,000 to 27,000 calves every year. 'Thls year Auvergne Station has sent away 1000 fats and bas more to follow, be sides 2000 stores, which will be sent up to Ascot, near Wyndham, belonging to the same owners, for fattening pur poses. The Auvergne brand is D on the cattle and C71 on the horses. Mr. -I. Skhehan is the manager. The aver

age rainfall is about 35in. Last year 621n. fell but this year (the worst on record for fifteen years) the fall has

been only 20in. :

Leaving Auvergne the country con

tinues good. The stock are in fine nick, and very quiet. Eight miles west of the station the open country comes in again and the feed-Mitchell and Flinders grass is of top quality.

This continue right on the Kelp Ri ver, on which is situated Newry, an outstation of Argyle Station.

A Colonial-born baronet, one Sir Alex. Cameron, is in charge of Newry. He

is a ost hospitable man to meet. He

was short of tea and we were short of

beef so we swapped some rations. Flinders and mitchell grass are much in evi-

deooa'htefftf Wid the orttle ere.prliner -

in i&ct. l bktB tiot Beemt nSoer lot i»f - - - ~ .

slncfe leavtng Soirthern^ Qisciais^ -. -i

IKiey .aw-larg^'

bo&y <Ja«te, and as quiet ab milker?- -

^WoilihWnt the bulls used hfene andat- ^ Auvergne being bred attibe owners' ; - -irftud atatlon(Iwtnhoe)

- r ?: &*> 4W, -

wg&mmsst&zm

boraes trom wg^-6&i» ia|u^.- :an^

&§m

Wiifeh olarerary, one of the beat bred station sires out faere. Invenary Is by 'Esorftfcheon ouit of. SpringMmie; EsctiWhieon is by Musket out of Rosette, and Springiliaie is by Fireworks out of SpPtugblceaom. . InveKary yf&s a good performer on the turfaixd agreai staler, and talis get Should prove Wwthy descendants of ia^wortfoy sire. The following iiert of bis wins and distances - will prove his staying powers:-Won Marble Bar Handicap/1% mile; won Pilbarra Gotidfiald Stakes, 1 mile; won " Quepa's Plate, 3 miles; won Perth

ut^up, 2/Oi'il»S; won Western Australia u Derby, i% mile. Ail <these wins werjs ' " la one yeftr-1896'.. An tocMteot on the , r rjwwoMiree compelled hie retirement Do

ihft stud, .r ;. i * [ A . Argyll, tihe he&d efcatioa of tke firm > of Connor, Doherty, and Durack, ts sit." ytri&Ton tfife BoSu Blver, forty miles '.'Ifciiftlilt of- Hfcwfjr."'- Arr^le w)sb- taken up

ttv%nAy-flve yiin ago and stock- -

brotieAt out.from thy- . ^ Q«ee?i?aand, by ; . the Duraeks. The Nation has an area

flctee fcadcarriesa herd of 82,000 Shtortihoni da/btle. Tfoe country is principally 6t limestone formation ?t #8fl ivell thnbered wltlh gum, box, tfean - &k, eutis^e foe building purposes.

bG:fte#6e#d is a maSoriUMe oee, of atone, Itoe outbuildings iw: ^ the siune .material. - Tfce>d3toek*n

#^tt«Ui9nr ^ bails. TSwugtafihiori§^f^it&&3ije .fira Mas TeeeaUy .tetro- ?

«ie l«teet importa

Cewigwiotit

iSiTohAr^nBit«^^ lv Mr. Biflp

Wfelas. la; tfee line of-dteaiiont

'n&Wxi

"" - .

^Madrid, by Golfisborough tfut .of Sophtetana, Goldsbbpugh was jby ,, Fireworks out of Silvia and Sopfhiettoa by Brown Bread out of

jL&dy 9op3vla<. With tfoese vaauable luornas steading at Afgyl<e, Inverary at |N®wry, and fttmdtex at Awergne, it .jWy safely foe said that Connor, Dohi trty, and Durack are doing tteir stare icfwairds improving the breed of th.j AuBturailan htonses. Yet the fact retaBtae tMat horses do not do well at kvgyle, and that despite the country being principally limestone, wShidh is

Tjrr'-* ,

alwkjys coartderedit&e beet class H cowM"y ®nr horsebreecling. Som^iow they tack stamina. That can be pot down to & great extent id the absence Of 9al* In the grasses. At Newry, forty miles sway, they grow and develop "nteU aiud are much ahead of those bred at Ajrgylc. One of Khe matrons of the. Argyle stud is Wild Flower, a»d oa ebe Is a top aotcfeer raare, I give the first lines of her pedigree. She is by Sumiydays out of. Wild Rose. Suntjydays is by Hawthorded out of Sfunehine and Wild Rbee Is by Two of Hearts'put-.'

r-'ot^^on^mL- ^^a'^ldwer, J&rougli ~

Two ^ Wo Trae , > .Bluds. ^The.Jrajjrte briUQflis DP. - ?

lvm^j..^me^L wiaflMW?:'. '<&U«n from Argyle Jn the diwsfcfcm oi Wyndham, Is another of Couaor, Doherty.aud Dura-ck's yropeflles. This Is <more a

stud property Jfc]&n iftttfftliig else, and ! it is h«r<f jtftat the ;^^4mown. j>P Shorthorn bulls arebred Jrom the Lest imported blood. - : ^ .

Adjoining! vaaJioe ie'Afoot,'frtill au

. 'Qtbjfer/fii.^-fiinpn'i ^tattoos. '-TO* 'tt :'.»?

tvcb&e;aA9ul;

?rspaprt^sifrmcL8000 to^

; Horees frofa Ajivergne ;' * ate seat here as they'.-fattefi ijufcJtly on; h ;

the ir)ch <?''

shipping eorMtt :; . / ? -cemljer lSOO' gtxJree w6re ' ., , Advene/"

ped to Fremaotle

:.;. .*er-.h«w4;--*-?

trow csoctih;" ... r w?st to tlie (k^ >

Flinders grass of ^opd iiiifw.;|t'.-;'...-'.-. give you .«& Idea. oS. Jjtte > v nor,- OoMrt&'aiui! ftawi^^aw^r^ if,

to ^ l^ld^ oa v "... &&r. jjffofiwsrtr: ttirt&juir «pt .'1®; >43tot

tdwa, £70' '-.:.

«e#d#<to800G to 70& ^ate td : Wynd

hiia

t^tsr bmsjd afavit1$0fy0'£tfiQO

?-'^sayes e»^#^:ivV?*i.:. .. .>

-ffcketf ^tofe&ateiy Mm stations irtfeft .

East 9YeT ?

20,000 ft^safr *© Pr&mantle. ... The principal oatytributoteio Ode largo

Ils^a4ale,

'^oriii/ StaMon ehlpped _ *

win aot

;Bafcb'.&r»< " j^igaawrefl jfcople,

' aM toe Mtorfil* -*& Coanqr, . _t ®

Poherty,, and Durack. The trip toFre tnaatle occupies about eight days and theioeges aA §ea ore very email. This year has been, a most successful one ' from a shipping point of view. Con

Bor, Jtoherty, and Durack handle all the -fat oattle from Lissadlale-in which War. Durack has a' Half share and last year they purchased 1500 fats at £5 10s. ' This year they sfre paying £b] and have a mob of 550 now on the way to the port. The last lot averaged &Lk- £.14, 80 that the profits are large even tV 7 allpw.bg £2 per head for losses on the

?? Bed, espemee, &c.

Ord River Station is situated about

j-jg'- ^200 miK« up the Ord River froufWynd gff* ' haim and carries about 80,000 cattle. It r'r- "* Is reckoned the biggest cattle station iu -- Australia. It employs forty-six white j£" . men, principally Queenslanders. I may *' . ®et a look at Ord River Station and

glean some further particulars.

Apart from the high-classed stallons on Argyle, the owners have also Suf-folk Punch and Clydesdale stallions at service with good quality mares, and produce some fine class of heavy horses.

They are also going in formule breed- ing for packing purposes from the

coast to the station. At present they have nineteen head in work and these ianimals make two trips to the one

? made by the '{earn and each brings back

Scwt. of loading or _1 ton 18cwt. a-trip. '< ' Ord River has also "got a mule team of

-twenty-one mules and-gets most of its supplies out by this means.

» * What 6tands to ttie cofiiitry out here

Is the regular nature of the' tiiiifal!, . and that accounts tor the immense herds of caibtle.' Prom November un

:v tU March is the wet season, and dur- /

log that time work is impossible. It !s therefore necessary for the stations ' to hold at least six months' rations on

hand by November in each year. The , V last wet season was the ligtotest^p re

cord for fifteen y&ars; onfy 20in. was registered. One tiling I notice out her* V "is the immense quantities of spring

- " water. From Renner's Springs, On *r the overland telegraph line to Port

Darwin, .to Argyle spring w"ater is met with on ail sides, and in most cases large holes are kej>t full from one ejid 9f the year to the other. The water . Is easily distinguished from rain water

, by the taste/ and is llaJble to disagree " with people when first tiaken; but it

is a, first-class stock water.

. From Argyle to Ltesadale is Only twenty-two miles, and tie country is open forest wlfih Mitchell and Flinders

grass, plains and plenty of wiater. I < left Argyll at abouit 8 turn., and, Includ ing stoppages for dinner, &c., reached i,i68adale at 3 p.m. (the same day, thus completing my ride of 2005 miles from Bulo, in South-western Queensland -{which I left on the 28th of January),

in 100 days, or an average of aibout nineteen miles a day; but, deducting time I lost on the road in spelling homes, &c., and by stoppage at the Ck*5>er Riv§r,~l covered the distance in " eighty-six dlays actual travelling, or an

average of twenty4hrefe miles a-day,

finished up on the horsies I left :* Eulo "with, which I brought right

through. This Is not a bad perform

ahce.

' Mr. Rose and the manager of Lisaa

dttle (Mr. Durack) are away at Turkey Creek telegraph station, fifty, thiles -o west of here, and I aim therefore com

DfeUed to wait for some particulars of .'LAseadale- until their return. From wtaat t have eeen of it, the station is a good property, much the same as Argyfe, with plenty of MStohell and t Flinders grass, and carries about r 35.000 cattle. It is the property of

fturack and Hill, and it is from here

piking the cattle to Bellevue for u'lfr.. Lutniley Hill. When I first saw

the Ord River I was surprised to find ' It eutfhafine stream. The approach ^tfob Argyll is over a red loaany plain, ISTyou are right on the river before ^ aotice it a- the bimks at that par Jbicular part .-sure fiu^h with the eur muttiting country and tteetos. The ivfer tea i?andy one "with vmanic tor naMon banks, and carries a good quan

ir^f waiter. One peculiarity l not ^afeoutthe water Is that It floes not KTSoSed inawater bag over

hfc AHhoagh the water we&re us

the <wm|» is taken frwto a -run*

ik-k'-A -i* ta WrvnMettJohable to

tfthgg«fl th*

Ht caused

.' . - ' . .