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| maroon_and_rathdowney [2024/02/06 21:38] – judith | maroon_and_rathdowney [2024/02/06 21:38] – judith |
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| At the end of 1871, TLM-P's ledger indicates that there were 4,717 cattle, 36 working horses and 23 brood mares on Maroon.((MLMSS3117/box 8, pp.304-05,316,317)) By 1877 his horse breeding program enabled TLM-P to advertise the services of Khedive, an imported Arab stallion.((The Queenslander, 15 September 1877 cited by Darbyshire, p.67)) With the active assistance of George Butler, he also bred shorthorn cattle; some of these were used to stock //Bulliwallah//.((Andrew Darbyshire, //A Fair Slice of St Lucia. Thomas Lodge Murray-Prior//, St Lucia History Group research paper no. 8, p.73)) The large number of horses reflected his breeding program, but was also typical. David Denholm in his //The Colonial Australians// (1979) outlines how, from the 1840s in NSW and later in other colonies, 'there was a large surplus of horses' which meant they were used in a 'casual, off-hand way' so that many were used to ride great distances, taxing their horses 'to breaking point'. The colonial Australian's casual brutality to horses, he argues, 'shocked British army officers' during World War I.\\ | At the end of 1871, TLM-P's ledger indicates that there were 4,717 cattle, 36 working horses and 23 brood mares on Maroon.((MLMSS3117/box 8, pp.304-05,316,317)) By 1877 his horse breeding program enabled TLM-P to advertise the services of Khedive, an imported Arab stallion.((The Queenslander, 15 September 1877 cited by Darbyshire, p.67)) With the active assistance of George Butler, he also bred shorthorn cattle; some of these were used to stock //Bulliwallah//.((Andrew Darbyshire, //A Fair Slice of St Lucia. Thomas Lodge Murray-Prior//, St Lucia History Group research paper no. 8, p.73)) The large number of horses reflected his breeding program, but was also typical. David Denholm in his //The Colonial Australians// (1979) outlines how, from the 1840s in NSW and later in other colonies, 'there was a large surplus of horses' which meant they were used in a 'casual, off-hand way' so that many were used to ride great distances, taxing their horses 'to breaking point'. The colonial Australian's casual brutality to horses, he argues, 'shocked British army officers' during World War I.\\ |
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| TLM-P's timing when buying Maroon was unfortunate. TLM-P bought just before a prolonged drought. As well, a little over a year after his purchase, the [[wp>Panic_of_1866|British financial turmoil of 1866]] restricted colonial investment and caused a recession.((Ross Fitzgerald, //From the Dreaming to 1915. A History of Queensland//, St Lucia: University of Queensland Press, 1982, p.143.)) Maroon satisfied his desire for land, and provided a rich source for Rosa when writing about Australia, but never bought easy prosperity. It is significant that TLM-P acquired it from the Bank of Australasia after the previous owner forfeited it.((Collin Pfeffer, //The Fassifern Story: a history of Boonah Shire and surroundings to 1989//Boonah Shire Council, c.1991, p.27.))\\ | TLM-P's timing when buying Maroon was unfortunate as he bought just before a prolonged drought. As well, a little over a year after his purchase, the [[wp>Panic_of_1866|British financial turmoil of 1866]] restricted colonial investment and caused a recession.((Ross Fitzgerald, //From the Dreaming to 1915. A History of Queensland//, St Lucia: University of Queensland Press, 1982, p.143.)) Maroon satisfied his desire for land, and provided a rich source for Rosa when writing about Australia, but never bought easy prosperity. It is significant that TLM-P acquired it from the Bank of Australasia after the previous owner forfeited it.((Collin Pfeffer, //The Fassifern Story: a history of Boonah Shire and surroundings to 1989//Boonah Shire Council, c.1991, p.27.))\\ |
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| Despite the drought and recession, TLM-P and Matilda had enough money left over to build a new, red-cedar lined, large home. In April-May 1867 he employed two builders to erect a new kitchen contacted by steps and a verandah to the main building, two 'privies' (toilets), repairing the stables and other work. Cedar was used for some of this work. This building work was more successful than his employment of bricklayers in 1866. As noted in //Maroon//'s ledger, 'Men engaged to make bricks at 40/-per 1000 provided that they could find proper clay. They were evidently not judges of clay and absconded after drawing the rations' worth £1.11.0.((MLMSS3117/Box 9)) \\ | Despite the drought and recession, TLM-P and Matilda had enough money left over to build a new, red-cedar lined, large home. In April-May 1867 he employed two builders to erect a new kitchen contacted by steps and a verandah to the main building, two 'privies' (toilets), repairing the stables and other work. Cedar was used for some of this work. This building work was more successful than his employment of bricklayers in 1866. As noted in //Maroon//'s ledger, 'Men engaged to make bricks at 40/-per 1000 provided that they could find proper clay. They were evidently not judges of clay and absconded after drawing the rations' worth £1.11.0.((MLMSS3117/Box 9)) \\ |