Cattlemen of the High Country

In the summer of 2003, bushfires raged for nearly two months in the alps of north-east Victoria. Instead of being allowed back onto their leases the following summer, the cattlemen were instructed by the state government not to take their cattle up in case they caused further damage.

In 2005, the seven-year leases expired, and were not renewed, ending a tradition that was being handed on to a fourth generation. The new edition of Cattlemen of the High Country looks at the issue of fire and cattle grazing and the struggle of the mountain cattlemen to retain their leases. It provides an enduring record of a breed of Australians, folk heroes in their own right, whose lives have formed the basis of verse and legend.

Each year, the cattlemen held their annual muster before the first snowfall of autumn, and brought their cattle down to lower pastures for winter feeding, or sold them at the annual sales. These tough and resourceful cattlemen endured the snow and freezing conditions of winter and the threat of ravaging bushfires in summer. When mustering or checking their cattle, they sheltered in little huts, which they built from the timber at hand. They were masters of bushcraft.

The dangers of steep slopes and rocky terrain held no terrors for them as they worked with their hardy stock horses and indispensable dogs. In this book, their yarns and reminiscences reveal a characteristic courage and endurance, and an indomitable sense of humour.