A bullocky is an Australian English term for the driver of a bullock team. The American term is bullwhacker . Bullock drivers were also known as teamsters or carriers.
41-663: Bullock teams were in use in Sydney in 1795 when they were used for hauling building materials. The early explorers, Hume and Hovell in 1824 and Charles Sturt , later in 1828-9, also used bullock teams during their explorations. Before the gold rushes in Australia, in the mid 19th century, bullock drays carried essential food and station supplies to isolated country areas. On return trips they transported wheat, wool, sugar cane, and timber by drays drawn by teams of draught animals (either bullocks or horses) to shipping ports before
82-696: A cabbage tree hat, a twill shirt of that period, moleskin trousers, blucher boots and carried a long bullock whip which in many instances he had made. During the early years the bullock tracks were very rough with narrow, steep "pinches", plus dangerous river and creek crossings. Many roads still follow the tracks made by bullock teams as they negotiated their way up or down hills via a winding course to make haulage easier. Bullocks were less excitable and more dependable when faced with difficulties than horses. Furthermore, bullocks were cheaper to purchase, equip and feed. Horses also required complex, expensive leather harness that frequently needed repair. Bullock gear
123-435: A brown colour and tear open into star shape to release seeds, which are small and winged. In Australia, the tree's natural habitat is subtropical forests of New South Wales and Queensland , much of which has been extensively cleared. The Australian population was formerly treated as a distinct species under the name Toona australis . The southernmost limit of natural distribution is on basaltic soils, growing west of
164-439: A chasm through which the whole party afterwards descended. On the 31st they found themselves on the western edge of the tableland. The descent was not accomplished without much difficulty. On 6 November, they came in sight of the snow-covered Australian Alps. They came after this upon a very rich country, abounding in kangaroos and other animals, with frequent tracks of aborigines; and on Tuesday, 16 November, they arrived suddenly on
205-428: A connecting chain. Thus connected they were turned out to graze and rest until they accepted the close presence of their partner. Untrained bullocks were then put in the centre of the team, where they were more easily controlled with the assistance and guidance of the "leaders" who were well trained to verbal commands. Pairs of bullocks were matched for size and yoked together using a wooden yoke secured to each bullock by
246-399: A metal bow which was fixed in place by key on top of the yoke. Each pair was connected by a special chain, which ran from a central ring on each yoke to the next pair, thus coupling the team in tandem fashion. The "wheelers" or "polers" were the older, heavier, trained bullocks which were closest to the dray or jinker and helped to slow the load when necessary. Thus then was the team attached to
287-409: A result, successful planting of Toona ciliata is being observed in many parts of Brazil , including genetic improvement and clonal production. The timber is red in colour, easy to work and very highly valued. It was used extensively for furniture, wood panelling and construction, including shipbuilding, and was referred to as "red gold" by Australian settlers. Heavily and unsustainably exploited in
328-399: A river for further transport. On steep hills bullock teams often required additional assistance to negotiate these inclines. This assistance was provided by hitching two or more teams together for the ascent. On steep descents logs or trees were dragged behind the dray, wagon or jinker to slow the load's descent and protect the team from injury. Shanties and villages grew to serve the needs of
369-493: A single pole instead of shafts. Timber jinkers were of a four-wheel type were capable of carrying large logs up to seven feet in diameter. The less common two wheeled jinkers bore and carried the front of log, leaving the end to trail along behind. Two jinkers could also be connected, with the back jinker linked by a log which would be chained to the front jinker. Jinkers were used in the transport of "Red Gold," Australian red cedar ( Toona ciliata ), and other logs to sawmills or to
410-866: Is commonly known as the red cedar (a name shared by other trees), tone , toon or toona (also applied to other members of the genus Toona ), Australian red cedar , Burma cedar , Indian cedar , Moulmein cedar or the Queensland red cedar . It is also known as Indian mahogany . Indigenous Australian names include Polai in the Illawarra . Woolia on the Richmond River , Mamin & Mugurpul near Brisbane , and Woota at Wide Bay . Also called Ai saria in Timor-Leste . The tree has extended compound leaves up to 90 cm with 10-14 pairs of leaflets which are narrow and taper towards
451-483: Is less susceptible to attack by the cedar tip moth . The cedar tip moth lays its eggs on the tree's leading shoot, allowing the larvae to burrow into the stem. This causes dieback and a multi-branched tree with little commercial value. The tree exudes a chemical that the female cedar tip moth seeks out. This moth does not attack commercial plantings of Asian/African/Australian native meliaceas in South America. As
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#1732791231822492-670: Is now known as Victoria. They proceeded south crossing the Ovens River and Goulburn River by a route further to the east of the Hume Highway and closer to the foothills of Mount Buffalo . Four days after crossing the Goulburn River, impassable country was reached. The party spent three days attempting to cross the Great Dividing Range at Mt Disappointment but were thwarted. Hume shifted direction to
533-491: The Princes Highway near the village of Termeil , south of Ulladulla , southern Illawarra , New South Wales. It also occurs naturally at Norfolk Island . The largest recorded T. ciliata tree in Australia grew near Nulla Nulla Creek, west of Kempsey, New South Wales and was felled in 1883. It grows best in an environment with high light levels, however in the relative darkness of the rainforest understorey, it
574-535: The 13th. In those times, 'Lake George' also referred to the district, and Hume's station, Wooloobidallah—later called Collingwood Station—was closer to modern-day Gunning than to the lake. However, some of the party did make an excursion to the lake. On the 14th, " Hume and Hovell, with two of the men, proceed to Lake George, in order to ascertain the bearings and distance of the Lake from Hume's station ". They returned to Hume's station at dusk. They started their journey on
615-502: The 17th. On the 18th, they camped near the site of Hume's later residence, Cooma Cottage . On the 19th they passed Yarrh – or as they are now called Yass Plains. Their first great difficulty was in crossing the Murrumbidgee which was in full flood at the time. The timber growing on the banks of this river was too heavy to float, so Hume resolved to make a raft of the body of one of their carts. Hume and Hovell's man Boyd, swam across
656-555: The 19th and early 20th centuries, almost all the large trees have been cut out and the species is essentially commercially extinct. Availability of this timber is now limited. Timber is currently also harvested in New Guinea. Although it is not generally a viable plantation species, trees are regularly harvested by Forestry in the Atherton region of Queensland. The red cedar is widely planted in subtropical and tropical parts of
697-507: The advent of rail. They travelled constantly across the landscape, servicing the pastoral stations and settlements far from regional transport hubs and urban centres. Some of the larger stations maintained their own teams for local use when harvesting and transporting wool. Both bullock and horse wagons carried heavy loads of wool and wheat which was the main produce transported over long distances, plus chaff and hay. A bullock wagon could only travel approximately three miles an hour (depending on
738-409: The back of a bullock he might wish to reach. Sometimes the bullocky had an "offsider" (a type of an apprentice) who walked on the offside (right) of the team and also assisted the bullocky yoke up and care for the team. Many Australians who have never had contact with bullocky or a team still use the word "offsider’ as a synonym for an assistant, helper or learner. A bullock whip had a stick handle that
779-492: The banks of a "fine river". Hume was the first to see the river, near the site of Albury and named it the "Hume", (now the Murray River ) after his father. This river, where they first came upon it, is about 50m in breadth, and of considerable depth. The current was about three miles an hour, and the water clear. They improvised a tarpaulin covered wicker boat and they were able to eventually cross and continue into what
820-413: The best route to take which resulted in the party splitting up. The equipment was divided, and they prepared to cut their one tent in halves. Hume and Hovell fought bitterly over the frying-pan, which broke in their hands. One of them taking the handle, the other the pan itself. Later, however, Hovell rejoined Hume when he found he had made a mistake. Hume, with two men, following a chain of ponds, came to
861-755: The discoveries of Hume and Hovell, Colonel Stewart, Captain S. Wright, and Lieutenant Burchell were sent in HMS ; Fly (Captain Wetherall), with the brigs Dragon and Amity , under orders to proceed to Western Port and establish a colony there. They took a number of convicts and a small force of troops from the 3rd and 93rd regiments. Hovell was sent with the party as guide. While exploring Western Port, it became apparent to Hovell that he had not reached it on his earlier trip. Both Hovell and Hume were publicly rebuked for their error in incorrectly identifying Western Port. They had become implicated by association with
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#1732791231822902-464: The dray or jinker. A bullocky walked on the nearside (left) of the bullocks for added control of the team and also because seating was not usually provided on the wagons and jinkers. The bullocky called each bullock by name to adjust its pace and effort. If the whip was needed it was flicked out in front of the bullock driver; then by the use of all his strength he swung it over his head, often twirling it several times before he cracked it or let fall upon
943-691: The following reference (page 137): "I knew a ‘bullockie’ (as these men are dubbed) who had a team of twelve beasts under his command which obeyed his every word and never received a word, which a ‘high-born ladie’ might not have listened to". Hume and Hovell expedition The Hume and Hovell expedition was a journey of exploration undertaken in eastern Australia. In 1824 the Governor of New South Wales , Sir Thomas Brisbane , commissioned Hamilton Hume and former Royal Navy Captain William Hovell to lead an expedition to find new grazing land in
984-405: The future site of Geelong . Hovell claimed that he had measured their longitude on the same day but, in reality, he had read it off the sketch map that they had drafted themselves during the trip. In 1867, Hovell admitted that he did not take any longitude measurements and blamed Hume for it. Prior to that admission, Dr William Bland, who wrote the first book on the journey in 1831, invented
1025-406: The handle down to the size of a lead pencil at the fall, which was about 2 ½ feet long. The bullockies often didn't use a cracker, but if they did it was knotted into the end of the fall. Bullock teams also dragged the heavy logs from some very steep, rough country to be loaded onto a jinker for hauling to a saw mill. Teams of up to thirty bullocks hauled large flat-top wagons or jinkers fitted with
1066-648: The journey, each claiming leadership. The Hume and Hovell expedition disproved the widely held view that the interior of Australia was an uninhabitable wilderness. They found abundant well-watered grazing land between the Murrumbidgee and the Murray, on the huge fertile coastal plains around Port Phillip, and then on the plains across North Eastern Victoria all the way to the Murray River during their return journey. It took another thirteen years for settlers from New South Wales to follow their route in 1837, and only after
1107-400: The load and terrain) therefore it was slower than a horse team. Bullock drivers were typically skilled tough men who often faced extreme difficulties during their job. Bullockies were also colourful characters, often noted for their strong language. Some did not swear though, relying solely on gesture, talking and whip movements as persuasion for the team's job at hand. A typical bullocky wore
1148-413: The myth that Hovell made an error of one degree in longitude in order to protect the explorer. It was not the only myth emanating from the pen of Bland. From 1825, Hume wrote on four occasions that he had reached Western Port, his original destination. That was repeated in nine newspaper articles by Bland. It was not until 1827, when it was demonstrated by Hovell that the journey had ended near Geelong, that
1189-445: The pair changed their stories to identify that location. On 18 December, the party turned back towards New South Wales . Hume chose to travel more to the west to avoid the mountainous country and save considerable time. It was a sound decision because, on 16 January 1825, just as their flour ran out, they reached the carts they had left behind. Two days later, they arrived at Hume's station at Gunning . On 18 November 1826, based on
1230-718: The richness of the territory was confirmed by Sir Thomas Mitchell in 1836. Some parts of their route formed the Hume Highway from Sydney to Melbourne via Albury. Within the Greater Melbourne area, monuments commemorating the route of the Hume and Hovell expedition can be found at Beveridge , Greenvale , St. Albans , Werribee and Lara . There are also monuments in other locations in north-eastern Victoria and southern New South Wales. Appin, New South Wales Myrtleford This Beveridge Monument and interpretive panel
1271-412: The river first, with a small rope between their teeth, to which was attached a line long enough to reach across the river. It was a work of peril, as the current was strong. But they succeeded, and then, with much labour, got the whole party, with baggage and cattle, safely over. On 24 October they came up to what seemed an impenetrable mountain barrier. There was an argument between the leaders concerning
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1312-511: The road's users at the site of difficult range and river crossings where teams met. Bullock teams were still used to drag logs from the forests to log dumps after the introduction of logging trucks. Nowadays they are mainly used for exhibition purposes. The following reference is from the newspaper The Australasian of 17 July 1869 (page 17): " Cornstalk and gumsucker are both of colonial growth, and so, I think, is… bullocky (a teamster)". Percy Clarke's ‘New Chum’ in Australia (1886) has
1353-400: The south of the colony, and also to find an answer to the mystery of where New South Wales's western rivers flowed. Surveyor General John Oxley asserted that no river could fall into the sea between Cape Otway and Spencer's Gulf, and that the country south of parallel of 34 degrees was ' uninhabitable and useless for all purposes of civilised men,' and for the time exploration in this direction
1394-559: The tip. Each leaflet is between 4.5 and 16 cm long. The species can grow to around 60 m (200 ft) in height and its trunk can reach 3 m (10 ft) in girth with large branches that create a spreading crown. It is one of Australia's few native deciduous trees, with the leaves falling in autumn (late March) and growing back in spring (early September). The new leaf growth is reddish pink in colour. The tree produces masses of white flowers that are very small and tubular in shape. The fruits are green capsules which senesces to
1435-533: The wasted expense of setting up a new settlement there, based upon their fulsome recommendations of the value of the region. Relations between the " currency lad " (first-generation Australian) Hume and the aloof Englishman Hovell had deteriorated, and they raced each other back to Sydney to claim credit for their discoveries. They arrived in January, 1825, and were both rewarded with large land grants by Governor Brisbane. They later published conflicting accounts of
1476-473: The west and, on the 12 December, reached less hilly country at the future township of Broadford , where they camped. Hume headed towards similarly low ranges to the south and found a pass in that direction next day. He led the party across the Dividing Range at Hume’s Pass , Wandong , and, on 16 December 1824, reached Corio Bay , an arm of Port Phillip Bay , at Bird Rock, Point Lillias , north of
1517-477: Was built in 1999, at the foot of Mount Fraser, to mark the location from which Hume & Hovell first sighted the sea. The original monument, erected in 1924, is on private land nearby. Ebden, Victoria Monument at Euroa . Monument at Lara . Monument at Murmungee, VIC Toona ciliata Toona ciliata is a forest tree in the mahogany family which grows throughout South Asia from Afghanistan to Papua New Guinea and Australia . It
1558-418: Was cut from a spotted gum or another native tree and was approximately six or seven feet long. The long handled whip permitted the bullocky to control his bullocks while keeping a safe working distance from the danger of being run down by a large dray or jinker. The thong, often made of plaited greenhide, was 8 to 10 feet long and attached to the handle by a leather loop. These thongs, graduated in thickness from
1599-511: Was greatly discouraged. In 1824, newly appointed Sir Thomas Brisbane, who disbelieved this statement, offered to land a party of prisoners near Wilson's Promontory and grant them a free pardon, as well as a grant of land, to those who found their way overland to Sydney. Alexander Berry recommended the Governor to secure the services of Hume to lead the exploring party. Hume declined to undertake that task but instead offered, if supplied with men and horses, to go from Lake George to Bass Straits. This
1640-765: Was not carried out. But shortly afterwards Hume and W. H. Hovell, of Minto, agreed together to undertake an expedition in that direction. They found men and horses and bullocks; the Government furnished them with pack saddles, tarpaulins, tent, arms, ammunition, and skeleton charts. On 2 October 1824, Hovell and Hume met at Hume's house in Appin, and started upon their expedition. The party, when complete, consisted of eight people, Hume and his three men, Claude Bossowa, Henry Angel, and James Fitzpatrick. As well as Hovell and his three men, Thomas Boyd, William Bollard, and Thomas Smith. They reached Hume's station near 'Lake George' on
1681-457: Was simple and the yokes were sometimes made by the bullocky from different kinds of timber. Bullockies often chose Devon cattle because they were plentiful, hardy, tractable and readily matched up the team, which was often a source of pride to the owners. Teams had to be educated to perform their respective tasks, too. The first part of a bullock's education began when the bullocky tied two young bullocks together with two heavy leather collars and