Archive for the 'Cattle country' Category

End Notes

With the final edit over, I’m at the happy stage of writing the bibliography and acknowledgements for my new novel, The Cattlemen’s Daughter - out in October!

Again I have to stress my gratitude to living legend Ian Stapleton, who inspired me to tell my story.

Ian is a go-giver who has established outdoor centres for troubled kids and who has beautifully recorded the history of the Victorian Alpine region, where my fictional book is set.

The two books photographed influenced my work greatly. Ian’s titles include Hairy Chested History, From Fraser’s to Freezeout, From Drovers to Daisy Picker and Weatherbeaten Wisdom.

If you are interested in the history of the High Country of Victoria and want to buy Ian’s books, write to Ian Stapleton, Feathertop Track Harrietville, Vic, Australia, 3741

Autumn in Tasmania

I love this time of year on our farm when the season starts to turn.

We’ve been stocking up the wood heap and praying for a good autumn break. Up until a few nights ago the dams and creeks were still pretty dry — and even though the grass was green, the pasture is very short.

We’ve now had 22ml of rain in the past two days and while we know winter will be tough — we are going into it well understocked, and with cattle still away on agistment we’re confident the stock we do have will stay in top condition.

Fiction becomes fact

Fire is a central theme of my new novel The Cattleman’s Daughter. Months ago I wrote firestorm scenes that chillingly predicted last weeks’ devastating Victorian fires.

Its no surprise to me though, as fire is always forefront in our minds. Since I’ve been in the Treasure family, their Alpine homestead has narrowly escaped burning three times, in three major fires of 2003, 2006 and 2009. While the devastating fires last week have been a shock to all, an inferno has been forecast by many cattlemen for a long time.

The Treasure family and other cattlemen used to cool burn regularly in the same pattern as the aboriginals but have been restricted in their burning practice by government since 1910.

Former grazing runs, now classed as Alpine National Park are no longer grazed nor burned and I seriously doubt that plants and animals are protected at all as the sign says. Fires hotter than hell have gutted the area so that the landscape and the wildlife has altered forever.

Needless to say we are blessed that our immediate friends and family were safe from the fires and the White Timber Spur fire miraculously petered out just a mile or so from the Treasure Station homestead built in 1900.

Our thoughts and prayers are sent to those less fortunate.

Green Drought Doubt

At last we’ve had over two inches of rain — it’s greened the grass up beautifully, but arrived too late to grow us any pasture to cut hay.

The good news is the remaining handful of cows that we have hung onto are doing well as are their big babies.

During drought you come to doubt the decisions you make — whether to sell or to hang on to animals.

In this case our management decision to de-stock over three years has paid off as the animals we do have are healthy and aren’t needing any drought assistance fodder.

Fire and Ice

Here’s a snap of Lanky’s Plain where the Treasure family have run cattle for nearly 100 years, up until a grazing ban by the Victorian Government three years ago.

This shot is the first of a series, where John and I will monitor the plains to see how the landscape fares under a different governmental management regime.

The other shot is of Mt Hotham from the Plains.

Mt Hotham

If you look closely you can see 1000′s of hectares burnt out by raging hot fires and on top, scarring on the landscape from ever-expanding ski-fields and ski-villages.

In my new novel, I’ll explore the irony of banning local people from cattle grazing and banning them from fuel reduction burning, versus the impact on the landscape of big business and land management from Melbourne.

Gone Bush

I know I’ve been quiet lately on the blog entries, but I’ve been working flat out on my next novel and as part of research for it, I went bush for a while.

Life imitates art. In my new manuscript, The Cattlemen, I had written a scene where my character wakes up with her kids to find the world turned white with snow.

The night we actually went to stay on the Dargo High Plains at Treasure’s Station, we were delighted to live through the same beautiful and memorable experience.

My time up there on John’s family’s place with the kids in the snow will add a whole new reality to the snow scene in my new novel.

Weaning worries

Time to wean our rather big baby calves. We’re keeping them in a lane way next to their mums and hand feeding them so they don’t get too distressed at being removed from the luxury of the teat.

They’ve done very well considering the run of seasons and we’re very happy with our very first drop of calves and although they’re small in numbers, it’s a start to breeding up a decent, good quality herd.

Babies in the play pen, while old mother cow looks on

Our first born

Here he is — our very first calf born on Brookdale ready to go on the truck.

It was a sad day as this little baby boy was my favourite, but dry times means he needs another paddock.

The sale marks the beginning of our fledgling cattle enterprise. He made $520 and weighed over 300kg.

We also sold a heifer that kicked me and John once too often — no bad temperaments allowed around here! She also brought an average price — but a good one considering the lack of rain.

No bull with show bull

Here’s Chilli Beef our leased bull in the cattle crush tucking into some tucker.

Bulls can be very dangerous … especially the quiet ones as they have no fear of humans, but today when working around Chilli he showed no signs of aggression.

We’re confident this bull from Jordon Poll Hereford Stud will throw very quiet calves.

Treasure’s front fence

Here’s the front fence on Treasure Station.

This type of view will be the setting for my forthcoming novel — which I will write over the next two years.

I’m so blessed to have access to such beautiful bushland on the Dargo High Plains. I’ll look forward to sharing it with you through my writing.