SHEARING IN QUEENSLAND.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2291, 10 December 1891, Page 4

SHEARING IN QUEENSLAND.

[BY A VETERAN NEW ZEALAND SHEARER.] Having just returned from Queensland, after three mouths’ shearing on the other side of the. water, perhaps it would be interesting to shearers and the public in general to hear how New Zealand shearers fared when they left their native soil some three or four months ago to seek the ope thing needful in a hotter but certainly not a fairer clime. Those • readers interested will remember the time of the shoarers’s strike on the other side, and how agents hero were instructed to engage men,; and, how ship-loads of men left New Zealand, some of whom had perhaps never handled a pair shears in their lives before. Our steamer was'the Waihbra, and we left with 198 r shearers aboard; our batch, unlike other ' batches, was a really good one—as good a drib as ever left New Zealand. At night we were packed like herrings in a cask, but in condonation of this we had an exceedingly affable steward who did his level beat to make everyone comfortable under , the circumstances. Shortly after we left the coast we met some very rough weather which-lasted for a day, and then we were blessed with beautiful weather till our arrival in Keppel Bay. On the voyage, in the evenings the hilarity of the shearers was expended in dancing, music, and all the shearing shed songs imaginable, from “The Wild Colonial Boy” down to “ I’m going away to leave you Molly darlin’.” On our , arrival at Keppel Bay, we were drafted . off to different stations, 64 to one station, 30 to another, and 101 to Townsville, 400 miles further north. I was among the 101, and on the way we touched at Port McKay and Port Bowen; the latter place is rich with sugar plantations and luscious fruits. Our steamer, the Maranoa, was the most wretched craft I ever sailed in, and the crew and stewards showed no lack of incivility. On board, all told, were 209 souls, one of the passengers : being a black woman, who had to find quarters in the cabin with the male passengers. We got into Townsville Harbor about 4 o’clock one afternoon, and wanted to go ashore, but were not allowed. The ; next morning, however, there were cabs, expresses and spring drays in readiness to take our swags and ourselves to the railway station, about a mile from the wh'irf. We started off five in a cab, a policeman guarding us all the time. We were in the train all that day till dark, when we reached Hughington, and then were not allowed into the township, but were stowed away in a woolshed. The following morning we were counted out like so many sheep in a pen and sent off from Hughington. Thirty -were sent off to an outstation, and the balance, seventy (one having been lost on the road), were •started off in another direction. Our company consisted of 70 shearers, 5 troopers, 10 rouseabouts, 2 cooks, 4 horsemen for keeping horses and cattle yoked up, 3 bullock-drivers, 3 horse-drivers, 70 horses, aud 50 bullocks. We travelled in this manner for 9 days, and covered : 105 miles. Before lying down at night we had to clear the ground of snakes. We killed one 7ft. Gin. long, and another sft, long. Travelling throughout the day -the weather was very hot, and a very unpleasant contrast to this was felt at night time and the early morning in the form of a sharp frost, quite as severe as any I have felt in New Zealand. Some of us felt quite perished with the cold. At last we reached Terida station. Thirty-five of us were stationed there, and the remainder were sent away to Katambra station. On the Terida working with the 35 free laborers there were 25 union men, but we got along without the least trouble, not a cross word being spoken between the two parties. Of course I speak of Terida s.ation only; I don’t know how they got .on at Katambra and other stations. The c nuitry round about from its appearance seemed to he greatly subject to floods. On the trees that are growing on the level parts, and in the gullies on the low levels, you can see the grass where it has been washed 10ft. up the trees. One can see that for about a square mile, and on the fences grass can be seen sticking to the wires for miles. After we had been dodging about on the Terida station for 'about six weeks we went to another at Sfcainburu Downs. We were four weeks at Stainburn and the squatters were very kind and civil. We did as we liked, aud they never said “Jack” to it. When we finished there we went through a place named Aramac. A singular thing about this place is that the post and telegraph offices are open on Sundays, the same as any other day, and one can get his letters any time he likes. We took the coach from Aramac -to- Barcaldiue, a distance of 59 miles. Barcaldine is a very miserable place, the township being nothing but a sandy desert. The streets are a bed of sand, and even spring traps 'get stuck in it. From here we took the train to Rockhampton, 350 miles, at the expense of our employers, who also had paid our fares up and found us in tucker. 'From Rockhampton to Sydney, however, the men had to pay their own fares, which came to about £2 16a. Speaking of townships, I -may say that it is surprising how country townships in that part o°f the country keep up. There is very little fruitgrowing or anything else to keep them up. Townsville, I think, ;jg the only enterprising place of any 1 saw; it is really a thriving place, and a good deal ®f business is being done there. Rockhampton I don’t think much of; it is a dull, quiet place. _ From Sydney to Wellington we came in the Hanroto, ■with ! a large number of passengers on Ijoard. We had a iplendid passage, but the shearers are a rough lot, and made things rather lively. Some of them made very° good cheques on the other side. Four good shearers who got into a shed at Wallshot got three months shearing without losing scarcely a day, and cleared £lO6 each. Taking them all through the whole of the men averaged between £SO and £6O a man. Some of them had a rough time of it with the union men, but in our shed they were very kind to us. In Mutaborough they were very agreeable and drank freely with our men. One’ of them took me aside and eaid; “ look here, old man, you fellows had better not come back on this lay next year or you will get a hot reception if you do.” I don’t think any New Zealand shearers will no over on the same lines again. I saw fi a paper over there that the union men were putting by 3s of every £1 they made to go towards the funds for a big “ set-to” nextomar, and I am afraid that if any j go over there next year 1 will, be shot dowjt * i

like dogs. The shearers over there are a very determined lot, and wouldn’t think twice before putting a bullet through a man. Quite a common remark among the unionists in the sheds was : “ We’ll make it our business to go back and make short work of the •” When we had finished one of our sheds, three or four union shearers, after they had got their money and were about thirty miles away, set fire to the run, and there would have been a terrific fire if a contractor and his men had not seeu it and p;it it out. The New Zealanders are not all | back here yet, but I suppose they soon : will be. There was a number of New • Zealand union men went over, go* a free . passage and a job, and came back here . again and joined in with their union.