THE QUEENSLAND SHEARERS.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XII, Issue 3882, 11 August 1891, Page 2

THE QUEENSLAND SHEARERS.

The Ifewrtertoa Contingent. Glorious TimesThe following interesting letter has been received from Mr Harold Welch, one of the shearers who recently left for Queensland : Wellshot, Queensland, July Bth, 1891.

We arrived at our destination about twelve o'clock to-day, and I can assure you we have had a happy little time of it on our journey. We left Lyttelton on Saturday, the 27th of June, and arrived at Bockhampton (at the mouth of the river) on the following Saturday. We anchored there for a night and unloaded some cargo. In the morning half of us got in the Dolphin and were conveyed up the river for forty-five miles into the town of Itockhampton. We were there met by our agents and by aboat 1120 policemen and mounted cavalry. As we were taken through the town there were three policemen on each side of the cars. As we neared the Quay, the Unions gave us " whipß " of " barrack," calling us " swamp hawW " blacklegs," *• spielers," etc. They wanted to know where some of as got our cards, thinking by our hats we were spielers. Dick (meaning Dick Bannister) was spotted as " Buffalo Bill." We then travelled 893 miles by train, which took from ten o'elock one morning till eight the next. Meals were ordered for us along the line, which we received free of charge. When we got out of the train, thirty-eight of the party who were going to Allbiria station were met with horses and a brake for their swags. The remainder of us weie met with five nine-horse waggons, and we were taken to our station, about fifty miles distant. This took us three days. We had tents pitched for us at nights, and a cook who went ahead had our meals prepared ior us. My word, it was glorious fun—just like a picnic party. We saw various kinds of birds and animals—cockatoos, gillars, magpies, crows, carpet lizards three feet long, kangaroos, etc. The bush here is nearly all native oranges, emu apples, blue gums, red gums, dead finish gidgee, and native wattles. We are not hard up for wa'er yet, though we have not seen a running stream since we landed. What there is is in pools or holes. The sun is hot, but it is just right for me. We had a grand time coming on the steamer (the Waihora). 1 had only two d&ys sick. All of the Wairarapa " blokes " were sick excepting Dick and Hugh. We were treated like kings from start to finish. There are " whips" of black gins here. We see scores of them, and give them pennies, threepenny-bits, and tucker, just for fun. The Union is broken up, but the station owners will not give the Unionists work. They do a bit of ." barracking " at times. We drew for places to-day, and as luck would have it I got in with George Day, ar-d we are pan mates. The rest of our boys dre/r numbers with strangers, I mean with Southern " blokes." We have some «• rorty " old fun. There are about sixteen Wellington chaps who keep together and don't mix with the rest. We start shearing on Saturday morning. The bosses reckon four months will - -»bowt-finioh this - shed. There are 880,000 sheep on the run, mostly merinos. They look good to shear. The overseers and bosses are grand chaps and try to treat us well. They talk about it being so hot, but I consider it is grand. The nights are " deuced " cold. This is abouc all I can say in this rough outline of things. So, with best respects to all the " boys," I remain, etc., Harold Welch.