Clearing techniques
The term scrub-cutting was used in South Gippsland to describe the felling of the forest timber. It is used in other parts of Australia to mean the cutting of smaller growths of timber.
In the early stages of pioneering the scrub cutters were the pioneers themselves. Almost every settler had to cut his own scrub - first, to clear a track in, then to build a hut or house out of bush timber. All this required the pioneer to be an expert in the use of the American axe.
Land of the Lyrebird, p 54
Settlers had come from many previous occupations eg butcher, school teacher, ministers son, Bendigo miner, saddler. These did not really equip them for scrub cutting. "The great majority of the earliest settlers had absolutely no farming experience, much less a knowledge of bush work."
Holmes in Land of the Lyrebird, p 54
The dangers of sword grass
"Amongst the drawbacks common to all these forests, perhaps the two worst were the sword grass and wire grass. Sword grass, as its name implies, has sharp cutting edges and having a flat and somewhat rigid blade was responsible for many a painful cut ... "
Holmes in Land of the Lyrebird, p 56
Being lost
"Many selectors have been lost or bushed in the early days; in one instance a settler was bushed between Korumburra and Leongatha for nearly a week simply on account of the difficulty of estimating the distance travelled in the forest - and many a man had been hopelessly bushed within a few hundred yards of his own camp - so the use of the compass was very general, and the failure to carry one has often enough resulted in being lost."
Holmes in Land of the Lyrebird, p57
Men clearing land. (From the Leongatha and District Historical Society)
Scrub Cutting
This meant cutting down the trees and was done by different methods depending on the type of forest and the topography or shape of the land. The first difficulty was always how to make a space for the first trees to fall into when they were cut down. They usually started in a gully and cut the heads off tree ferns and then cut down some small trees. This tangle was then cleared away to create space to fell a big tree.
Scrub cutters on flats near the Tarwin River.
Clearing a hill quickly
"A spectacular and economic felling method was quickly developed in the hilly country. Work would start from an already cleared pack track at the top of a ridge. Trees all the way down to the bottom of the gully would be 'nicked' on the up hill side. Then a few big trees high up the slope would be felled with care and accuracy to start an avalanche of spars (trunks), which bounced and crashed and roared down hill".
Charles Daley, p 97
Clearing on Flatter land
"On level ground, where this method (above) was impracticable the big trees were ring barked from springboards about 15 feet up from the base. In the spring the forest growth up to a foot in diameter was cut out and stacked ready for the "burn" which was a community effort organised at short notice during one of the brief dry stretched in the summer"
Charles Daley, p 97
