4. Clearing the Land
Living on, and clearing the land
The settlers travelled with few possessions on their journey into Gippsland to take up their holdings. This was not only because it was difficult bringing in goods, but because very few of them had more than the classic “half a crown (25 cents) and a bag of flour” anyway.
Living it rough
Settlers used what they had at hand to create such creature comforts as beds and chairs … it was a time when an axe was worth its weight in gold.
Clearing techniques
South Gippsland’s hills grew some of the largest trees that ever lived. While clearing it, the early settlers referred to it as “scrub”
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.
Tidying up
Once the tall timber was cut down, there was the problem ofclearing the remains.
Early farming
Cleared land was sown with grasses for pasture, but the task of clearing was ongoing, After the land was partly cleared some form of farming could begin.
Clearing sequence
Series of photos showing the forest being cleared for farming.