Remembering the Shepherd’s of Taroom

Taroom District Development Association (TDDA) has recently completed the reconstruction of the last known Shepherd’s Hut in an attempt to preserve a tiny part of the early settler’s history in the Taroom and Wandoan district. The OFFICIAL OPENING of the re-built STARKVALE SHEPHERD’S HUT at Robinson Gorge Taroom was celebrated with a Tag-along tour from Taroom on Sunday 30 August 2026.

Glenhaughton run was established in 1856 by brothers Charles (C.R.) Haly and William O’Grady Haly (sometimes spelt Haley), having first tendered for the holding in 1852. (The tenderers often had to wait for years for a licence to be granted.) The large area of the Glenhaughton run included Starkvale Creek at Robinson Gorge (now a part of Expedition National Park), and it was stocked with sheep. Seeing this country today, it is difficult to imagine sheep grazing there, and harder still to imagine how the shepherds managed to keep the flock together.

The First Shepherds of Taroom

The shepherds lived a lonely life on outstations herding approximately 1700 sheep in their flocks. This hut was the last one of many dotted throughout the Glenhaughton country, (mostly taken up now by Expedition NP) most likely built by the hands of a Chinese or Irish shepherd using nothing more than his axe.

No corrugated iron covered the roof – No screws or modern building materials were available. The slab walls, timber frame and bark shingles were hand-fashioned from the surrounding trees by the shepherd, his simple shelter crafted with care and great skill – for it lasted the test of time, eventually destroyed by fire around 1980-90 according to local landholders.

The shepherds’ simple bush-building skills were remarkable. A solid dwelling was necessary for shelter from the elements and protection from natives – a futile exercise for many of these brave and peaceful men who were found dead when rations were delivered – speared, clubbed, or missing completely, never to be found again.  The single hole in the wall of the hut would hardly have provided much of a lookout for spotting his attackers.  It was a lonely and dangerous job.

Nothing is known of the heritage nor the fate of the shepherd who built the Starkvale hut at Robinson Gorge. We can only hope he enjoyed his lonely life in this beautiful, rugged and remote place, tending his flock until his final days, and that he is resting peacefully now.

GWEN FOX wrote In relation to the early pastoralists of Taroom, and particularly the sheep industry and shepherds, in her book “Pioneers of the Taroom and Wandoan District” in 1959. (Some extracts follow:)

Early Pastoralists: From Sheep to Cattle (Page 51, 1864-1902)

“After separation, the new state of Queensland faced many “lean years” until saved temporarily by the finding of gold in 1868.  In 1868,1869,1870 and 1876, the government introduced new land legislation granting 21 year leases to settlers who would stock to the extent of 25 sheep or five cattle per square mile, and a great rush followed. The area allowed was still 25-100 square miles for each run and other matters dealt with in these regulations included rent payable; duration of leases; provision for unwatered runs; the pre-emptive right; and whether land sales would be held by ballot or auction.

The next few years were difficult for many pastoralists all over Queensland. Some had stocked with inferior sheep, money had been borrowed at high rates of interest, transport costs of wool and rations were often excessive, and labour troubles had developed due to insufficient or unsuitable shepherds and stockmen. Many sheep raisers had to walk off their properties impoverished. The Taroom graziers did not escape, for several of the holdings were taken over by the banks during the late 1860s and early 70s, among them Glenhaughton, Carrabah, and Bungaban.

But a great change was beginning to affect the Dawson country. By the 70s, earlier in some places – The selectors were in difficulties, probably due to unscientific methods of flock management. No attempt had been made at pasture improvement or rotational grazing, and the inevitable result was the eating out of the good grasses, with the consequent spread of undesirable species. Also weed pests such as Burr. The sheep were also becoming affected by grass seeds in the wool, particularly by speargrass, which pierces the skin and works into the flesh. The landholders therefore decided to sell the sheep and turned to cattle raising. The changeover took rather more than 20 years before it was completed and one owner after another began to restock with cattle. In any case, the hilly districts were much more suited to cattle raising.

As a consequence of this change, and also because of a general improvement in pastoral management throughout the state, the occupations of the rural workers altered considerably. This was particularly noticeable in Taroom, where the 57 shepherds and hut-men mentioned in the 1864 census became unnecessary, even where the sheep remained. The wasteful practise of shepherding sheep was now abandoned and fences were being introduced.

As well as allowing for heavier stocking, the building of fences led to a new occupation -fencing – and a demand for fencing contractors. Instead of shepherds to mind the sheep, boundary riders were needed to inspect and repair the fences. This applies also to the cattle stations where the employees were now stockmen, station hands, and the boundary riders, who would be stationed at an outpost away from the homestead (or head station).

Another worker to appear as a result of efforts at water conservation was the tank sinker or dam sinker, casually employed as needed. The fencing and dam sinking would sometimes be done by the station employees, however.”

SHEPHERDS OF TAROOM 1853-1890s (Page 26)

“The early landowners entrusted their flocks of sheep, as in England, to the care of several shepherds. The size of each shepherd’s flock would be about 1700 sheep, and the shepherd’s huts, generally of slab construction, would be several miles apart on the property. It was a very lonely life, and a dangerous one in many cases, for the Dawson tribes were fierce and resented the presence of white men on their hunting grounds.

The shepherds of the 1840s and ‘50s were, almost without exception, unmarried, so that the only human contacts they had were with the “boss” on his visits of inspection and the welcome “ration-carrier”. The rations were brought once a fortnight and included their pay (£35 to £50 a year, sometimes £1 a week), as well as 8 – 12 lb. of flour, 2 lb. of sugar, ¼ lb. tea and 10 – 14 lb. of mutton weekly. If they required any extra provisions, they paid for them. Probably tobacco would have been the universal “extra”, but most of the £1 a week would be saved.”

Pickle Jar Savings (Pages 26 & 130)

“The shepherds, it is generally agreed, liked to be paid in sovereigns, which they placed in a pickle bottle or something similar, then corked it up and buried it outside their huts. Several of the shepherds died, or were killed at the hut, and the secret of their horde was not discovered. There are probably pickle bottles full of sovereigns on many stations even today.

Charlie Holland was a shepherd at Reedy Creek who had a lonely death. He put his sheep into the yard, went into his hut and died. Mr Presho found him a few days later when he was delivering rations.

Several early settlers complained of trouble with the blacks, and there are records of many shepherds being murdered over a period. At Hornet Bank, Andrew Scott lost all his shepherds in this way, and Bungaban also reported several shepherds murdered at different times. The shepherds feared for their lives, and it is not surprising that the fear gave rise to hatred of the natives.”

CHINESE & IRISH SHEPHERDS – The Queensland Immigration Program 1861 (p.26-27)

“With the abolition of transportation, the demand for shepherds was far in excess of the numbers available, more especially on the “fringe” of settlement, as was the Dawson country. There are two interesting schemes which helped effectively to relieve the shortage – and resulted in an influx of Irish and Chinese immigrants.

In 1861 Doctor O’Quinn, Bishop of Brisbane, formed the Queensland Immigration Society, by which he wished to people the rich country districts with “good Irish farming stock”. The Queensland Government gave the society certain concessions, and the scheme was carefully organised both in Ireland and Australia. From 1861 to 1865, there were 10 ships chartered under this arrangement and a number of the immigrants went to properties in the Taroom District, among them John Ryan and Mr Lamb, who went to Glenhaughton. These are both familiar names in town today. Two others, Jim Kane and Tim Donovan, who were shepherds at Coorada for many years, used their horde (before mentioned) to return to Ireland where they died.

At about the same time, the squatters themselves supported the introduction of large numbers of Chinese workers. The landowners paid the passages to Australia, and the Chinese would be required to work for a certain time. After the time had elapsed, the Chinese were free to do as they wished for there was no provision for return passages.

Taroom also has many Chinese names during the early 1860s, although many of them are really only trick names, as in a police record of 1861 granting a butcher’s licence to “John Chinaman”. Other Chinese names to be found are Janki Hein; Chee; Ong Li; Lee Chang; Con Chow. There are others, but none are left today except the Tai Shue family.”

Difficult Conditions – Shearing Time (p.27)

“Shearing time in those days was most interesting. Before being shorn by hand, the sheep were taken to paddocks containing large waterholes to be washed. These were “the washpools”. Some properties still have paddocks, known as “Washpool” paddocks.

Shearing was complicated further by the lack of roads in the colony in the 1850s and early ‘60s. There was a road from Roma to Rockhampton, which was the nearest port for some holdings, and the wool was taken in waggons along it. The Glenhaughton sheep had to be driven from one side of the Glenhaughton range to be shorn on the other, as the waggons could not be taken over the range.  In those days, this large property included the present stations Broadmere and Nunbank.

There were some hard times ahead of the Dawson settlers, but by 1864 the little group of stations, out stations, and lonely shepherd’s huts had given rise to the thriving Township of Taroom.”

Information sourced from locals and ex-Glenhaughton ringers who remember the hut and the stories; Robin McConnel (pictured) who lived there at Glenhaughton station until 1979; and Gwen Fox – author of Pioneers of the Taroom and Wandoan District (published by Taroom Shire Council, 1959)

Written by Leesa Bongers, Taroom Tales© August 2026