Pastoral practices
Land has been the source of great wealth but also great strife for the colony of Victoria.
Many of Victoria’s earliest European settlers illegally occupied the land they farmed, accumulating wealth and power that they used to maintain their positions in the face of challenges from later settlers. These early “squatters” played a major role in shaping the state.
Victoria was the only permanent British colony to be settled without the permission of the British authorities.
Victoria’s first European settlers built a small empire in Portland.
Joseph Docker was a respected pioneer in the country and a shrewd businessman in his city dealings.
Anne Drysdale and Caroline Newcomb were remarkable women for their time as they were both landholders and pastoralists.
The rise and rise of the squatter provided the basis for much of Victoria's wealth prior to the gold rushes.
