Taken from Betty Sharpe’s little book “The Year Rambles On” published in 1985 and based on her diary. It is dedicated to the army of country folk who struggle through all seasons to protect and preserve the real Australian countryside.
However, would our pioneers have managed if our land had not been covered with timber? The thud of axe on wood must have reverberated through the entire area as trees were felled and the arduous task of splitting of posts and rails for fencing proceeded.
Some of the enormous corner posts still standing in paddocks must surely have taxed the muscles of horse and man. The wide rugged slip-rails were a real feature of our country. Gradually some of the rails gave way to long lines of wire joining post to post, with strands of barbed wire to discourage the wandering cattle. In later years power-saws made neat jobs of posts and rails.
Fences have now taken on a new look. Steel posts are much in evidence, plus costly rolls of wire. Whereas the wooden home-made gates took over from slip-rails, now elaborate steel-pipe and wire gates spring effortlessly into place. Our forebears would be dumbfounded if they could see and hear the ticking electric fences now keeping stock within bounds.
Many happy times were spent in childhood perched on a big round post or on a top rail with toes curled around a lower rail for safety.
Early fencing was not costly financially, but very costly in physical effort.
To-day the cheque book needs to be in a healthy state when fencing is contemplated.
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