Australian Town and Country Journal at KellyGang 31/8/1872 (4)
Thanking Mr Munro for his hospitality and assistance, I proceed on my journey "down the river." A canter over the plains for six miles brought me into some splendid salt-bush country, and then I found myself at Bringagee, the beginning of the leviathan station of Groongal, the property of Mr Thomas Lear month, of Ercildoun.
The name of Mr Thomas Learmonth of Ercildoun, is a household word among the sheep-farmers and squatters of Victoria and Riverina. Mr Learmouth is the Bayley of Victoria, and divides the honours in Riverina with the latter gentleman. The Riverina station is an immense one, and is carried on in conjunction with Ercildoun by Mr Learmonth. The flocks and herds occupy different parts of the run. That part higher up the Murrumbidgee is called Bringagee , and is a cattle station. Sheep are run on the lower parts of the river, and back blocks. The top, or cattle station, Bringagee, is under the charge of Mr John Buckley. The paddocks, enclosed by first-class post and rail fences, contain splendid salt bush, some of the best that I have seen on the river. The cattle are a fine breed - all Durhams from imported stook, and among their ancestors were Royal Charley, Sir Robert, Clan Campbell, and other well-known names. The number on the run varies from 2000 to 6000 head; about 3000 head are now on Bringagee.
Groongal head station is quite a little township. Besides excellent superintendent's residence, it has overseers and storekeeper's quarters, men's residence, clergyman's house, windmill, and other buildings. The superintendent of Groongal is Mr D M'Larty; the overseer, Mr Hardy; and storekeeper, Mr Henderson, The superintendent's residence is a spacious building or buildings; and to the right is the windmill which draws water from the river to the houses and excellent garden and orchard. "The working men's residence" is a model one. It is the best in Riverina, It is built of red gum with galvanised iron roof. It is raised off the ground on blocks. The dining room is 25 by 18 feet, and there are 7 bedrooms, two beds in each, fitted up with all necessary conveniences.
The kitchen in connection with it, is also a model one, having stoves and other cooking apparatus, and a pantry adjoining. The cost of this building was £350. A missionary is kept by Mr Learmonth on the station. He also maintains a school. The station is on the river bank; and a capital punt is kept on the river for the use of the station. The woolshed, about a mile from the home station, is a huge one, 200 feet long and 60 feet wide. Two wool presses are used; one of these is Wilding's patent travelling box. There is dumping machinery here; and it is the only shed on the river that I have visited where dumping is done.
Dumping may properly be defined as packing bales of wool for exportation. Each bale is placed under powerful pressing machinery, and when under it, three or four bands are fastened on for the purpose of keeping the bale compressed, as seen in the accompanying engraving. As vessels to England take cargo per measurement, a considerable saving is effected by means of these presses. One bale of ordinary wool occupies about the same space as three when dumped. The process of dumping is chiefly done on the wharfs, and in the wool warehouses of Sydney and Melbourne. Groongal is one of the few stations in the colony that dumps its own wool.
The shearers' and 'rouse-about' men's, and overseers' huts, are near the shed. During the shearing season 140 men are employed viz: fifty-two shearers; forty men at the wash; and forty "rouse-about" men, &c. This is independent of the hands regularly employed.
Groongal station has an area of 400,000 acres, and a frontage of twenty miles to the Murrumbidgee. The run is subdivided into twelve large paddocks, varying from six to ten square miles; and seven smaller paddocks, over 200 square miles of fencing altogether. Capacious dams and tanks are on the back parts of the run for watering purposes. One tank in particular having an excavation of 8000 yards. Through these immense improvements the station now carries from 120,000 to 140,000 sheep, and from 3000 to 6000 head of cattle.
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