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Selectors

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== Overview ==

The squatters did not own the land they ran their sheep and cattle on. From the 1860's on the Government introduced a number of land reform acts that opened up land to be selected by small farmers. (Read about the Duffy Land Acts) ([[Recollections of a Victorian Police Officer Chapter XII page 5|Sadleir]]) While some farmers were able to select good quality land with rich soil and plenty of water, most were not so lucky. They had to be content with blocks that were based upon the size of British farms, that required a lot of work to clear and provided a small income at best. Many of the sympathizers were selectors. They supported the '''KellyGang''' as friends and people who understood their problems.

The police used the system to attack the '''KellyGang'''. The law required that the selector do things to develop their property. They needed to clear the land and fence it etc. These laws were enforced by the authorities against '''KellyGang''' sympathizers.

Many of the sympathizers lost their land. For instance [[Mrs Ellen Kelly|Mrs. Kelly]], [[Margaret Skillion|Maggie Skillion]], [[Henry Perkins|Henry Perkins]], [[Anne Kelly and Alex Gunn|Alex Gunn]], William [[William Tanner|Tanner]] and many others lost their selections because they could not meet the payments for the land or meet the requirements to develop the land.

Making an application to be a selector. The process and cost. ([[The Argus at KellyGang 8/7/1865|Argus8/7/65]]) ([[Alexandra Times at KellyGang 2/6/1868 (8)|Alexandra3/7/1868]])

The government had inquiry after inquiry to see how the selection system was going on. ([[The Argus at KellyGang 8/10/1866|Argus8/10/66]]) ([[The Argus at KellyGang 12/10/1866 (3)|Argus12/10/66]]) There was evidence of the use of dummies. ([[The Argus at KellyGang 12/10/1866 (3)|Argus12/10/66]]) ([[The Argus at KellyGang 20/3/1879|Argus20/3/79]])

Use of dummies was a problem. See how they were dealt with ([[The North Eastern Ensign at KellyGang 1/10/1872|Ensign1/10/1872]]) ([[The Argus at KellyGang 7/2/1874|Argus7/2/74]]) ([[The North Eastern Ensign at KellyGang 9/6/1874|Ensign9/6/1874]]) ([[The North Eastern Ensign at KellyGang 16/6/1874|Ensign16/6/1874]])

A tour to fine a selection ([[The North Eastern Ensign at KellyGang 13/10/1874|Ensign13/10/1874]])

The Argus provided a series of articles on the economics of being a selector and farming in North Eastern Victoria. These articles give a good view of the struggle faced and the pressures on families like the Kellys. ([[The Argus at KellyGang 19/4/1880|Argus19/4/80]]) ([[The Argus at KellyGang 21/6/1880|Aragus21/6/80]]) and ([[The Argus at KellyGang 27/4/1880|Argus27/4/79]]) ([[The Argus at KellyGang 30/4/1881|Argus30/4/81]])

The articles included a range of examples of particular selectors. They looked at issues such as the cost of production of crops, the cost of clearing land, types of fencing and cost, need for capital, etc. ([[The Argus at KellyGang 19/4/1880 (2)|Argus19/4/80]]) ([[The Argus at KellyGang 21/6/1880|Argus21/6/80]])

Some of these cases were were pitiful and it is easy to see how someone could turn to crime in order to get food. ([[The Argus at KellyGang 19/4/1880 (4)|Argus19/4/80]])

After some good years in 1878 the wheat crop was hit by rust. There were many other issues that selectors had to consider. ([[The Alexandra and Yea Standard, Gobur, Thornton and Acheron Express at KellyGang 4/1/1879|Alexandra4/1/1879]])

'''.'''

== Selectors at KellyGang ==

see

each [[Places|town and property]] for selectors in area

[[Archibald Batchelor|Batchelor]]

Gustav [[Gustav Baumgarten|Baumgarten]]

William [[William Baumgarten|Baumgarten]]

[[../../people/peH_J/johnsG.html|Mrs Byrne]]

Alex Gunn

Mr and Mrs Hart

Johns at Greta

[[Mrs Ellen Kelly|Mrs Kelly]]

[[John McElroy|John McEloy]]

[[Henry Perkins|Henry Perkins]]

[[Aaron Sherritt|Aaron]] Sherritt

[[Margaret Skillion|Skillion]]

William [[William Tanner|Tanner]]

Jacob [[Jacob Wilson|Wilson]]

== Land Acts ==

The land selection Acts of 1860, 1865 and 1869 opened up large areas of Noth Eastern Victoria for small farmers

== Call for Inquiry ==

James [[James Wallace|Wallace]] wrote a long letter you wrote about [[Hedi|Tom Burke]] and his application for land. ([[Royal Commission report day 42 page 7|RC14665]])

<blockquote>I wrote Mr JH [[Graves|Graves]]. &quot;[[Wombat ranges|Wombat]], Mansfield, May 2nd, 1881.

Sir.-

I hope you have not forgotten to call on me in the Police Enquiry, please inform me if it is coming to Mansfield, and when. In consequence of my arrest as a Kelly sympathizer I have lost three situations. My family are still debarred from selecting.&quot;

One of the complaints in the district was that the police have given the names of people who are not entitled to select, and although a great number of those were cases of men well known to be connections and friends and sympathizers of the Kellys, still the indiscriminate way in which that power was used by the police has alienated a great number of people from the police. Henry [[Henry Perkins|Perkins]]. ([[Royal Commission report day 45 page 14|RC15517]])

</blockquote>

The work of the Royal Commission into land ([[The Argus at KellyGang 6/3/1879|Argus6/3/79]])

== Managing sympathiser by denying them land ==

Insp [[Insp Wliiam Montfort|Montfort]] had a view about the management of the community through controlling selectors.

<blockquote>A great deal of the difficulty with the community would solved if they felt they were treated with equal justice-that there was no &quot;down&quot; upon them. They are much more tractable if they feel that they are treated with equal justice.

'''The refusal of land to suspected persons'''

Insp Montfort sent a report to the Commissioner and asked him to take measures so that the Crown Lands Department should act in concert with the police. Under such a policy the police in the position so that they can use the provisions of the Land Act as a lever to influence the applicants for land in the North-Eastern district. This should more specially apply for a radius of fifty miles all around Benalla. Such a lever would be more potent than any army of police. It would prevent the people from harboring criminals, and would give them a direct incentive to place themselves on good terms with the police, and avoid doing anything that would alienate them from the police. Their whole object is to obtain land, and if their individual interests depended upon their good behaviour among the population where they are, it would be half the battle towards making good citizens of them. ([[Royal Commission report Appendix 1 page 1|RCApp1]]) See also ([[Royal Commission report day 15 page 2|RC3515]])

A problem at Moira ([[The North Eastern Ensign at KellyGang 23/1/1874|Ensign23/1/1874]])

See [[MacBean|M'Bean]]'s problems at [[Kilfera|Kilefra]].

</blockquote>

[[Category:Things]] [[Category:Community things]] [[Category:Selectors]] [[Category:the Kelly Gang]] [[Category:bushrangers]] [[Category:history]]

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