Squatting (Australian history)

In the history of Australia, squatting was the act of extrajudicially occupying tracts of Crown land, typically to graze livestock. Though most squatters initially held no legal rights to the land they occupied, the majority were gradually recognised by successive colonial authorities as the legitimate owners of the land due to being among the first (and often only) white settlers in their area. The term squattocracy, a play on aristocracy, was coined to refer to squatters as a social class and the immense sociopolitical power they possessed.^[1]

"Squatting (Australia)" redirects here. Not to be confused with Squatting in Australia.

The Dangar family, who by 1850 held 300,000 acres of grazing properties and town allotments, with the family business involving Henry Dangar and his brothers. As well as land holdings in the Hunter Valley, properties in Newcastle and business partnerships, the Dangar family became involved in manufacturing and shipping.

[12]

The Kidman family, who held 107,000 square miles worth of land in central Australia, founded by Sidney Kidman. Living relatives include Nicole Kidman. The family sold the business S. Kidman & Co, reduced to 38,610 square miles in 2016, for $386m to mining magnate Gina Reinhardt and Chinese interests.^[14]

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The Ellis family of South Australia.

[15]

The Forrest family of Western Australia, who have produced a number of conservative politicians for the ; Alexander Forrest, David Forrest, John Forrest (Western Australia's first premier) and Mervyn Forrest.

Liberal Party

The Gilbert family of South Australia.

[16]

The Baillieu family of Victoria, who were awarded the title of in recognition for the contributions to Australian society made by the politician and financier Sir Clive Baillieu, son of William Baillieu, after whom the Baillieu library at Melbourne University is named.

Baron's Baillieu

A significant proportion of squatters opposed the movement for self-determination by workers that gained impetus in the last decades of the 19th century in Australia. The events of the shearers' strike of 1891 and the harsh counter-measures by government and squatters left a bitter legacy that adversely affected class relationships in the ensuing decades.

The squattocracy have historically retained close ties to Britain. Many families retained properties in both Britain and Australia, often retiring to Britain after making their fortune and leaving vast stretches of land to be controlled by hired staff or younger sons.^[11]

Prominent Australian families from the squattocracy include:

Cultural resonances[edit]

Literature: The power of the squatters, including their affinity with the police, is referenced in Banjo Paterson's "Waltzing Matilda", Australia's most famous folk song.

Clara Morison by Catherine Helen Spence explores the power of Australia to transform those with a lowly social station in Britain into the Aristocracy of a new world.^[17]

Mary Theresa Vidal's 1860 novel Bengala is an Austenesque social comedy exploring the evolution of the pseudo-aristocratic manners which define the squattocracy.^[17]

In Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries, the title character, The Honourable Phyrne Fisher, is resistant to her class and acts as a contrast to her Aunt Prudence, who typifies grazier and squattocracy snobbery.

The film Australia deals with the failure of many large grazier properties in the mid-twentieth century, as well as the Squattocracy's close historic links with the British Aristocracy, with whom they frequently intermarried. The film's star, Nicole Kidman, is herself a relative of the prominent squatter family the Kidmans, who, at the height of their power, held 107,000 square miles of land in Central Australia.^[13]

The strategy board game Squatter is named for the term.