It’s finally time to go all the way back to the beginning of Horses in Australia, with a particular focus on their origin and purpose in wider Sydney Area. Richmond being one of the first towns established to the west of Sydney, saw the first stage cart service transporting goods and passengers between here and the city in 1814. 7 years later, a stagecoach service began to travel between Sydney and Paramatta. These first stagecoaches were imported from England, and frequently needed repairs as a result of the rough nature of the roads travelled. Due to this rough state of the roads, travelling around on horseback opposed to being carted around still remained the most efficient, comfy, safe and quickest way to get around.
As early as the 1830s Australia had the following Horse Breeds: Thoroughbreds and Arabians for their speed and endurance, Cape Horses for their agility and stoutness, and the Draught for their strength and calm temperament.
Bullocks were often a stiff competitor of horses as a mode of transportation during the 1800’s. Sure horses were faster on the rough terrain, but bullocks were a lot cheaper to buy as calves (often a third or quarter of the price of yearling horses). Another pro of bullocks over horses was the fact that they were more valuable when they became of age and yet could still slowly plod away pulling cartloads of people or goods behind them, unlike horses of the same age. They had a more even temperament, required next to no shoeing, their harnesses could be made from their own skins, and their feeds were a great amount cheaper complimented with less selective grazings.
Luckily for horses all these pros of bullocks became less profound by 1880 – 1900, with the importation of more sturdy stock for breeding. The decades that followed, breeding with Clydesdales and Shires, resulted in horses that were stronger than the bullocks, and fewer horses were required for the heavy loads. This 20 year point in time also saw better roads created, and therefore less injuries to horses. The horse soon became the triumphant mode of transport, with the most speed, strength, durability and affordability.
Feature Image courtesy of the National Museum of Australia.
-Skye Pickering Dip. Horse Business Management