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Chapter 16

NoamountofargumentprevailedwithCanberra;propertiesaslargeasBugelaandRudnaHunishwouldbepartitioned.Itwasself-evidentnomanneededsomuch,sincetheGillydistricthadmanythrivingstationsoflessthan50,000acres.

Whathurtthemostwastheknowledgethatthistimeitseemedthereturnedsoldierswouldpersevere.AftertheFirstWorldWarmostofthebigstationshadgonethroughthesamepartialresumption,butithadbeenpoorlydone,thefledglinggrazierswithouttrainingorexperience;graduallythesquattersboughttheirfilchedacresbackatrock-bottompricesfromdiscouragedveterans.Thistimethegovernmentwaspreparedtotrainandeducatethenewsettlersatitsownexpense.

AlmostallthesquatterswereavidmembersoftheCountryParty,andonprincipleloathedaLaborgovernment,identifyingitwithblue-collarworkersinindustrialcities,tradeunionsandfecklessMarxistintellectuals.TheunkindestcutofallwastofindthattheClearys,whowereknownLaborvoters,werenottoseeasingleacreparedfromtheformidablebulkofDrogheda.SincetheCatholicChurchownedit,naturallyitwassubdivision-exempt.ThehowlwasheardinCanberra,butignored.Itcameveryhardtothesquatters,whoalwaysthoughtofthemselvesasthemostpowerfullobbygroupinthenation,tofindthathewhowieldstheCanberrawhipdoesprettymuchashelikes.Australiawasheavilyfederal,itsstategovernmentsvirtuallypowerless.