Grazing in the Australian Alps Grazing once took place in many different parts of the Australian Alps, the number of sheep or cattle in an area depending on climate, terrain and the amount of food available. On the highest mountain plateaus there were permanent freehold runs where seasonal grazing of sheep and cattle took place. At lower elevations pastures were also grazed but, in summer, when these areas became dry and sparse, the high plains offered cooler temperatures and higher rainfall supporting lush native grasses and herbs. These alpine areas also provided a precious food supply for sheep and cattle in times of drought. Records show that graziers were taking sheep and cattle into and across the mountains in the early 1820s in search of new pastures which were free of drought and disease. An 1834 newspaper report mentioned cattle at Gibson’s Plains (Kiandra) and some families claim that their forebears were in the area in the 1820s. Some graziers came to depend on public land for summer grazing. In the first half of the 1900s it was a common practice to burn to encourage new growth of grass shoots. As a result, frequent burning became an important part of grazing in many parts of the high country, particularly where sheep were grazed. The history of high country grazing In the early days governments encouraged graziers to use the high country to feed their cattle and sheep, with sheep being grazed much more extensively in NSW than in Victoria. Governments in Victoria and New South Wales introduced a system of annual licences, giving graziers the right to graze an area of alpine pasture. The early leases and licences did not limit stock numbers or the grazing season, which often led to extensive overgrazing of the land. The gold discoveries of the 1850s and 1860s paved the way for closer pastoral settlement in the Alps. Many former miners took up small grazing selections in the narrow valleys and timbered foothills. The lowland selections were eventually converted to freehold ownership. The higher country remained public land, but it was divided into large blocks for seasonal grazing under either a licence or a lease system. Unlike Kosciuszko National Park, where grazing was removed from the high country by 1958, grazing in the Victorian Alps was withdrawn only from specific parts of the Alps. In the 1940s, withdrawals occurred in response to the degraded condition of some of the most sensitive areas. As a result, grazing by sheep and horses and burning off was stopped. In the 1950s cattle were excluded from the highest summits including Mounts Bogong,
Grazing in the Australian Alps Grazing once took place in many different parts of the Australian Alps, the number of sheep or cattle in an area depending on climate, terrain and the amount of food available. On the highest mountain plateaus there were permanent freehold runs where seasonal grazing of sheep and cattle took place. At lower elevations pastures were also grazed but, in summer, when these areas became dry and sparse, the high plains offered cooler temperatures and higher rainfall supporting lush native grasses and herbs. These alpine areas also provided a precious food supply for sheep and cattle in times of drought. Records show that graziers were taking sheep and cattle into and across the mountains in the early 1820s in search of new pastures which were free of drought and disease. An 1834 newspaper report mentioned cattle at Gibson’s Plains (Kiandra) and some families claim that their forebears were in the area in the 1820s. Some graziers came to depend on public land for summer grazing. In the first half of the 1900s it was a common practice to burn to encourage new growth of grass shoots. As a result, frequent burning became an important part of grazing in many parts of the high country, particularly where sheep were grazed. The history of high country grazing In the early days governments encouraged graziers to use the high country to feed their cattle and sheep, with sheep being grazed much more extensively in NSW than in Victoria. Governments in Victoria and New South Wales introduced a system of annual licences, giving graziers the right to graze an area of alpine pasture. The early leases and licences did not limit stock numbers or the grazing season, which often led to extensive overgrazing of the land. The gold discoveries of the 1850s and 1860s paved the way for closer pastoral settlement in the Alps. Many former miners took up small grazing selections in the narrow valleys and timbered foothills. The lowland selections were eventually converted to freehold ownership. The higher country remained public land, but it was divided into large blocks for seasonal grazing under either a licence or a lease system. Unlike Kosciuszko National Park, where grazing was removed from the high country by 1958, grazing in the Victorian Alps was withdrawn only from specific parts of the Alps. In the 1940s, withdrawals occurred in response to the degraded condition of some of the most sensitive areas. As a result, grazing by sheep and horses and burning off was stopped. In the 1950s cattle were excluded from the highest summits including Mounts Bogong,
grazing.docx