Tenant farmers? Who'd have thought? And then we wonder why the master servant mindset, is alive and well in stodgy non progressive conservative circles and their love affair with old relics?

The news is dire! Perhaps if we just all ignore it it'll go away, or retreat like arctic ice? In the interim, if you've got to bury the head somewhere? Why not the vainglorious past?
Alan B.

Hey Al...

Chinese and homosexuals are the new enemy. The past is long dead!

If the past is long dead D.D, why are you at war with folk never ever given a choice over their God given sexual orientation or their race!

Anyhow, it's a waste of time! Go back to what you were doing? Albeit with the eyes closed, your fingers jammed in your ears, while you sing none shall pass, none shall pass, at the top of your voice!

Let not the occassional stray fact get by and disturb or confound your ill-directed blatant bigotry!?
Alan B.

Al
Sadly they've raised their head as a political force, along with the underhanded Chinese. Donald Trump has a big job in front of him!

They had to raise their heads D.D. and become political force or remain eternal doormats for the abysmally (bull queer) ignorant!

As usual, the errant homophobes, with medieval belief and practice, dragged through the ages, from a distant stone age past, when their world was flat; resent the hell out of the fact, that their preferred (bull queer) blood sport is over and they will be held to account in the future! And peacefully, via the ballot box!

Me, I'd opt for the assistance of Mr Smith, Mr Wesson or Mr colt, and a full clip of rubber ammo emptied at the liver or testes of homophobic (bull queer) activists!

Don't worry, Ben Dover, is not going to visit nor require you to participate, get that into yer, wrap your laughing gear around that, nor marry a fella! You're safe!

Nothing much will change for you, or your errant ilk! None of your rights will diminish, except those you have purloined for yourself, illegally?

Bring on the next election!
Alan B.

Alan B.,

I didn't use the term 'tenant farmers'. These people were share farmers, many of whom purchased their blocks.

good and then use it to allow subtitles for your streams and also films. http://koditvguide.com obtain online TELEVISION in your media center nice.

Don Aitkin,

Nice little article
.
I did some study at UNE and my wife has two degrees through UNE as well.

I visit the excellent library occasionally and have a bite or two at the cafe.

Pity that your article attracted the dingbats.

Yes Ismise I second your opinion.
I found the article VERY interesting.
It was probably one of those type of houses that was used in the TV
program A Place to Call Home.

The share farming system has been common all over Australia. Share farmers are not necessarily poorer than the farmer whose crop they put in and reap: they often are the people with the right sort of gear to do the job, which the farmer-owner may not have.

Some Aboriginal missions and government settlements, and now of course community-controlled councils, have continued the system, sometimes going back into the nineteenth century: a Mission might be allocated a large area of land, say twenty thousand acres, but doesn't have the machinery to work it, so it share-farms, taking the proceeds of half the crop. Considering that all the labour is put in by the share-farmer, it's not a bad deal for both parties.

Joe

A very nice article, thank you, Don.

I don't understand why it draws some of the odd comments here.

Some amazing individuals deserve articles like yours to remind us of their legacies. It's sad that we cannot all agree about that, it seems.