This is one of a small series placed for you to imagine times before this area was mapped and the ‘Cattle Track’ was a stock route through the bush as early as the 1850’s. This cache can be enjoyed by walking or riding a circuit but there is room to park off the Big Hill Road close to the cache, but watch out for mountain bikers! Please replace the cache as you found it for others to enjoy.
SOME BACKGROUND
The predominant cattle of early squatters was Shorthorn but later cattlemen of the North East found that Hereford could withstand the cold better. It's likely a zillion gourmet hamburgers have been made courtesy of their good breeding since then! By the 1850’s, Tawonga Station was established with records showing an initial 20,000 acres, and amongst others, in 1869 John Ryder selected land in Tawonga. While no official records are held unofficial grazing occurred prior to the 1870’s when more pressure to open up the land and find grazing in the High Country resulted in the 1884 Land Act and the High Country was classified into small pastoral allotments and grazing blocks. Familiar names of Hollands, Ryders, Coopers and Hicks, would take cattle up the Fainter Spur along this cattle track cattle until grazing in the Alpine National Park was finally phased out after 2003 bushfires.