'Stockman', The Australian Sketchbook, by ST Gill, 1865. National Museum of Australia.
From the late 18th century, European settlers, together with their sheep, cattle and horses, spread inland across the Australian continent, occupying tracts of grazing land.
On pastoral stations, horses became indispensable for moving flocks and herds across open country, mustering animals for shearing or slaughter, patrolling property boundaries and recovering lost or stolen livestock.
By the late 19th century, the hard-riding, whip-cracking stockman – and his tough bush horse – had become a symbol of national identity.