BULLOCK TEAMS

There were bullock teams working in the Gnowangerup area carting all types of items: sandalwood and mallet bark being two.

The difference between a bullock team and a horse team:

An average bullock team would consist of 14. Bullock team was less expensive to keep them team of horses. They ate a less expensive type of chaff with a supplement of oil cake and molasses, horses ate shorter chaff with an oat supplement. Horses have to be fed and watered at least three times a day, whereas bullocks need only twice.

Horses need grooming combing and shoeing, they needed to be cared for, and hand fed. Bullocks need no grooming or shoeing, and when they are not working they are able to forage. Usually one or two bullocks will whereabouts these are the lead bullocks and the others in the team will stay close by them, making them easy to find when they are needed for work .

Margaret Walker told me she had witnessed a bullock team go down the main street of Gnowangerup.

There must have been quite a few around as a"Bullocky's Camp' is along the Gnowangerup to Ongerup/Borden road.

In our district most people used horses however there were advantages to using bullocks.

Gloria Vermaes comment: “Grandfather Will Black could drive a team of bullocks. I think that’s how they travelled from Gnowangerup to Ravensthorpe. It took ten days Mum said”.
 

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Copyright : Gordon Freegard 2023