Straying stock at Huskisson.

I have seen Kangaroos bouncing down the main street of Huskisson over the years, but never any straying stock. It seems by this report from the Shoalhaven Telegraph March 1930 it was a bit of a problem.

At the Clyde Shire Council meeting, on Friday, communications were received from Messrs, F.W. O’Brien and Os. Nelson, complaining of the straying stock nuisance at Huskisson, making the footpaths like stables. The last-mentioned stated that straying horses had broken five window panes in his shop. The Clerk stated -  "He had written to owners of straying stock, as a result of instructions at the previous meeting, and he had got into hot water.  Owners had read it in the papers and then phoned him, telling him what they thought of him". C.r Watt said the straying stock were undoubtedly a terrible nuisance, and suggested engaging an impounding officer at one pound a week. The Clerk said there was a difficulty in the way.  It was a long distance to drive the stock to Nowra, and some of the horses, if sold, would not pay for the cost of driving them, and it was difficult in some instances to establish proof of ownership. Cr. Kennedy remarked that it might pay council to buy the horses and shoot them. The Clerk replied that he believed it would. The engineer said that the writers had good grounds for complaint.  He had told one of them that the offenders who owned two cows could be prosecuted if he would supply the names. Cr. Kennedy mentioned the system adopted by South Shoalhaven in appointing an impounding officer periodically for a general roundup. Cr.Watt suggested using the sanitary reserve at Huskisson for detention. It was decided to advertise for applicants for the position on the lines indicated.

This arial photo of Huskisson clearly shows straying cows near Field street.

I remember the excitement as a child in the 60’s holidaying at Callala seeing the wild horses roaming the streets, we moved permanently to Callala in the early 80’s and small groups of wild horses still roamed the streets. The uneducated tourist, often made the mistake of feeding the horses and then had the problem of getting rid of them.    It’s no easy task shifting half a dozen large horses from your veranda. As time wore on and the permanent population and tourists grew, there had been a few accidents, peoples gardens and fences were being eaten and trampled,  the council made the decision to round up all the horses and remove them from the area. A sad day for the old timers and early permanent residents of Callala.