Seeking a destiny in land : the contribution of Scottish settlers to the social development of the Omeo region

This thesis explores the contribution of Scottish selectors to the social development of the Omeo region of remote eastern Victoria, Australia, during the period 1875 to 1900, drawing on the experiences of people with familial connection to the McCoy family. These people were mostly agricultural labourers, prevented from land ownership in Scotland, and handloom weavers whose skills had been lost to the industrial revolution. Their lives had been changed by economic circumstances in Scotland, and by taking advantage of the Victorian Selection Acts, they achieved economic security while contributing to the development of the area. This thesis positions land as central to the economic and social development of this area. It was a remote, geographically isolated area where communication and climate challenges had defeated many. Using a documentary historical methodology, it examines the impact of each wave of Europeans, explorers, squatters, miners, and selectors on the land, with the corresponding dispossession of Aboriginal people, revealing the agency of those Aboriginal people in their responses, as well as the resilience of the settlers. Land records and demographic data have been used extensively to chart the land holdings and businesses of selected Scottish family members, positioning their place in the developing society, as community centres and activities flourished in response to a secure and growing population. As part of the Scottish diaspora in Australia, it highlights some of the qualities they brought with them to their new environment; it demonstrates the resilience people could bring to challenging circumstances; and it reveals the wealth of creative opportunities that grew and were encouraged, when limited communication to the outside world demanded a call on their own resources. The study also uncovers questions for further research, amongst them: a more detailed investigation of the role of newspapers, which are the primary source of historical information available; and the role played by women in building and supporting families even through crises, and whose records are buried in personal family records or diminished in newspaper stories.Doctor of Philosoph