Introduction
Settling on the Land is one of Henry Lawson’s most incisive examinations of Australian bush life, exposing the gap between romanticized settlement rhetoric and the brutal reality faced by selectors. This study guide helps readers understand the story’s structure, themes, characters, and historical context, offering a clear path into Lawson’s satirical yet compassionate portrayal of rural hardship.
Plot Overview
The story follows Tom Hopkins, a city tradesman who abandons urban life to pursue the dream of becoming a successful land selector. Encouraged by nationalistic slogans about “getting people on the land,” Tom chooses a parcel at Dry Hole Creek and begins clearing it with optimism. What follows is a relentless sequence of misfortunes: impossible tree stumps, hostile neighbors, livestock disease, floods, false accusations, and bureaucratic betrayal. The story ends with Tom in an asylum, reflecting on the irony that he wasn’t declared insane before he attempted settlement.
Characters
- Tom Hopkins: A well‑meaning, hardworking man whose optimism is slowly crushed by environmental, social, and institutional forces.
- The Squatter: A powerful antagonist who uses intimidation, sabotage, and legal manipulation to undermine Tom’s efforts.
- Jacob: A German neighbor whose advice is well‑intentioned but often disastrous.
- Tom’s Wife: A brief presence who ultimately abandons him, symbolizing the collapse of domestic stability.
Major Themes
- The Myth of the Bush Ideal Lawson dismantles the patriotic fantasy that rural settlement is noble, simple, or inherently rewarding.
- Environmental Hostility The land itself becomes a character — stubborn, unforgiving, and indifferent to human ambition.
- Class Conflict The squatter-selector divide reveals the structural inequalities embedded in colonial land policy.
- Psychological Erosion Tom’s gradual breakdown illustrates how prolonged adversity can distort identity and hope.
Historical Context
The story reflects the late‑19th‑century land selection system, which encouraged small settlers to take up plots often unsuitable for agriculture. Squatters, who already controlled vast holdings, frequently resisted these newcomers through legal and extralegal means. Lawson’s story captures this tension with documentary precision.
Study Questions
- How does Lawson use humor to intensify, rather than soften, the tragedy?
- In what ways does the environment function as an antagonist?
- How does the story critique government policy?
- What does Tom’s final fate suggest about the psychological cost of rural settlement?
Conclusion
This story remains a powerful critique of national mythmaking. Understanding its themes and context deepens appreciation for Lawson’s realism and the human cost behind Australia’s pastoral narratives.