THE age of the heritage-listed “chock and log” fence beside the Sunraysia Highway north of Avoca near Stuart Mill is uncertain.
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The system utilising support “chocks” at right angles to the log lengths as shown in the photograph was commonly used in the early days of settlement in central Victoria.
Squatter’s home paddocks were usually log-fenced to constrain bullocks and horses, while their sheep flocks grazed over many hundreds of square kilometres of unfenced land guarded by shepherds.
Shortly after the 1851 discovery of gold a scarcity of labour caused wages to rise significantly and by the 1860s squatters found it cheaper to build fences than pay shepherds. Where a handy supply of straight logs was available, the “chock and log” fence proved very firm and stable without requiring splitting or fastening.
Notched chocks at right angles to the intended fence line were laid upon the ground spaced at the required distance.
A log was bedded into the notches of either chock.
With the addition of more logs, another chock was added and the process repeated.
With three chocks in place a fence height of about 1400 mm was achieved.
An early contract specified that logs were to be 12 foot (3600mm) long by 7 inches (130mm) at the small end and required bedding on the chocks with 6 inches (150mm) overlap. The lower logs were to be 7 inches off the ground with the chocks 3 feet (900mm)long and 9 inches (230 mm) thick.
The bark was not to be included in the measurements of either chock or log.
The introduction of fencing wire soon changed livestock constraining methods in Victoria.
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