Squatting (Australian history): Difference between revisions

In the [[history of Australia]], '''squatting''' was the act of extrajudicially occupying tracts of [[Crown land]], typically to graze [[livestock]]. Though most squatters initially held no legal rights to the land they occupied, the majority were gradually recognised by successive colonial authorities as the legitimate owners of the land due to being among the first (and often only) white settlers in their area. Eventually, theThe term '''''squattocracy''''', a play on [[aristocracy]], was coined to refer to squatters as a [[social class]] and the immense sociopolitical power they possessed.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |date=2016-02-12 |title=Squattocracy |url=https://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/stories/australian-agricultural-and-rural-life/squattocracy |access-date=2022-10-11 |website=State Library of NSW}} {{CC-notice|cc=by4}}</ref>