A little bit of brumby history at Ipswich Reserve:
Ipswich Reserve was in the Harrisville area in S.E. Queensland. The letter below (dated Dec 17th 1871) is from John Miller at Ipswich Reserve to his twin brother Andrew in Canada, and mentions running wild horses.
" Mungo and I have got some horses there they are wild we went after them about 4 weeks Ago we pushed them on the side of a mount- ain and as .... "

Thank you to Mrs Shirley McDonald of Ipswich for providing this little bit of history, and giving permission for this letter to be published on this web site. "Mungo" (Boyle) (refer letter) was Mrs McDonald's great grandfather. John's and Andrew's mother died in child birth, and so Mungo's parents took in John, while Andrew stayed in Canada with other relations. John Miller ended up in the Police Force.

17th 1871

Ipswich Reserve Dec.

My Dear Brother

There is nothing in this

world afords me more pleasure than sending

you these few lines across the deep blue sea

to let you know that I am well at

present and getting along as well as the

backward state of Queensland will permit.
('state' means 'condition' here, as Queensland was
a colony then & not a State)
I hope you received my last letter with my

portrait all right as I sent it away from

here about 6 months ago and have not an

answer I think it may have got lost with

the mail which was lost about a month ago

Ago we pushed them on the side of a mount-

ain and as soon as thet got sight of

us they were off like the wind over hill and

dale. I was mounted on a very bold

charger and I kept close to their heels for

about 5 miles but they got into another mount

and we had to leave them as it was getting

dark. at first a fellow feels rather timid to face

a gully about 30 feet deep and about 12 feet

wide but there is no help for it and the

horses are trained to jump and run where ever

you face them, how would you like to ride down

months ago to a young woman the name of

Margaret Beatty of good character who sends

her kindest love to you as also her portrait

so that you can see your dear Sister-in-law Mrs

John Miller, now my boy if you are not married

before this get married as you will never know

what real happinesss is till you do especially

if the weather is cold. tell Mary that I would

like to hear from her again if she can find

time to write and let me know who she got

I hope those few lines will find you all

in good health and enjoying yourselves to

your hearts content

Wishing you the compliments of the

season. I will now draw to a close be sure

and answer as soon as possible

No more at present but I remain for

ever your fond and affectionate

Brother

John Miller

Ipswich Reserve

Dec 17th 1871

off the coast of Ceylon but I hope not as I

am longing to hear from you very much as I

have give up the notion of coming back at

present - to Canada. I would like very much to

have you out here along with me as I think very

often about you but my Dear Brother I

would not like to advise any person to come

for fear they might not like the Country at

first but I think it is quite as good as Canada.

at all events I thought I could make a

living for two. So I got married about - 3

hich to and how she is getting along I

suppose you are getting ready for the shanty

again as it is getting near time now

to face the pinery again we are very busy at

present trying to keep the crops clean as

weeds are very plentiful this year but the

crops look very well as yet and I hope they

may turn out well as some of the farmers

got a little behind last year on account

of the bad crops. I wish you was here for

Christmas as there is 3 or 4 of us going away

to run wild horses off the mountains. Mungo

and I have got some horses there they are

wild we went after them about 4 weeks

the side of a hill as steep as the roof of a

house all covered with trees as fast as a

horse could spring of his feet and jump

down of a track 8 or 10 feet perpendicular.

I suppose you have not heard of the death of

the two Simon Allcorns the died about 3

months ago of fever there was only 3 weeks

between them they are the first of the

Canadians to be taken away they were

deeply lamented by all their friends and

acquaintances all the rest of the canadians

are well at present and I hope they may keep so.