In 1834 the Henty brothers arrived at Portland Bay in western Victoria after crossing Bass Strait from Tasmania. The approach of the Henty's occupation and utilisation of land was within the British tradition of exploiting land to its maximum extent. For instance, in order for the British Crown to accept the 'legality' of a squatter's claim to Indigenous land it had to be 'occupied with sheep grazed in flocks from 500 to 1,000 head, each flock in the care of a shepherd'.
(L.P. Peel, 'The First Hundred Years of Agricultural Development in Western Victoria', in O'Brien and Douglas (eds.) Natural History of Victoria, 1974.

Such policies and practices had an immediate and negative impact on the Aboriginal communities of the western district.The British hunger for land lead to widespread violence against Aboriginal communities, which in turn resulted in reprisals and acts of resistance from Aboriginal people.

Monday, 29 March 1841

At Thomson's shepherd's hut Mr Thomson shewed me a double barrell gun having a brass plate inlade in the stock, and an inscript "presented by the settlers of the Geelong district [blank] for his bravery in beating off a tribe of natives." A pretty encouragement, thought I, for the men to shoot natives.

Monday, 5 April, 1841

On my way was met by Mr Thomson who was watching his sheep. He said he had lost 28 sheep and had supposed the natives had stolen them….(Thursday, 8 April, 1841), tonight natives went to Thomson's sheep fold and was detected by overseer Wells who fired at them and they made off.