▁described ▁as ▁" a ▁scarcely ▁formed ▁bul lock ▁track ▁with ▁its ▁tot ter ing ▁brid ges , ▁rug ged ▁ste eps ▁and ▁tre acher ous ▁passes " ▁but ▁it ▁was ▁never theless ▁a ▁popular ▁road ▁for ▁coach es . ▁ ▁The ▁Stock ade ▁By ▁the ▁time ▁the ▁Tow r ang ▁Stock ade ▁was ▁established , ▁the ▁stock ade ▁system ▁had ▁been ▁operating ▁for ▁nearly ▁half ▁a ▁century ▁in ▁the ▁col ony ▁and ▁was ▁used ▁for ▁housing ▁work ▁gang s ▁in ▁settled ▁areas ▁and ▁along ▁major ▁roads . ▁A ▁system ▁of ▁direct ▁surve ill ance ▁was ▁used ▁to ▁disc ou rage ▁escape ▁until ▁the ▁ 1 8 2 0 s ▁when ▁the ▁sites ▁were ▁generally ▁surrounded ▁by ▁high ▁tim ber ▁pal ing ▁f ences . ▁This ▁became ▁known ▁as ▁stock ading . ▁Stock ading ▁was ▁officially ▁abandoned ▁in ▁ 1 8 3 7 ▁and ▁the ▁system ▁returned ▁to ▁direct ▁surve ill ance ▁by ▁troops , ▁although ▁pal ing ▁walls ▁were ▁known ▁to ▁exist ▁beyond ▁ 1 8 3 7 . ▁The ▁road ▁gang ▁was ▁sometimes ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁Mar ul an ▁Gang ▁after ▁the ▁town ▁being ▁established ▁between ▁the ▁Wing ello ▁and ▁Tow r ang ▁stock ades . ▁ ▁The ▁Tow r ang ▁Stock ade ▁became ▁the ▁chief ▁pen al ▁camp ▁in ▁the ▁southern ▁district ▁of ▁the ▁newly ▁founded ▁col ony ▁of ▁NS W ▁from ▁about ▁ 1 8 3 8 ▁to ▁ 1 8 4 3 ▁and ▁was ▁noted ▁for ▁its ▁har sh ▁discipline . ▁In ▁ 1 8 3 8 ▁it ▁was