8 7 0 ▁cattle ▁drive ▁was ▁a ▁major ▁story ▁arc ▁in ▁the ▁book . ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁Henry ▁Arthur ▁Read ford ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁December ▁ 1 8 4 1 ▁near ▁M ud ge e ▁in ▁the ▁C ud geg ong ▁District ▁of ▁New ▁South ▁Wales ▁to ▁a ▁respect able ▁family . ▁Little ▁is ▁known ▁of ▁his ▁early ▁life . ▁He ▁originally ▁operated ▁locally , ▁but ▁later ▁moved ▁to ▁Queensland ▁where ▁there ▁were ▁more ▁opportun ities ▁for ▁rust ling . ▁ ▁Bow en ▁Down s ▁Station ▁In ▁ 1 8 7 0 , ▁Read ford ▁was ▁working ▁as ▁a ▁stock man ▁on ▁Bow en ▁Down s ▁Station ▁near ▁Long re ach ▁in ▁Queensland . ▁Re alis ing ▁that ▁remote ▁parts ▁of ▁the ▁property , ▁which ▁stretch ed ▁some ▁ ▁along ▁the ▁Thom son ▁River , ▁were ▁s eld om ▁visited ▁by ▁station ▁workers , ▁he ▁de vised ▁a ▁plan ▁to ▁ste al ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁station ' s ▁cattle . ▁ ▁With ▁two ▁associ ates , ▁George ▁D ew d ney ▁and ▁William ▁Ro oke , ▁he ▁built ▁stock y ards ▁in ▁an ▁out lying ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁property , ▁and ▁gradually ▁assemble d ▁a ▁mob ▁of ▁about ▁ 1 , 0 0 0 ▁cattle , ▁which ▁he ▁then ▁took ▁from ▁the ▁property , ▁all ▁without ▁any ▁of ▁the ▁station ▁workers ▁real izing ▁what ▁was ▁going ▁on . ▁ ▁Read ford ▁knew ▁the ▁cattle ▁would ▁be ▁recogn ised ▁from ▁their ▁br ands ▁as ▁being ▁st olen ▁if ▁he ▁tried ▁to ▁sell ▁them ▁in