The Young Berringtons: The Boy Explorers

Two spirited brothers, Harry and Paul Berrington, are busy preparing their Queensland homestead for the arrival of a group of polished English cousins. The boys—clad in red serge shirts, sturdy boots and wide‑brimmed cabbage‑tree hats—talk about the newcomers’ fine clothes, butlers and city comforts, wondering whether they’ll adapt to life in the bush. Their conversation hints at a clash of worlds, as the colonists imagine the English youths trying their hand at cattle rounds, horse riding and the rough chores of frontier living.

The Berringtons’ house sits on the banks of the Burnett River, a solid timber homestead surrounded by cornfields, orchards and a tidy garden, with a verandah that circles the entire structure. Early one morning, after a hurried breakfast, the brothers set out on a light‑hearted expedition to track down “Old Bolter,” a missing horse that has slipped away into the scrub. Their search promises the kind of mischief and discovery that will test the newcomers’ resolve and give the young explorers a taste of true colonial adventure.