22. The term squatter changed from a derogatory description to a laudatory
When the First Fleet arrived in Australia all of the lands to be colonized belonged to the British Crown. Grants of land to settlers were made by the Royal Governor, an appointee of the Crown. As subsequent colonies were authorized, they too consisted of lands owned by the Crown, controlled by Royal Governors. Lands which were occupied by settlers, especially pastoral lands, without title to the land led to the settlers being called squatters. The practice grew as the colonies grew, with large tracts occupied, or used, without title. Eventually, squatters gained title to the lands through unchallenged occupation or use.
Some squatters gained control and eventual ownership of large estates, becoming among the wealthiest in the colonies. By the mid-1830s the negative connotations of the word shifted to referring to one of the higher classes, in terms of wealth and social status. In the mid-19th century, government authorities began licensing and regulating squatters on Crown land. The growing number of wealthy (and thus politically influential) squatters led to them being called as a class the squattocracy. Arguably the most famous of all Australian songs, Waltzing Matilda, referred to a squatter, and the term remains in use as a description of a large landowner, especially in rural areas.