Small farmers in Australia during the second half of the 19th century. By the 1850s, squatters had acquired much of the best agricultural land. Increasing demands were made, especially by those who had come during the gold rushes of the 1850s, for remaining land to be made available for small farms, at low cost. Selection before survey (hence the name “selectors”) was introduced in all of the colonies between 1858 and 1872. Factors causing the failure of many selectors included the unsuitability of much Australian land for agriculture, lack of capital, and opposition from squatters.