The new Australian Western Netflix series Territory introduces a process known as “Muster” to viewers. Accordingly, fans are wondering about the meaning of Muster and what its significance in the show is. Created by Ben Davies and Timothy Lee, in this series the Lawson family engages in a fierce succession battle for ownership of Marianne Station, the world’s largest cattle station, after the family head passes away. This battle is complicated when rival families and gangsters also enter the scene.
Here is the meaning of Muster outlined in Netflix’s Territory.
What is the meaning of Muster in Netflix’s Territory?
In Netflix’s Territory, Muster is a process that sees cattle herders herd a large number of cattle across a property to a new location.
This is a pretty heavy process as it involves the combined effort of dogs, quad-bikes, horses and also helicopters. The reason all these parties are involved in herding the cattle is to prevent livestock from going astray. This process is not exclusive to just cows, but also other forms of livestock like sheep, goats, and even horses.
The show also sees stockmen use a bull-catcher for the Muster process, typically when an unmarked and wild bull poses a threat to the herd and can potentially cause it to get divided. The bull-catcher is a vehicle with a mechanical arm attached to the side. This mechanical arm is then used to hold the wild bull captive until the herd passes and successfully reaches the intended destination.
The muster is the Australian and New Zealand counterpart to North America’s roundup process.
Musters are carried out for a variety of reasons. The primary ones are to ensure an animal’s health or even shear them. However, musters are also carried out to transport cattle to a new location on account of climate and seasonal changes.
Anna Torv, Michael Dorman, Sam Corlett, Philippa Northeast, Sara Wiseman, Dan Wyllie, and Jay Ryan make up the main cast.
All six episodes of Territory are currently streaming on Netflix.