Historical background

Santa Cruz is the southernmost province of mainland Argentina. Although occupying a large expanse of territory (some 240,000 sq. km.), the land is of limited agricultural value compared to the region around the River Plate estuary. Economic development on a significant scale began in the 1880s, as sheep ranches were created on the coastal grasslands. High wool prices favoured settlement, similar to that along the Strait of Magellan, in neighbouring Chile.

By 1924, when «La Patagonia Argentina» was published, the earlier wool-export boom had consolidated, and practically all useable land between the Atlantic and the Andes had been occupied. The text reflects pride in the early settlers who took great risks under primitive conditions, and in what they had accomplished so quickly. The main author, Correa Falcón, was a prominent figure in the local establishment, including the Sociedad Rural and the Liga Patriótica Argentina.

About the book

The book was apparently a limited edition: its paper is of high quality, the type is clear, and there are many unique, well-presented contemporary photographs. The language is Spanish, with a few sections of the original text repeated in English.

This web edition has been transcribed from the original text, presenting specifically those materials dealing with the early settlers and sheep ranches. Additional indexes have been created for the viewer's convenience. We hope to complete this project in future.

Many thanks to Chris and Mabel Kennard for sharing their copy of the book, and to Silvia Mirelman for facilitating the copying process.

Duncan Campbell
April 2005

Technical Note: All photographs in the "ranches" section are available as larger format "popups": simply click the small images located on the right-hand side of the page.

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