Territory is Australia's new western family drama on Netflix and introduces viewers to the process known as a "muster."
The Netflix series has been compared to other major titles like Succession and Yellowstone thanks to the complex family tree that drives the drama in Territory. Each character hopes for a shot at the top job at Marianne Station.
The fictional cattle ranch is set in the heart of the Australian outback, and the series depicts many of the actual processes that farmers experience.
What Is a Muster in Netflix's Territory?
As Territory is set on a fictional cattle station, it makes sense that portions of the show portray some of the real tasks that take place on outback farms.
One is known in Australia and New Zealand as a muster and is depicted in Territory's first episode.
In the episode, the characters are seen herding a large number of cattle across the property to a new location. The job is an all-hands-on-deck process, with dogs, quad-bikes, horses, and even helicopters involved to ensure that no livestock goes astray during the muster.
A muster can be undertaken for a variety of reasons. Sometimes, it is done to check the welfare of the animals or to brand or shear them. Other times, it is simply necessary to move the livestock to a new location for different seasons of the year.
The process is similar to a roundup in North America. In Territory, the group can be seen herding cows, but a muster can also apply to gathering groups of sheep, horses, goats, or any livestock on a farm.
At one point in Territory's first episode, a "cleanskin" can be seen impeding the herd. This is a term for a wild or unmarked bull that can divide the herd and cause problems for the muster.
As seen in the show, stockmen typically use a bull-catcher, a vehicle with a mechanical arm attached to its side, to drive up beside the animal and hold it captive to the side of the vehicle until the herd has passed. Anna Torv's character, Emily, undertakes this task in the TV show.
How Territory Explores Australia's Top End
Territory is a high-stakes Western drama series set on the fictional Marianne Station, aka the largest cattle station in the world (inspired by the real-life Anna Creek Station).
The Lawson family owns and runs the station, but when the head of the family dies, all his relatives vie for his spot.
There are enemies and allies from all sides in Territory, including not just scheming family members but rival cattle stations, mining billionaires, and outback gangs, all of whom will go to great lengths for a shot at the Lawson family's fortune.
As noted with the muster, Territory sets its story in the harsh realities of Australia's Top End but also brings plenty of fictional drama to the table, making the series quite a ride from start to finish.
Territory is streaming on Netflix.
