At the end of 1835, the British government changed its policy on settlement in eastern Australia. People were allowed to use large areas of the country for sheep farming. If people paid a £10 fee, they could settle wherever they liked. These farmers became known as "squatters", as they "sat" on the land, which they did not own. The effect of this new policy meant that between 1835 and 1838, more land was settled than had been since 1788. It has been described as the fastest land occupation in history. By 1849, just 1019 squatters had taken over 17.7 million hectares of land.