26 president's address. 



were sending out artesian water at an estimated yield of over 

 77,000,000 gallons per day, the deepest bore being 4,086 feet, with 

 a flow of 745,200 gallons a day. 



Artesian water is now found beneath a very large area in Cen- 

 tral Queensland ; and, in similar country in New South Wales, it is 

 estimated to extend under 83,000 square miles. 



Quite recently another area containing artesian supplies, in a 

 different geological formation, has been tapped in Western Aus- 

 tralia, so that the artesian basin of the dry lands may extend over 

 a very large area yet to be proved. 



By the discovery of these great underground reservoirs, most 

 wonderful changes have been wrought. In country where stock 

 and stockmen struggled, and often perished for want of water, 

 artesian supplies tapped, it may be, 3,000 feet below, shoot up 

 above the top of the bore-pipes in a glittering fountain, spreading 

 round into the neighbouring lagoon a bountiful supply for all. 



In 1881, I saw 300 head of fat cattle stampede for want of 

 water, between the Saxby and the Flinders Rivers, and these died 

 along the back track, where now there are several fine bores. In 

 the same district, between Taldora and Cambridge Downs, on the 

 mail route to Normanton, we had a waterless track for 80 miles, 

 during the midsummer months, which is now supplied with artesian 

 water. 



The alteration of forest-lands may next claim attention. With 

 the exception of the fringe along the slopes of the eastern coast of 

 Queensland and New South Wales, spreading out in Gippsland 

 and Cape Otway in Victoria, and also the south-west corner of 

 Western Australia, there is little of what we may call true forest 

 in the 2,944,600 square miles comprising Australia. There are, 

 however, large areas of scrub, and open, stunted forest-land, where 

 grass and herbage struggle for existence. Under the various Land 

 Acts which came into force in the different States, certain con- 

 ditions were generally made, allowing the leaseholders certain 

 vested rights, when they expended money in making permanent 

 improvements. Among these, one form of improvement largely 

 availed of, by the squatters, was known as ringbarking. 



