"BARREN JACK." 15 



Cod, these being transported with the overflow from the ponds 

 of Sir Terence Aubrey Murray, at Collector, this gentleman 

 having stocked his ponds from the ^lunumbidgee River. As 

 a result of this introduction, the Murray Cod became firmly 

 established in the waters of Lake George, multiplying to a 

 remarkable extent, and growing rapidly, so that a few years 

 later, and for many years, a regular fishery was carried on, 

 many tons being captured and sold. 



The successful results accruing to this fortuitous introduction 

 of ]\Iurray Cod open to our view the great possibilities of this 

 fish in its relation to our future food-supply, more especially 

 in view of the trend of recent events. During the lost few 

 years there has been a great movement in New South Wales 

 in favor of artificial conservation of water on a large scale 

 and by means of giant dams, the waters so impounded to be 

 used in irrigation for general agricultural purposes. This 

 movement has, to some extent, materialised, and there is 

 in course of construction at the present time, and at a locality 

 in southern New South Wales known as " Barren Jack," a 

 huge dam which will hold back an enormous body of water. 

 This dam is being thrown across the course of the Murrum- 

 bidgee River, at a short distance below its junction with the 

 Goodradigbee River. Though there can be little doubt that 

 this work will be more than amply paid for by the added 

 agricultural value which will be given to the hundreds of 

 square miles of fine arable land stretching away at its foot, 

 its value from a fisheries standpoint is not to be lightly passed 

 over. As the latter aspect of the case is so important, and as 

 it has not hitherto been discussed, I feel constrained to go 

 into a few details here, especially in view of the fact that it 

 is contemplated by many that other works of a somewhat 

 similar nature will be undertaken in the near future. 



It is Ccdculated that the Barren Jack Dam will impound 

 at normal levels a quantity of 33,612,671,000 cubic feet, or 

 2 10,079,193,777 J gallons of water, which will be confined in 

 a surface area of 12,784 acres. Out of this vast area there 

 will be 8,246 acres of 30 feet and less in depth. I might 



