?9?3'] Williamson, Botanical Notes of a Trip fo Milduva. loi 



BOTANICAL NOTES OF A TRIP TO MILDURA. 

 By H. B. Williamson. 

 {Read before the Field Naturalists' Club of Victoria, 14th July, 191 3.) 

 Taking advantage of the Royal Agricultural Show holiday in 

 the first week of September last, I journeyed to Mildura to see 

 that famous irrigation settlement, and to note the interesting 

 vegetation of the extreme north-west of our State. I had been 

 warned that, to see Mildura at its best, I should not visit it so 

 early in the season, as the irrigation channels would not be 

 running, the vines would not be in leaf, and none of the most 

 interesting operations in connection with the fruit industry 

 would be in progress. This warning did not deter me, for 

 those things were of Httle importance to me compared with 

 the advantage of seeing the native flora at a good time, if not 

 at its best. 



Leaving Ballarat by the 8 a.m. train on Saturday, 31st 

 August, I did not arrive in Mildura (300 miles) till about 5 a.m. 

 the next day — a tedious journey of 21 hours. This included 

 some long stoppages, which to me seemed quite unnecessary. 

 The only unusual incident of the journey was the circulation 

 of handbills in the railway cars warning passengers of the 

 penalties to be incurred by taking to Mildura, in their luggage 

 or otherwise, any bananas. The reason of this precaution — 

 fear of the Mediterranean fruit-fly — was given, and one could 

 only admire the wisdom of the Fruitgrowers' Association, which 

 thoroughly believes that prevention is better and cheaper than 

 cure. 



The task of obtaining suitable board and lodging was some- 

 what difficult, good accommodation houses not being numerous. 

 As most people know, there are no hotels at Mildura. The 

 large coffee palace near the railway station, I was told, has a 

 wine bar — the only one licensed in the town. This was one 

 reason why I did not choose to stay there ; and I visited three 

 other houses before I obtained suitable accommodation. 



I was much impressed with Mildura as a town. It is really 

 a very fine, up-to-date place. The settlement is laid out in 

 square blocks, and those thoroughfares running out from the 

 Murray River are called avenues, and are named chiefly after 

 trees — " Palm " and " Pine " avenues — and some after notable 

 persons — " Deakin Avenue," for example. Across these run 

 streets numbered First, Second, Third, and so on. For utility 

 one can understand the advantages of the plan ; but it struck 

 me as being too stiff. Those who laid the plan did so just as 

 a farmer blocks put his land into square or oblong paddocks, 

 not as a city architect, who lays down the streets with pleasing 

 curves, crescents, and open spaces — squares and ovals — with 



