28 WATER SUPPLY FOR DOMESTIC USE. 



of the inhabitants. That nature's omission in this respect can, 

 to a great extent, be remedied, is self-evident, and the benefits 

 to the whole community that would accrue from a national 

 undertaking for the purpose of storing water on a large scale 

 throughout the country, would be soon apparent in a more 

 equable climate with a more reliable rainfall, instead of the 

 present condition of wet seasons followed by prolonged 

 droughts." Action has certainly been taken in this direction, 

 and artesian wells have been bored, and tanks and dams have 

 been constructed by the Government since my writing the above, 

 and a large number of private bores have also been put down ; 

 but, in m}' opinion, in addition to this work, efforts should have 

 been made to fill dry lakes and lagoons. This, no doubt, could in 

 many cases have been accomplished without much difficulty or 

 cost, by cutting canals from adjacent watercourses, which, when 

 in flood, would have filled the dry lakes and lagoons, thus estab- 

 lishing large bodies of permanent water. The Hon. James 

 Tyson, in or about the year 1864, constructed a canal from the 

 Lachlan Kiver to a dry lake some 40 or 50 miles distant, and 

 thereby secured a magnificent sheet of water, on the banks of 

 which he built his head station. I am not aware that his example 

 has been followed by others in this respect, but I trust that 

 while the construction of dams and tanks, and boring for artesian 

 water will be continued by the Government, attention will be 

 also directed to the conservation of flood waters in the manner 

 indicated. The Hydraulic Engineer, in his able Keportfor 1893, 

 gives many interesting particulars concerning Water Supply for 

 that year ; but it is evident that that Department of the Public 

 Service has suffered severely from the policy of retrenchment 

 which it has been found necessary to adopt. This is a matter 

 for deep regret considering the importance of the subject of Water 

 Supply, and I sincerely trust that in the near future the Govern- 

 ment will see their way not only to restore the Department to 

 its old condition of efficiency, but to very materially increase it. 



Sources of Water Supply. 



From the rainfall is derived the sources of all water supply — 



which comprise rivers, streams, lakes, reservoirs, wells and 



tanks. Continual evaporation is going on from the surface of 



the land and sea, which descends in the form of rain, dew and 



