MINING AND GEOLOGY IN AUSTRALASIA. 297 



such as shell, lime, and sand for mortar, and to those who now know 

 Sydney it will be no secret that suitable building stone would not be 

 far to seek. These, however, would be of little commercial importance 

 at that time, although at the date of your former meeting in Queens- 

 land other minerals, including valuable metals, had been discovered 

 and worked, which had been the means of drawing tens of thousands 

 of people to her shores, and of adding millions sterling to her wealth. 



It is unnecessary here, however, to do more than mention a few 

 items. Coal had been worked almost from the inception of the colony, 

 and gold was first found in that State. Its presence there had been 

 known, geologically speaking, for many years, but it was only during 

 the year 1851 that it was found to be in quantities industrially and 

 commercially payable, and its discovery became an engrossing pursuit, 

 and thence to the close of 1893, the latest for which returns were then 

 available, it had yielded gold to the value of nearly forty millions ; 

 coal, shale, and coke to the value of more than thirty millions. The 

 coke is usually included in the statistical tables, but more properly 

 is a manufactured article, or residue from the coal. Silver was dis- 

 covered in the early seventies, although not largely worked until 

 1884, but at the time of your meeting here had contributed nearly 

 seventeen millions to the wealth of the State. The presence of tin 

 was discovered in 1872, and by the time of your last assembling here, 

 the smelted and extracted silver and ore had yielded to the skill 

 of the geologists and the efforts of the workmen upwards of ten 

 millions sterling worth of that metal. Copper, discovered in 1858, 

 or seven years aft^r the discoveiy of gold, had yielded six and a 

 quarter millions. The value of iron, manufactured chiefly from scrap, 

 otherwise waste, together with a little oxide of iron, and pig iron 

 (although the pig could scarcely be raw material from the mine, but, 

 like fcoke, more properly belongs to manufactures) is given as 

 .£4:25,999. So that the total production of the State at the close of 

 1893 amounted to £104,280,711, and this will form matter for 

 comparison with the general progress of the State during the two 

 periods of seven years each following. The first terminates with the 

 commencement of our union as a Commonwealth, and the second with 

 the year 1907, the latest to which we now can have the complete 

 returns of mineral production. In addition to the mineral products 

 mentioned, antimony, zinc, bismuth, limestone, alunite, manganese, 

 opal, marble, cobalt, nickel, platinum, chromium, wolfram, diamonds, 

 and vai'ious other minerals, many of which are of great value within 

 the State, such as building stone, slate, and the like have been dis- 

 covered, but for which no credit is taken except for what has been 

 exported. 



Victoria. — It is needless to say that gold was discovered in 

 Victoria almost immediately after its discovery in New South Wales, 

 and that its production soon eclipsed that of the parent colony, and 

 up to the time of your previous meeting here, it may briefly be 

 stated that the total value produced was £236,395,959. Gold yielded 

 £235,090,220, and copper, tin, coal, lignite, iron, antimony, zinc, and 

 other minerals, £1,305,739. These are mentioned to show how the 

 presence of gold assists in the discoveiy and stimulates the working 

 of other minerals, which othenvise might be left undisturbed and un- 

 discovered. But an excellent beginninfr has been made on them. 



