380 PROCEEDINGS OF SECTION E. 



No, the reason for its non-occupancy is far behind and beyond 

 all the reasons given hitherto. It dates back to the days of Pope 

 Alexander. Had it not been for Pope Alexander's line of demarca- 

 tion Port Darwin might have become the front door and capital 

 of Australia, and, facing as it does the greatest population of the 

 globe, the question of Australian naval bases would have been 

 settled for all time. 



Some years ago I suggested in an article to be published in a 

 leading Sydney magazine that the naval bases of Australia should 

 be at three different points, or one of three different points, namely, 

 Port Darwin, Cairns, and Port Curtis. My article was refused 

 because at the time the proprietors of that magazine were following 

 the narrow views that pre-emptive rights suggest the booming 

 of Sydney " as the most suitable place." 



Now, however, I am glad to see that the Sydney press, which 

 also held peculiarly parochial views, have altered them. I am 

 also pleased to notice that my views coincide with those of Admiral 

 Henderson, and hope that no narrow spirit will be allowed to 

 interfere with what should be decided on this all-important point. 



But with regard to pre-emptive rights, I wish to show how it came 

 to pass that the Northern Territory has been so neglected. A 

 few years ago it was called Alexandra Land — not in honour of 

 Pope Alexander, that was only a coincidence — but simply because 

 there was a difficulty in finding a name for it, and some one sug- 

 gested the name of Queen Alexandra. 



Let us go back to the year 1834. At that time the Territory 

 was known as " No Man's Land," and extended from the Bay that 

 became known as Port Darwin to the Great Australian Bight. You 

 will notice (see map No. 2) that South Australia had not reached 

 across the gap, and although the Swan River Settlement only 

 occupied a small portion of Western Australia, the Territory then 

 known by the latter name extended as far as the 129th Meridian — 

 whereas New South Wales extended from north to south, Queens- 

 land and Victoria being unknown quantities. 



(Map No. 3.) Now, going farther back into the misty past, 

 let us say to the year 1825, the Australian Territory is limited to 

 New South Wales and Van Diemen's Land. What is now Western 

 Australia was New Holland, and, presumably, belonged to the 

 Dutch, but the vast empty space, the No Man's Land, divided the 

 Dutch area from the New South Welshmen's. Nobody wanted it 

 apparently. 



In the year 1788, when New South Wales was settled, and in 

 1770, just after Cook's voyage, the features are the same, with the 

 exception that Van Diemen's Land was joined to New South Wales. 

 Bass had not yet discovered the Straits. 



