70 



AUSTEALIA AND NEW ZEALAND. 



AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND. 



The area and population of the British colonies 

 in Australia and of New Zealand were, accord- 

 ing to the latest official accounts, as follows : 



Not included in the figures given above for 

 the population of the several colonies are the 

 natives, whose number is rapidly decreasing. In 

 Victoria they numbered about 5,000 when the 

 colony was first settled ; in 1851, their number 

 was reported as 2,693; in 1863, as 1,908; in 



1873, as 859516 males and 343 females. In 

 South Australia they numbered, in 1871, 3,369 ; 

 in Tasmania, one; in Queensland, 2,235. The 

 natives of New Zealand, or Maories, consist of 

 18 tribes, numbering about 36,359. By the 

 census of 1864, they numbered 55,97031,667 

 males, 24,303 females. They are represented 

 in the Legislature of New Zealand by four mem- 

 bers. The colonial " Blue-Book," issued in 



1874, contains a dispatch from the Governor 

 of New Zealand, Sir J. Ferguson, addressed to 

 the Earl of Carnarvon, in which the author 

 states that of late there had been decided in- 

 dications of a desire on the part of the " Hau- 

 hau " party among the Maories to put an end. 

 to their estrangement from the Government, 

 and that they and their people may share in 

 the advantages which the loyal tribes enjoy. 

 A loyal chief of the Waikato has twice waited 

 upon the Governor and declared his belief in 

 the willingness of the separated tribes to come 

 under subjection, provided they are permitted 

 to manage their own affairs under their own 

 chiefs ; upon which basis they would be ready 

 to permit communications through their dis- 

 tricts, and provide for the surrender of crim- 

 inals. It remained to be seen whether the 

 "Hau-hau" chiefs are really disposed to sur- 

 render their independence, a step which would 

 be distasteful to many of their followers. The 

 Governor goes on to say : " With the exception 

 of the danger of incursions of some turbulent 

 members across the boundary, against which 

 due precautions are taken, there is no disturb- 

 ing element in connection with the native pop- 

 ulation. Europeans are constantly becoming 

 more intermixed with them, and they are more 

 habituated to, and dependent upon, the com- 

 forts of European products, and the money de- 

 rived by the sale or lease of their land. There 

 is, however, much cause for regret in the de- 

 moralizing influences which invariably accom- 

 pany the influx of Europeans. Few natives of 

 any class can resist the temptation to drink 

 habitually and to excess while they have the 

 means of indulging in it. There are chiefs who 



set an example of sobriety or total abstinence, 

 but it cannot be doubted that the frequent ex- 

 cess in ardent and often bad spirits by both sexes, 

 and their inordinate use of tobacco from a very 

 early age, are prominent causes of the rapid 

 and almost general diminution of the numbers 

 of this fine and capable race, which is presented 

 alike by the paucity of the births and the mor- 

 tality among the children, rather than among 

 the infants. At the same time there is reason 

 to hope that a remnant will be saved, and that 

 the considerable number of children receiving 

 instruction upon the English system in our 

 schools may raise up a certain number so edu- 

 cated as to resist the temptations which have 

 proved fatal to so many. The full capacity 

 both of Maories and half-castes to acquire and 

 employ all branches of knowledge induces the 

 belief that there will long survive in New Zea- 

 land representatives of the Maori race." The 

 Governor adds : " I wish that some systematic 

 effort were made to fit the children of chiefs, 

 by higher education, for their proper work 

 among their people, and even for taking a part 

 in the future government and business of the 

 country. In spite of the comparative failure 

 of some former attempts, I hope, through pri- 

 vate association, if not by the action of the 

 Government, to set on foot some definite or- 

 ganization for this purpose." 



The colonies, being independent of each 

 other, each colony has its own educational sys- 

 tem. That of New South Wales consists of 

 primary schools, the grammar-school, and the 

 university. The former exist all over the colo- 

 ny. The grammar-school is intended partly as a 

 preparatory step to the university. It has ten 

 teachers, 237 pupils, and several scholarships of 

 the yearly value of 20, open to all pupils be- 

 low twelve. Th University of Sydney employs 

 five tutors to forty-five students. The course 

 of instruction is somewhat similar to that of 

 English colleges. Affiliated with it are two col- 

 leges, St. Paul's, Anglican, one tutor and five 

 students ; and St. John's, Roman Catholic, two 

 teachers to one and nine to the other. In con- 

 nection with it there are also several public and 

 "In Memoriam" scholarships of the annual 

 value of 50, which are awarded to successful 

 candidates. The University is presided over 

 by a chancellor, the government being in the 

 hands of a senate. The total number of schools, 

 in 1872, was reported as 1,464, with 106,691 

 pupils. Of these schools, 878 were under the 

 Council of Education ; the number of denomi- 

 national -schools, under the board, was 223, of 

 which 104 belong to the Church of England, 

 86 to the Roman Catholics, 18 to the Pres- 

 byterians, 14 to the Wesley ans, and one to the 

 Jews. The Government, in 1871, contributed 

 to the support of the educational institutions 

 143,198, and 56,019 was received in the 

 shape of fees and voluntary contributions. 



In Victoria, the number of day-schools, in- 

 cluding state schools, private educational estab- 

 lishments, colleges, and grammar-schools, was 



