60 



AUSTRALASIA. 



Western Australia, i The Constitution 

 adopted under the act of 1890 conferring respon- 

 sible government on this colony, provides that 

 part of the members of the Legislative Council 

 shall hereafter be elected. All the 15 now sitting 

 were appointed by the Governor. The Legisla- 

 tive Assembly is composed of 80 members, who 

 are elected for four years under a property quali- 

 fication, which restricts the franchise to male 

 citizens owning real estate worth 100 or paying 

 10 per annum in rent or mining royalties. Sir 

 William C. F. Robinson, the Governor, who was 

 appointed in 1889. and had held the office twice 

 before, was active in securing self-government 

 for the colony. The Cabinet in the beginning 

 of 1894 was composed as follows: Premier and 

 Treasurer, Sir John Forrest ; Colonial Secretary, 

 S. II. Parker: Attorney-General, Septimus Burt; 

 Commissioner of Lands, W. E. Marmion ; Minis- 

 ter of Public Works, H. W. Venn. 



The area of the colony is estimated at 975,920 

 square miles. The home Government has re- 

 served the right of dividing the colony. The 

 population was estimated at the end of 1892 at 

 58,674, of whom 36,095 were males and 22,579 

 females. At the end of 1893 the population had 

 risen to 61,000, and on June 30, 1894, the gold 

 discoveries having stimulated immigration, it 

 was 76,000. The number of marriages in 1892 

 was 412; of births. 1,848; of deaths, 931 : sur- 

 plus of births, 917. Perth, the capital, had 10,- 

 040 inhabitants, and Freemantle about 8,000. 



The revenue of the colony for 1892 was 

 543,889, and the expenditure' 550,616. Cus- 

 toms duties supply nearly three fifths of the 

 revenue, and railroads, the post office, and land 

 leases the remainder. 



Of a total area of 624,576,000 acres, only 161,- 

 466 were under cultivation at the end of 1892. 

 During that year 326,061 acres were alienated, 

 making a total of 5,505.208 acres held by private 

 owners. There were 1,685,500 sheep, 162,880 

 cattle, and 44,973 horses in the colony. The 

 Yilgarn gold fields cover an area of 13,000 

 square miles. Only the fringe of this territory 

 has yet been prospected. The discoveries in 

 the Coolgardie district attracted a host of adven- 

 turers, of whom many suffered privations, espe- 

 cially of water, which has not yet been stored 

 for the dry season. The Government has re- 

 solved to construct tanks at a cost of 15,000. 

 Railroad communication has been established 

 between Freemantle and Southern Cross, the 

 capital of the district, which lies 120 miles west 

 of Coolgardie. The output of gold increased 

 from 115,000 in 1891 to 421,000 in 1893, and 

 was expected to reach 1.000,000 in 1894. The 

 richest reef is the Londonderry mine, discovered 

 in May, 1894, about 11 miles from Coolgardie, 

 where the outcropping quartz contains one tenth 

 of its weight in gold.' Scarcity of work in the 

 cities has stimulated the search for gold and 

 caused a revival of gold mining throughout 

 Australia. The ores of Coolgurdie proved rich 

 enough to be profitably worked with a dolly or 

 hand crushing machine. For transportation 

 through the desert many camels were imported, 

 and the example of the Afghan drivers who 

 came with them led to an influx of their coun- 

 trymen, many of whom are employed in the 

 mines, as they work for less wages than white 



laborers. Some of them staked out claims, but 

 these were disallowed by the Premier, who de- 

 clared that the privileges of mining were re- 

 served for white men. 



The value of imports in 1892 was 1,391,109, 

 and of exports 882,148. The chief exports 

 were: Wool, 320,703; gold. 226.284; pearl 

 shell, 79,259; timber, 78,419: sandalwood, 

 42,870 ; pearls, 40,000 ; skins, 36,657. 



During 1892 the number of vessels entered 

 was 356, of 572,090 tons ; cleared, 320, of 552,475 

 tons. There were 651 miles of completed rail- 

 ways and 468 miles building at the end of 1892. 

 The telegraphs had a total length of 3,288 miles, 

 with 4.013 miles of wire. The number of dis- 

 patches was 251,247 for 1892. The post office 

 handled 4,998,975 letters, 92,307 registered letters, 

 4,205,329 newspapers, and 1,013,735 packets. 



The growth of population and probable pros- 

 perity incident to the gold discoveries has led 

 the Government to seek a loan of 1.500,000,. to 

 be employed in public improvements, notably 

 the extension of the railroad system from South- 

 ern Cross to Coolgardie, from Geraldton to the 

 Murchison gold field, and from Donnybrook 

 to the Collie coal mines, where coal of good 

 quality is obtained ; also the conservation of 

 water and boring of artesian wells, the improve- 

 ment of Freemantle and other harbors, and the 

 building of roads and new telegraphs. 



Tasmania. The Legislative Council is com- 

 posed of 18 members, elected for six years by 

 the larger holders of real estate and professional 

 men. The House of Assembly has 36 members, 

 elected for three years under a property or in- 

 come qualification. The Governor is Viscount 

 Gormanston, who assumed office in August, 1893. 

 The Cabinet was composed in the beginning of 

 1894 as follows : Premier, H. Dobson ; Chief Sec- 

 retary, Adye Douglas : Treasurer, John Henry ; 

 Attorney-General, N. E. Lewis ; Minister of Land 

 and Works, W. Hartnoll ; without portfolio, C. 

 H. Grant. 



The area is estimated at 26,215 square miles. 

 The population in 1891 was 146,667, composed 

 of 77,560 males and 69,107 females. In 1892 

 there were 995 marriages, 4,965 births, and 2,069 

 deaths ; excess of births, 2,896. The emigration 

 exceeded the immigration by 663. Hobart, the 

 capital, on April 6, 1891, had 24.905 inhabitants. 



The revenue of the Government in 1892 was 

 787,764, and the expenditure 919.802. The 

 public debt on Jan. 1, 1893, was 7,399,000, pay- 

 ing interest .at 4 and 3^ per cent. Out of the 

 total area of 16,778,000 acres, 4,762,977 acres had 

 been alienated by the end of 1892. There were 

 515,666 acres under cultivation. The chief agri- 

 cultural products are wheat, oats, potatoes, hay, 

 apples, and hops. The live stock in 1892 con- 

 sisted of 1,623,338 sheep, 170,085 cattle, 31,976 

 horses, and 59,267 hogs. There are mines of 

 gold, iron, galena, tin, and coal. 



The value of the imports in 1892 was 1,497,- 

 161. and of the exports 1,346,965. The values 

 of the chief exports were : Wool, 329,585 ; tin, 

 290,794; fruit, green and preserved, 147,866; 

 gold, 145,737; silver and silver ore, 79,353; 

 timber and bark, 70,948 ; hops, 32,069. 



There were 475 miles of railroads at the end of 

 1802. The telegraphs had a length of 2,222 

 miles, with 3,383 miles of wire, besides 366 miles 



