48 A^EW SOUTH WALES. 



duction dimiuislied by oue-lialf between 1870 and 1880, onlj to revive 

 rajoidly between 1890 and 1804-. The reasons for this revival are 

 various. Many of the New South Wales gold ores have proved suffi- 

 ciently refractory to resist the old-fashioned methods of treatment. 

 But modern science has brought the vast and widely-distributed gold 

 ores within reach of the practical miner^ and old abandoned workings, 

 as well as fresh discoveries, point to a considerable extension of the 

 gold-fields of New South Wales in the early future. It is not possible 

 to write so hopefully of the prospects of the copper and tin exports. 

 For a time the remarkable fall in the price of copper resulted in the 

 closing of most of the New South Wales copper mines^ which found it 

 difficult to compete against the vastly-increased output of America. 

 But latterly it has been found possible to successfully work some of 

 the mines upon the tribute system ; and there can be no question that 

 a fair rise in the price of copper would at once augment the j^roduc- 

 tion. The extension of the railway system to Cobar and other locali- 

 ties has also aided in a revival of the industry, which will tell upon 

 the production of the metal within the next few years. Up to the end 

 of 1894 New South Wales has produced tin to the value of £6,01-0,035. 

 This industry reached its limit of greatest production in 1881 ; but the 

 shallow deposits have now been largely worked out, and the present 

 operations in stream tin are mainly in the hands of the Chinese. There 

 are, however, lodes worked in the north of the Colony, although the 

 production of tin is not at present increasing. 



It is apparent that the present surplus production for exportation — ■ 

 the surplus by which New South Wales is known mainly to markets 

 beyond Australia — lies in her pastoral and mineral industries. Her 

 agricultural, dairying, and manufacturing occupations have hitherto 

 in the main been carried on for internal consumption. The growth of 

 cereals has been extended, and could well be developed to the point 

 when there would be a surplus for shipment; and in 1892 and 1893 

 there were moderate exports of butter and small exports of cheese. 

 But it is evident that, so far, the Colony has not availed itself of its 

 many and great advantages in its wide extent of lands both for grain- 

 growing and dairying. Considerably more attention has been paid to 

 such industries since the crisis of 1893, and a few years hence the 

 position will be altered materially. But up to the present cattle have 

 been mainly raised for their meat, tallow, and hides, and sheep for 

 their wool, meat, tallow, and skins. Such industries for many years 

 made a high return upon the labour expended. But the late fall in 

 wool and tallow has now directed attention towards making the most 

 of the herds and flocks of which the Colony is possessed, and it will 

 prove to the great permanent advantage of New South Wales that this 

 has been the case. 



The External Trade Clas^ijied. 



The great majority of the staple industries of ths Colony are dealt 

 with separately in these pages, and it would, therefore, be a repetition 

 of the other portions of this work if they were enlarged upon here. 

 The following classification, however, of the imports and exports, based 

 ]nainly upon that made by the Government Statistician, will give an 

 effective general survey of the external trade. 



