292 A£U' SO [Til WALES. 



the most important of wTiicli lie north of Sydney, riz. : the Hnnter, 

 the ^Manning, the Hastings, the Macleay, the Clarence, the Eichmond, 

 and the IVeed. These serve impoi-tant agricultural districts, with a 

 considerable population, some of the very richest land in the Colony 

 being comprised within these river areas. It therefore becomes neces- 

 sary that the navigation should be ke^ot open and improved, and the 

 Government is obliged to keep a large dredging plant for the purpose. 

 Much of this work is necessitated by the frequent floods to which these 

 rivers are subject, causing them to silt up. The plant employed com- 

 prises 8 sand pump dredges, 14 ladder dredges, 19 grab dredges, 24 

 tugs, and 70 silt punts, the capital value of the whole being £407,600. 

 A great deal of dredging work is also performed in Sydney and New- 

 castle harbours, both for the purpose of deepening, and in connection 

 with the reclamation of land. During the past few years sand pump 

 dredges of the Dutch and Von Schmidt tyjDe have been adopted with 

 very great success, enabling much more Avork to be done at a greatly 

 reduced cost. During the year 1892 one of these vessels, working at 

 Newcastle, lifted and put ashore 534,0!J(> tons of sand at a cost of l'484d. 

 per ton, which compares most favourably with the cost of similar work 

 in Europe. 



One of the great drawbacks to the navigation of the coastal rivers 

 is the difficulty experienced with the entrances, owing* to the shifting- 

 and dangerous nature of the bars. The only permanent remedy for 

 this is the carrying out of costly works, which the extent of the trade 

 does not in many instances warrant, at present at any rate. At the 

 entrances to the Clarence and the Eichmond, two of the most im- 

 portant rivers, improvement works are now in course of being carried 

 out in accordance with schemes proposed by the late Sir John Coode, 

 the eminent hydraulic engineer, who was commissioned by the 

 Government a few years ago to visit the Colony for the purpose. 

 These works are of a very extensive character, as will be gathered 

 from the fact that the estimated cost in the case of the Eichmond 

 River is £326,000. The works at the entrance to the river were 

 commenced in June, 1889, and comprise the formation of a fixed 

 navigable channel from the bar, through the unstable portion of the 

 entrance to permanent deep water in the river, and the construction 

 of breakwaters for the purpose of creating a permanent and safe 

 entrance. Already a very satisfactory improvement has resulted from 

 the works so far carried out, and there is little doubt of the ultimate 

 entire success of the scheme. At the Clarence Heads the scheme is of 

 a somewhat similar character. "Works are also in progress for forming 

 a permanent channel at the Tweed entrance. 



Newcastle, which is situated at the entrance to the Hunter Eiver, 

 and is the chief coal-shipping port of Australasia, furnishes a remark- 

 able example of what can be effected by judicious engineering skill. 

 Little more than twenty years ago it was a port shunned by foreign- 

 going ships as dangerous to enter, and without accommodation when 

 entered ; it is now second only to Port Jackson in all its nautical 

 requirements. Vessels laden with 4,000 tons of coal, at a draught of 

 23 feet, can safely cross the bar, and the facilities for coal shipment 

 arc such that 6,000,000 tons of coal can bo shipped annually. Direct 

 shipments of wool are now made to England, and merchandise is 



