CHAPTER III. 



NORTHAM, MECKERING, AND GOOMALLING 

 DISTRICTS. 



Xortham, which, like York, Beverley and Xewcastle, stands 

 the fertile valley of the Avon, is w'nt Sir John Forrest has aptly 

 described as " the gateway to the goldrields." It is surrounded by 

 large estates which are gradually being turned into wheat fields. 

 The sheep runs are amongst the best in the colony. The discovery 

 of the Yilgarn gold field made a great change in the history an 4 de- 

 velopment of Xortham. It gave the town a railway, first to 

 Southern Cross and afterwards into the heart of the auriferous 

 country as far as Menzies, and it added a new corn-growing pro- 

 vince to the colony. Beyond Xortham lay 100 miles of country 

 which had been deemed valueless for the farmer ; much of it was 

 grassless salmon gum country, and the rainfall was light ; there we 

 sheep raisers but no cultivators there. The peopling of Yilg; 

 when the prospector unearthed its treasure, caused attention to 

 turned to the unpromising areas of the east. There was a gr< 

 market for produce close by, if produce could be grown. Mor 

 over, there was no other Crown land near Xortham that could ful- 

 fil the boast of the Premier that "every man who lands on the 

 shores of Western Australia knows there is a block of 160 acres 

 of land available for him ; that there is also financial assistance to 

 settle on the land, and that he may obtain the lands at JDS. per 

 acre." All along the valley of the Avon the territory had been 

 alienated years ago by men who were bringing the organisation of 

 capital and skill to utilise them to the best advantage. If new 

 coiners were to avail themselves of the beneficent legislation of the 

 colony to secure a homestead and help to build up the national 

 wealth by adding to its productiveness, they must test the arid 

 tracts which for half a century had been neglected. The experi- 

 ment was worth making, for here, if corn would grow, was ample 

 room and scope enough for an army of yeoman who would be 

 nearer the consumers than the producers of other districts, and 

 therefore they could afford to obtain a lower yield per acre than 

 the moister districts and yet turn their holdings to good account. 

 The test was made, and with the most successful results. As in the 

 case of the despised mallee of Victoria and South Australia, wl 



