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sheep arc also sent from the plains to Perth every year. Strictly 

 speaking, this section of the colony cannot be considered first-class 

 agricultural country owing to the presence of granite, but between 

 the stony places there is some arable land that in course of time 

 will be cultivated. Many of the sheep runs have been greatly im- 

 proved ; most of the sheep are kept in fenced blocks ; some of 

 them are shepherded in the open. There are poison plants in 

 spots throughout the district, but most of the country thus affected 

 is unoccupied. The poisons are of the York road and white gum 

 varieties." 



One of the principal stations on the Victoria plains is Walebing, 

 which was taken up about 40 years ago by the father of the Hon. H. B. 

 Lefroy and his uncle, who came out from Ireland to engage in pastoral 

 pursuits. They went in search of suitable country beyond the coast 

 line, which was all that had then been explored, and found a large 

 stretch of good feeding ground at what was afterwards named 

 Victoria plains, and formed Walebing station there. The Hon. 

 Anthony O'Grady Lefroy, who, with his brother, established Wale- 

 bing, became secretary to the Governor of the colony, and subse- 

 quently filled for more than 30 years the office of Colonial Treasurer. 

 During the latter portion of this time Walebing was managed by the 

 Hon. H. B. Lefroy. Walebing carries a large number of sheep, and 

 it has been well improved as far as the freehold land extends, but 

 Mr. Lefroy states that the regime of the Midland company has 

 proved a serious discouragement to enterprise and expenditure in 

 respect of the leaseholds for which no tenure can be obtained. 



South of Walebing is the New Norcia mission station, which 

 was founded by Bishop Salvado, of the Roman Catholic church, for 

 the reclaimation of the aborigines, who, besides being trained in 

 agriculture and other useful kinds of work, are brought up in the 

 faith of the church. The mission furnishes excellent illustrations of 

 the great variety of crops \vhich the Midland district will produce. 

 The features of the station have been vividly sketched by " L.L.C." 

 in the columns of the West Australian, who drove there from New- 

 castle, a distance of 50 miles. He writes : " The road traverses 

 country that seems to be given over entirely to its native denizens 

 and a few wandering flocks of sheep. It is chiefly ironstone 

 country, with here and there patches of good clay land, moderately 

 heavily timbered, chiefly with white gum. Almost every acre of 

 this most inhospitable looking country is good for cultivation of the 

 vine, and the day will come, many years hence though, I fear, when 

 smiling vineyards will greet the traveller on every side. Nearing the 

 mission there are more evidences of settlement, and the well tilled 

 farm and neat homestead of Mr. Clune are particularly noticeable 

 from the main road. The term ' mission ' is altogether too insig- 

 nificant to express New Norcia, which is really a township, and a 

 more pretentious one, in some respects, than many that boast of a 

 mayor, town council and tax gatherer. The mission building looms 



