232 



A US TRALASIA JLL US TRA TED. 



the mirage is a common phenomenon, and north of Maitland there is hardly a more 

 beautiful vision than this vast expanse, a sea of green in spring, of yellow in autumn, 

 the boundaries of which are woods so distant that they appear in a purple haze below 

 the line of the dark blue mountains against the pale blue sky. The railway passes 



through the little vil- 

 lages of Gap, Breeza 

 and Curlewis, but the 

 first considerable stop- 

 ping-place is Gunnedah 

 a town of about a 

 thousand inhabitants, 

 situated at the junc- 

 tion of the Mooki 

 Creek with the River 

 Narnoi- which, being 

 the centre of a district 

 already prosperous, and 

 destined soon to sup- 

 port a larger popula- 

 tion, promises to be an 

 important market town. 

 The surrounding coun- 

 try grows large quanti- 

 ties of excellent wheat, 

 over five thousand 

 acres being under til- 

 lage. Far westward is the little village of Baradine, the terminus of a coach-service 

 from Gunnedah. Farther on along the line is the small settlement of Boggabri, sur- 

 rounded by rich alluvial plains well fitted for the production of various kinds of grain. 

 Passing through Baan Baa and Turrawan the line terminates at present at Narrabri, 

 though it is intended to continue it to some point on the Darling. 



Narrabri, the second town of importance on the North-Western Railway Line, is 

 situated on a creek of the same name, and contains nearly nine hundred inhabitants. 

 The soil is very fertile, but is occasionally submerged by the Moods that rush down from 

 the ranges. There are, however, vast tracts of rich land on the hill-slopes that are 

 altogether out of danger of inundation, and these are being rapidly settled by pioneer 

 farmers, whom the opening up of the district by railway extension has induced to 

 migrate from the country traversed by the longer established routes. 1 )ue north from 

 Narrabri is the little pastoral village of Millie, and farther north again the slightly more 

 important one of Moree, from which latter, travelling in a westerly direction, the border 

 town of Mungindi is reached. It stands on the New South Wales side of the River 

 Barwon, and is a most important frontier settlement and river-crossing for travelling 

 stock. The main roads from Sydney and Maitland pass through it, and a great quantity 

 of South Queensland wool crosses the River at this point on its way to Sydney. Mogil 



PEEL STREET, TAM WORTH. 



