144 Australian Life 



on the greener fields of an older land, will not 

 allow their children to sit still while there remains 

 new country to be explored. Ten years ago, the 

 treasures of Kalgoorlie lay hidden and unsus- 

 pected; and Australia is wide enough and little 

 enough known to still hold the secrets of other 

 Ballarats and other Kalgoorlies. 



" In there," said an old bushman to me once, 

 pointing inland, " there 's all the wealth of the 

 world diamonds and rubies, gold and opals, in 

 plenty. Not half of them will be found in my 

 time, nor in yours either. No, nor in the time of 

 our children, and our children's children. That 

 would n't do. Australia is the richest country in 

 the world, but it 's the driest and most desolate." 



It is the gold at the foot of the rainbow that 

 supplies the key to the restlessness of young 

 Australia. 



