184 K. LOGAN JACE^ LL.D., F.G.S., ETC.;, ON 



j^ave good grounds for the belief that artesian Avater would 

 be found. Years before this Daintree and Tenison- Woods 

 had founded a belief in artesian Avater on the presence of 

 liot springs; but the argument was hardly logical, and 

 perhaps the wish was father to the thought. A strong 

 agitation in the Press began to make itself felt, and among 

 others, Mr. W. Gibbons Cox, in 1883, insisted upon the 

 experiment being made, arguing from its success elsewhere. 

 In 1885 a drought had slain its hundreds of thousands of 

 cattle, and was even threatening some of the Avestern town- 

 ships with extinction. The Government deputed Mr. J. B. 

 Henderson, Hydraulic Engineer, and myself (I Avas then 

 GoA'ernment Geologist) to go to the drought-stricken district 

 and make suggestions for the permanent or temporary 

 mitigation of the distress. A more detailed examination 

 than had been possible in the '• Transcontinental Railway " 

 expedition satisfied me that the whole of the western downs 

 ought to be capable of A'ielding artesian Avater. Mr. 

 Henderson indicated Blackall as the site of tlie first experi- 

 ment, as that tOAvnship seemed to him to be in the most 

 immediate need of succoiu", and operations were commenced 

 as soon as possible. Water Avas eA*entually struck at a 

 depth of 1,G45 feet, a supply of 291.000 gallons per day 

 tloAving OA-er the surface Avitli a pressure of tU lbs. to the 

 square inch, although as a matter of fact, owing to an 

 accident to the bore, Blackall AA-as not the first to tap an 

 artesian supply. 



4. Extent of Boring Operations. — According to the latest 

 statistics accessible to me, A^iz., those given in Mr. 

 Hendersons Report for the year ending oOth June, 1900, 

 there haA-e been in all 97 G.T 11 feet, or 185 miles, of boring 

 in search of artesian AA'ater in Queensland. Out of 839 bores 

 515 tloAv over the surface, Avhile it must not be hastily 

 concluded that the remainder are faihu'es. Some are still 

 in progress, some have been abandoned too soon, some A^eld 

 only salt or otherAA'ise defectiA'e Avater, some yield "sub- 

 artesian" supplies of water; that is. Avater AA'hich rises, but 

 not to the surface. OAving to the hydrostatic pressure being 

 insufiicient. The deepest boring is the •* Bimerah," No. 3 

 AVhitewood, 5.0-15 feet, Avhicli gives a daily flow of 70,000 

 gallons. The AA-armest is the "DagAvorth Xo. 1/' 196^ F., 

 Avhere a daily floAv of 775,000 gallons was met Avith at 

 3.100 feet. The largest Aoav is behcA-ed to be that of the 

 Coongoola (Longlaud's) bore, estimated at G,OOU,000 gallons 



