412 AUSTEALASIA. 



most densely peopled districts in New South Wales. Newcastle, which occupies a 

 triangular promontory on the south side of the estuary, is the second city in the 

 state, and some 20 miles higher up stands Maitlaiid, another busy centre of traffic, 

 comprising two contiguous communes on the banks of the Hunter, which is 

 navigable to this point. Newcastle, as well as the neighbouring borough of Walls- 

 end, owes its name to the rich coal-mines which have been opened on the banks of 

 the Hunter, and which both in quality and abundance compare favourably Avith 

 those of the north of England. The export coal trade, which represents about 

 two-thirds of the total production in Australasia, yearly attracts to Newcastle over a 

 thousand colliers. Thanks to this industry the traffic of Newcastle, a place founded 

 but yesterday, already exceeds that of many European cities, such as Nantes and 

 Cadiz. Near the coalpits several factories have sprung up. 



Fort Stephens, Port Macquarie, and the other seaports following northwards in 

 the direction of Queensland are little frequented. Along these coastlands the only 

 place of any importance is Grafton, w^hich owes its prosperity to the neighbouring 

 plantations, and to its deposits of gold, copper, antimony, and especially tin. Of 

 these the Vegetable Creek or Emmaville mines are the most productive. On the 

 opposite slope of the water-parting in the pastoral district of New England a few 

 small towns occur at long intervals. Of these Tamworth is the chief intermediate 

 station on the railway connecting Sydney with Brisbane. Bathurst, on another 

 line running from Sydney north-eastwards in the direction of the Darling, is a still 

 more active centre of trade. Lying 2,300 feet above the sea in an upland valley 

 of the Blue Mountains draining westwards to the Darling through the Macquarie 

 River, Bathurst has the aspect of an English agricultural town surrounded by corn- 

 fields, pasture lands, and scattered clumps of trees. Farther on the main line is 

 continued across a region of the same appearance through Orange, Wellington, and 

 Duhho to Burke, which stands on the Darling at the head of the navigation during 

 the floods. Here this watercourse is known by the name of Riverina or the 

 "Australian Mesopotamia." 



Other railways, branching off from the trunk line between Sydney and the Blue 

 Mountains cross the affluents of the Murray and the Murray itself, touching at several 

 mining or agricultural centres and riverain ports. Of these places, all recently 

 founded, the most important are, Forbes, on the Lachlan ; Gundagai and Wagga- 

 Wagga,onihe Morrumbidgee ; and Alburi/, on the Murray. Albury especially has 

 made rapid progress as a station midway between Sydney and Melbourne, and as 

 the centre of extensive tobacco plantations and viuej-ards yielding a wine of ex- 

 cellent quality. At this point the Murray is crossed by a long bridge. East- 

 wards, beyond the course of the Darling, occur the silver and lead mines of Silver- 

 ton, which are frequently designated by the name of Wilcannia, from a town on the 

 banks of the river. 



South of Sydney the ports of Wollongong, Kiama, Noiera, and Shoalhaven do a 

 little traffic in coal and agrictdtural produce. But in this part of New South Wales 

 the chief commercial and industrial centre is the inland town of Goulbiirn, which 

 stands on an upper affluent of the Hawkesbury, 2,130 feet above sea-level. The 



