THE PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY OF AUSTRALIA. 255 



The Gawler Range is ail irregular group of hills, commencing about 

 50 miles west of Port Augusta and extending westerly for about 150 

 miles more. The highest points in it are Mounts Miccolo, Nonning, 

 Sturt, Double, Yardea, and Yarlbrinda, none of which exceed 2,000 

 feet above sea level. 



Under the name of Musgrave Range are usually included the Everard, 

 Mann, and Tomkinson ranges and the Deering Hills, all situated in 

 Central Australia between the one hundred and twenty-ninth and one 

 hundred and thirty-third meridians, and forming a belt 250 miles by 

 25 miles, lying east and west along the twenty-sixth parallel. The high- 

 est points are Mounts Woodroff and Morris (each about 4,100 feet 

 high), Ferdinand (1,000 feet), and Everard (3,850 feet). To the north 

 of these is another central belt lying northeast of Lake Amadeus and 

 known as the McDonnell ranges, extending east and west along the 

 twenty-third parallel. Besides these principal highlands there are 

 several isolated volcanic peaks at the head of Discovery Bay and many 

 other hills of less prominence in the central portion of the country. 



From the preceding remarks it will be readily understood that most 

 of the South Australian territory consists of vast grassy plains, some 

 of which are flanked by the mountain ranges for fully 300 miles north 

 and south, and extensive belts of undulating timbered country, the 

 latter comprising some of the richest agricultural land in the colony, 

 especially that situated between St. Vincent's Gulf and the Murray 

 Scrub and in the fertile district of Mount Gambier. A very large 

 portion of the country stretching along both sides of the Murray River 

 is an immense waterless scrub, occasionally interspersed with open 

 grassy plains, while enormously large areas of sandy desert and salt- 

 bush country occupy the far interior in the neighborhood of Lakes 

 Amadeus and Eyre. 



In the foregoing an attempt has been made to describe briefly the 

 dominant areas of elevation as indicated by the mountain systems of 

 our continent. These are certainly unique in their way, and the some- 

 what remarkable features that they possess invest the topography of 

 the country with a striking peculiarity which does not occur elsewhere. 

 As I have already remarked, the mountain ranges are, with one single 

 exception, practically of no value whatever as natural national bounda- 

 ries, nor even for the purpose of forming provincial lines of demarca- 

 tion. On the other hand, their influence upon the commercial develop- 

 ment of the country is great, for they limit settlement in a large 

 measure to the coastal districts, offering few facilities for the extension 

 of agricultural and industrial enterprises to the central regions. This 

 is especially the case along the eastern part of Australia, where the 

 massive vapor clouds, impinging upon the seaward face of the ranges, 

 deposit most of their moisture before the western and central districts 

 are reached, and consequently the latter do not enjoy an adequate 

 rainfall. True, the future holds out more encouraging prospects to 

 intending settlers than the past, for we are assured on the authority of 



