12 T. H. HOUGBTON. 



of the developments of engineering in the State for that 

 period might prove interesting. The Society's Proceedings 

 have been enriched with many valuable addresses and 

 papers on various aspects of engineering, and I must ask 

 your forgiveness if I repeat any of the information contained 

 in them. 



Railways. 



The largest expenditure of money on engineering works 

 has naturally been by the Government, nearly all works of 

 public utility having been carried out by them, the rail- 

 ways standing first in importance and expenditure. The 

 length of line in miles in operation was for the two periods 



as follows: — 



1891 1916 



Five lines ... ... ... ... 1 



Four lines ... ... 33 



Three lines ... ... 8 



Double line ... 124 ... 492 



Single line 2,058 ... 3,654 



Total 2,182 ... 4,188 



and the capital expended for construction and equipment, 

 which in 1891 was £31,768,617, had risen in 1916 to 

 £68,825,592, the costs per mile being £14,559 and £16,434. 



Of the 2006 miles of new railway constructed within the 

 period under review, about 1,500 miles have been in the 

 area devoted to the cultivation of wheat, and are what may 

 be termed pioneer lines, that is of light construction with- 

 out ballast, 200 miles, viz: that comprising the completed 

 sections of the North Coast Railway, which will when 

 completed form the express route to Brisbane, have been 

 built to correspond with the other main lines carrying 

 heavy traffic. The engineering works on this line have 

 been heavy, the following rivers having to be spanned by 

 heavy steel bridges: — the Hunter, Paterson, Williams, 



