254 H. G. McKINNEY. 



position in regard to navigation. For a distance of about 470 

 miles the remnant of the waters of the Murray and Darling Rivers 

 and their tributaries flows through South Australian territory to 

 the ocean near Goolwa. The magnitude of the question of navi- 

 gation may to some extent be inferred from the following state- 

 ment of approximate lengths of river which are navigable in good 

 seasons : — 



Miles. 



Goolwa to Wentworth ... ... 617 



Wentworth to Mungindi ... ... ... ... ... 1,356 



Wentworth to the junction of the Murray and Murrumbidgee 255 

 Murray-Murrumbidgee junction to Narandera ... ... 500 



Murray-Murrumbidgee junction to Corowa... ... ... 485 



Total 3,213 



Although this navigation is liable to long interruptions on the 

 river Darling, and is intermittent even on the Murray, still in 

 view of the cheapness of water carriage, it seems safe to infer that 

 the question of inland navigation on the river Murray and its 

 tributaries will remain a subject of great importance and one in 

 which the interests of South Australia must receive consideration. 



Throughout its course in South Australia, the surface of the 

 river Murray is, as a rule, so much below the level of the adjacent 

 land, that diversion of water by gravitation is impracticable. 

 Hence the use of the waters of the river Murray in that colony 

 can only be provided for by pumping, and in regard to enterprise 

 in this direction, South Australia is little behind Victoria. Rights 

 to take water from the river Murray for the purposes of the 

 Ren mark Settlement have been granted to the extent of 31,250 

 cubic feet per minute, but if the whole of the land reserved for 

 the settlement be utilised, the quantity of water required will be 

 55,000 cubic feet per minute. Hence in South Australia as in 

 Victoria, the Inter-State Commission will find itself confronted 

 with extensive rights to water which are in the course of being 

 utilised. 



The object of this paper is to afford some idea of the magnitude 

 and importance of Inter-State water rights, and to point out the 



