PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS. 43 
extent of the intake beds, an analysis of their porosity, 
and careful measurements of the streams crossing them. 
The discharges and pressure of all Government, and, if 
possible, private bores should be taken from time to time, 
and their history recorded. It has been found in Queens- 
land, where a good deal of attention has been devoted to 
like investigation, that the bores as a whole are decreasing 
in flow; we are quite in the dark as to what is taking place 
in this State, and it may be said we have practically no 
information on the subject. 
In addition to this, in the rolling country west of the 
Darling, a few lines of levels might be run out along the 
main stock routes and the artesian water levels picked up 
to enable bores to be located in the best positions, and so 
that it can be estimated with some degree of certainty 
whether supplies will be artesian or sub-artesian ; and an 
approximate idea obtained of the probable flow. 
It must be recognised that there is a limit to artesian 
supplies equally with surface supplies, their sources being 
the same, namely, the rainfall. The total artesian area in 
New South Wales is 83,000 square miles, and includes the 
most arid portion of the State as well as a portion with a 
fairly high average rainfall; the largest flows are obtained 
at the least cost on the eastern side of the Darling, where 
the rainfall is greatest, while in the western bed in the 
more arid portion the supplies are smaller and more scarce. 
The amount of water at the present time diverted from 
the artesian flow, both by private and Government bores, 
is undoubtedly well within the limits of the average yearly 
intake ; but it must be recognised that the day will come 
when the limits will be reached, and the information 
necessary for the apportioning the supply to the semi-arid, 
arid, and very arid areas should be obtained as soon as 
possible. This question is one of much greater complica- 
