ANNIVERSARY ADDRESS. 31 



Government to put down a series of bores for artesian water, 

 with a view of opening up a new and well-watered stock route 

 from Mount Brown Gold Field to Bourke, to lead the northern 

 traffic to the railway terminus at Bourke. These borings have been 

 successful and in the last bore put down near the Paroo, under 

 the direction of Mr. W. H. J. Slee, Superintendent of Drills, a 

 splendid supply of water rising to a height of 30 feet above the 

 surface was struck at a depth of 940 feet. In 1881 Mr H. Y. L. 

 Brown, then one of our geological staff and now Government 

 Geologist of South Australia, examined this portion of New 

 South Wales and reported as to the Cretaceous formation and the 

 certainty of obtaining artesian water in it. Mr. H. C. Russell, 

 Government Astronomer, has also pointed out that the rainfall 

 over the Darling water-shed does not flow away in the river 

 channel but passes underground. In referring to this subject it 

 is right to mention, though I was only lately made aware of the 

 fact, that so far back as 1862 Mr. Richard Bennett, of Victoria, 

 wrote an admirable letter to the Economist advocating the search 

 for artesian water in this country. 



Mr. R. L. Jack, Government Geologist of Queensland, who has 

 issued a valuable work on the geology of that colony, states that 

 the " Desert Sandstone," so named by Daintree, may be of 

 Cretaceous age and is of so porous a character that it acts like a 

 sponge in absorbing rain-water which issues as permanent springs 

 where it rests upon the impermeable clay beds. 



The Cretaceous formation supports good pasturage for sheep,, 

 cattle and other stock, but with the exception of a few localities 

 such country, occurring as it does in the arid parts of Australia, 

 is naturally devoid of permanent surface water. So that where 

 most wanted the supply may be obtained from underground 

 sources and by enterprise this dry country may be made to abound 

 in overflowing and inexhaustible wells of good water. The wide 

 scope which nature has afforded for scientific work in the 

 improvement and profitable occupation of this country I need 

 not point out. 



