ANNIVERSARY ADDRESS. 41 



A special feature in last year's production is to be noticed in the 

 last item of the above list, viz — 195ft>s. Opals, valued at £15,600 ; 

 they were found at Whitecliffs, Momba Station, about 57 miles 

 from Wilcannia. The principal reductions in last year's output 

 are 1,000 tons less of Tin and Tin-ore to the value of about 

 £85,000, and of Coal a dimished production of no less than about 

 600,000 tons of a value of about £353,000. Deducting therefrom 

 £41,147 as the value of Coke produced in 1890, we have a nett 

 deficiency in the value of Coal produced in 1890, as compared 

 with 1889, of about £312,000 — the direct result of last year's 

 lamentable strike. 



The amount of New South Wales Gold received at the Mint in 

 1890 was 119,564 ounces, against an average of 110,650 ounces 

 during the previous ten years. The Gold from this Colony, how- 

 ever, was only 14*86 per cent, of the total amount received by the 

 Mint in 1890 (804,123 ounces), while Queensland contributed 

 619,367 ounces, or, a little over 77 per cent., of which Mount 

 Morgan furnished 227,053 ounces, Charters Towers and other 

 Queensland Goldfields 392,314 ounces. 



No Iron was produced during last year from colonial ores. A 

 great impetus to the Colonial Iron Industry will, no doubt, be 

 given by the fact that the Government have invited tenders (to 

 be received up to 24th June next) for the supply of 175,000 tons 

 of steel rails, to be entirely manufactured in this Colony out of 

 colonial ores ; fluxes, fuel, and other materials required for their 

 production to be also raised in this colony. From a Report of Mr. 

 C. S. Wilkinson, f.g.s., the Government Geologist, to the Minister 

 of Mines, dated 30th January last, it would appear that the 

 quantity of Iron-ore available in this Colony, so far as can at 

 present be ascertained, amounts to 12,944,000 tons, estimated to 

 contain 5,853,180 tons of metallic Iron. This quantity, calculated 

 upon the present imports of Iron and Iron manufactures, would 

 be sufficient to supply the demands of this colony for a period of 

 thirty-five years. 



