11 



magnificent storage of Artesian water at varying depths^ 

 and, in fact, many wells have been sunk with favourable 

 results. But the problem to be solved is the irrigation of the 

 land ; the water may be brought to the surface, and the sheep 

 and cattle may obtain the necessary supply, but that will not 

 cause the vegetation to live and flourish to provide food as 

 well as drink. To irrigate by canals and water-courses is 

 very well in theory, but how can it be carried out in practice ? 

 The expense would be enormous, and in the climate of 

 Australia the loss by evaporation in reservoirs and canals 

 would equally be enormous. The conservation and utilization 

 of the water supply has yet to be effected. 



Along the course of the Darling-Murray River some 

 attempts to carry out schemes of irrigation have been made, 

 but not, up to the present, with much success. Following 

 the precedent set in South California, irrigation has been 

 introduced, resulting in the cultivation of oranges, lemons, 

 and many fruits and vegetables, but after all the attempt has 

 not been on a very large scale, and its success is not great, 

 evidently more capital and engineering facilities are required. 



The great want of water has been felt in another part of 

 Australia under quite different circumstances. In this case 

 it was not the question of flocks and herds languishing for 

 want of food and water — it was the need of hardy miners 

 seeking to win from the bowels of the earth the mineral 

 wealth, but stopped in their careeer for want of this great 

 necessity of life — Water— not only for their own sustenance, 

 but also for the successful manipulation of the ore discovered. 



In Western Australia, a large area of gold fields was 

 discovered at Coolgardie, some 360 miles in the interior — a 

 waterless area — and although every facility was given by the 

 Government to develop the gold fields by way of transit by 

 railway, &c, the one thing needed for the full development 

 of the area was water. Following the theory that there was 

 an ample supply of underground water to be had for the tap- 

 ping, bores were made to the depth of 3,000 feet, but nothing 

 came of it. The substratum was merely granite, granite, 

 granite ; and, after wasting much energy and expense, the 

 Artesian well theory was abandoned, and attention turned 

 to bringing the water supply from the nearest available source 

 by means of an acqueduct. 



