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III. Australia and the War. 

 (Delivered at Trinity Hall, February 17th, 1917.) 



By the Hon. John Greely Jenkins, 

 late Prime Minister of South Australia. 



Chairman: Sir George Ruthven Le Hunte, G.C.M.G. 

 late Governor of South Australia. 



The island continent of Australia, said Mr. Jenkins, is more 

 than twenty-five times as large as the United Kingdom. Parts 

 of it have only a small rainfall, but other portions have an abundant 

 supply of rain, and the Murray is one of the largest rivers of the 

 world. As a whole the climate is decidedly healthy and well 

 suited to the British race. Its population is small in comparison 

 with its area, but it is interesting to note that no less than 95 

 per cent, of the inhabitants are of British origin, so that it is the 

 most thoroughly British of all the great Dominions. Before the 

 war the men exceeded the women by 200,000 ; it is hoped that 

 this inequality will be rectified by female immigration from Great 

 Britain. The Government is very democratic and is of a dual 

 character, that of the separate States, New South Wales, Vic- 

 toria, Queensland, South and West Australia, Tasmania, on the 

 one hand, and the Commonwealth on the other. The relations 

 between the States and the Commonwealth differ considerably 

 from those between the States and the Dominion in the case of 

 Canada. 



In Australia all matters appertain to the State Governments 

 except those which, by the constitution, are especially reserved 

 for the Commonwealth. The industries are numerous and 

 important. Immense numbers of sheep are raised and the pro- 

 duction of wheat, butter, wine and fruit is on a very large scale. 

 The mineral wealth of the country is enormous and varied. Even 

 before the outbreak of the war the Australian people foresaw that 

 sooner or later there would be a call to the defence of their own 

 country and of the Empire of which they are glad to form a part. 

 A system of national training was inaugurated. This consisted 

 of a preliminary training of junior cadets of from 12 to 14 years 

 of age, leading to a fuller drilling of senior cadets of from 14 to 

 18, and culminating in the training of the citizens' force of men 

 from 18 to 26. As a result of these measures there are over 

 700,000 men between 18 and 35 mostly fit for service, the majority 

 of whom are having, or have had, at least some training in drill- 

 ing, marching and shooting ; also, in many cases, in riding. 

 When war was declared Australia took immediate action. Volun- 

 teers poured in from every part, and the promptest preparations 

 were made for transport. The Australian Navy has to be credited 

 with the running down of the notorious raider, the* Emden, and 

 with the seizure of German stations and territory in the Pacific. 

 Australian soldiers in Gallipoli, in France, and in other theatres 



