720 
THE TROPiouL M»m»ii.Tumsr. 
[Apkil 1, 1892, 
Aa every purohaaer of land, therefore, at Mildura 
obtaina an intereat in thia water-right, ])roportionate 
to the area of land he holds, it is interesting to 
narrate the method by which rights and interest 
are secured. I’or the purpose of apportioning the 
water right, and conveying it to purchasers of 
Mildura Lands, an organization called the Mildura 
Irrigation Company has been formed. U nder agree- 
ment dated 2.')th January 1889, tlie firm of Cluiffey 
Bros. Limited, vested the water-right in thia 
company, and handed over to it tiie management, 
control, and supervision of all waterworks in 
connection witli the Mildura scheme. All pump- 
ing maclrinery and appliances, dams, channels, 
reservoirs, sluices, and pipes, and other means of 
raising and conserving water, and for carrying 
a suflicient supply for irrigation purposes to the 
highest point of each block of 10 acres, are provided 
by the firm of Chaffey Bros., Limited, and handed 
over in woraiug order, /rcc of east, to the Irrigation 
Company. This means that the works are handed 
over to the people who own the land, each owner 
securing an interest in such works in proixjrtion 
to his acreage. This will bo explained by a few 
words as to the constitution of the Mildura Irri- 
gation Company. There are 250,000 shares in 
this company corresponding to the number of 
acres comprohonded in the scheme. ICvery acre 
represents one share in the Mildura Irrigation 
Company, and the acre and the share go to- 
gether. When anyone buys laud from Chaffey 
Brothers, IJmited, he receives a paid-up share 
in the MOdura Irrigation Company for each 
and every acre transferred to hinr. lie must 
sign an agreement, which is attached to the 
title, that he will transfer none of such laud 
unless to persons willing to also take shares in 
the Mildura Irrigation Company. These shares 
must go with the land, however conveyed, whether 
by sale, deed of gift, mortgage, assignment, or 
execution under process of law. Every precaution 
that legal knowledge and ingenuity can devise 
Is taken to incorporate the water-right which is 
represented by these shares with the transfer of 
the laud. Any failure or neglect on the part of 
the proprietary firm in this respect would be 
regarded as a distinct violation of the agreement 
witli the Government. 'Wlien all the land is sold 
the entire water-right will have been conveyed 
with it to the various purchasers. As each system 
of works is completed and set in going order, 
it is handed over by Chaffey Brothers, Limited, 
and the after-expense of maintenance and 
working are borne by the Mildura Irrigation 
Comiiauy. The affairs of this Company are 
managed by a Board of Directors elected by the 
shareholders (landowners), who will levy an 
annual charge on each owner of land for the 
purpose of raising the funds necessary for main- 
tenance and working oxiiensos. Up to the present 
time water has been supplied to the settlers free 
and the annual rate has not yet been fi.xod. It 
is expected however that it will not exceed (5 
shillings an acre. Now for the pumps. The 
first pumping station lies 11 miles up the river 
“Psyche Bend” where the great “billabong” or 
lagoon leaves the Murray. This station is only 
7 miles by road and two traction engines are 
busy throwing 4 streams of water into the 
billabong. Here the Company are erecting an 
engine of 1,000 horse power indicated, and enor- 
mous pumps of 40 (forty) inches so arranged 
that either or all can be used as required. 
Bach pump (centrifugal) is capable of pumping 
30,000 (thirty thousand) gallons per minute, so 
that the whole pumping capacity will bo equal 
to 120,000 (one huntlrcd and twenty tbouHand) 
gallons per minute. Here is a monster pump! 
The lift will bo from 20 feet to nothing according 
to the level of the water in the river. The 
bulk of the water will not bo taken from the 
Murray but from this huge billabong which has 
an average width of 150 yards and an average 
depth when full of about 30 feet. The water in 
this lagoon rises and falls with the Murray, but 
both ends have been locked so that the water 
can be stored. Well at Psyche Bend we have 
an engine of 1,000 horse-power and pumps equal 
to 120,000 gallons a minute and at the other end 
of the billagong we have the other pumping 
station which has an engine also of 1,000 horse 
power and 1 pumps in full working order capable 
of lifting altogether 40,000 gallons per minute. 
They can bo worked together or separately and 
the water can be discharged into either the 30 
feet, or the 50 feet channel. There are five of 
these channels,— the 30 feet, 30 feet No. 2, 50 
feet, 70 feet, and 85 feet respectively. At Nioholl’s 
Point, on the 50 feet channel, there is a third 
pumping station to raise the water from the 50 
feet channel into the 70 feet and 85 feet channels. 
These pumps and the engine are of the same 
strength and capacity as the one just above 
mentioned at the billabong. Then there is the 
])umi)ing station at the town of Mildura from 
the Murray, where a 200 horse power engine lifts 
1,500 gallons a minute 78 feet high to supply 
the township. There will be erected a large 
water-tower from which water will bo laid to 
every dwelling, and which will give pressure in 
case of fires. I he fifth pumjnng station is at 
the old Mildura homestead with a 200 horse- 
power engine driving pumps equal to 10,000 
gallons a minute into .10 feet channel No. 2. The 
total pumping capacity of all these stations is 
equal to 200,0110 gallons per minute, but as the 
big "Psyche Bend” pumps will only 1«3 used as 
a standby in the event of a very dry season to 
inimp from the Murray into the billabong, only 
80,0(10 gallons a minute will bo available for 
irrigation purposes. Roiighly sijeaking 25,' 00 
gallons is equal to an inch of rain per acre. 
80,000 a minute is equal 4,800,0i'0 gallons per 
hour, or 115,200,000 per day of 24 hours. 80,000 
gallons per hour will furnish in inch of water 
to 4,5oO acres iier day of 24 hours. 
The inaiu channels, or canals, are 25 feet 
bottom width, and 4 foot deep. Over 00 miles 
of main channels wore constructed in May last 
and I suppose about 30 miles more are in course 
of construction. The main channels cost about 
£500 per mile, and are kept carefully clear of 
weeds and growth. The Psyche Bend pumping 
station will cost £15,000 and the total cost of 
pumps, engines, and channels will cost nearly 
£ 100 , 000 . 
During the year 1891 the outlay on permanent 
works exceeded £9 ,000, making a total of £330,000 
since the settlement was formed. 3,000 acres 
have been planted this season at £8/10 per acre 
equal to £26,500. About £25(i,0ii0, including 
living and general outlay by settlers, has been 
Bjicnt in 1891. 
Tho Cottage Hospital, Main Hall or Public 
Institute, an(i Mr. O. B, Chaffey’s new villa will 
total £8,000. There are about 3,600 of a popula- 
tion. There have been 25 deaths in tho year. 
Mr. Speight of tho railway prophesies that 
Mildura will be the 4th city of Australia. 
Now on tho banks of tho billabong we have 
been figuring all this out, we have looked at tho 
big engine and pumps called “The Chaffey” after 
the designer Mr. Geo. Chaffey, and then wo have 
climbed into the drag again bettor fitted to 
