NYPL RESEARCH LIBRARIES
3 3433 082447404
PICTURESQUE
NEW
SOUTH
WALES.
GUIDE FOR
SETTLER AND TOURIST.
1901.
AUSTRALIA.


- new
South Wales heicijatíone and travel


M
AG. Foster
l Prat Gmbhmeubery
Johne soods
/< 2. 2 3
o
Picturesque
-- \n

PICTURESQUE
NEW SOUTH WALES:
AN
ILLUSTRATED GUIDE
FOR
SETTLER AND TOURIST.
PREPARED UNDER THE DIRECTION OF
T.; A.COGHLAN.
commonly
industine
Sydney:
WILLIAM APPLEGATE GULLICK, GOVERNMENT PRINTER,
1901.
71213
71213
(1)


TABLE OF CONTENTS.
Historical Sketch.
The Discovery of Australia, 1.-- The progress of New South Wales from the inception of the colony to the
institution of the Commonwealth, 3-10.
Physical Geography and Climate.
The Dividing Range, 11.—The Coastal Region, 12. — The Inland Plains, 14.- Climatic conditions, 17.
Fauna and Flora.
Geological Records, 18.-FaunA, 18-24.- Mammals, 18.--Reptiles, and Birds, 22.–Fishes, 24.-FLORA
24-25.-- Flowering Plants, 24. -- Ferns; Forage Plants ; Timber, 25.
Social and Commercial Condition, and Government.
Distribution of Wealth ; Population, 26. --Condition of Labour, and Cost of Living, 27.--Shipping, 28. --
• Commercial Progress ; Education, 30.-Charities ; Government, 31. -Means of Communication, 32.
Industries.
PASTORAL PURSUITS, 33-36.--Sheep ; Horned Cattle, 33.- Dairy Farming, and Swine ; Meat Export ; Minor
Products, 35.- Horses, 36.- Mining, 36-39.—Gold, 36.--Silver and Lead ; Tin ; Copper ; Iron ; Other
metals : Coal, 37.-Kerosene ; Gems ; Other minerals ; Building-stones, 39.- FORESTRY, 39–40.-- Hardwoods,
and Softwoods, 40.- FISHERIES, 41.--AGRICULTURE, 41–52.- Wheat, Maize, and Oats, 14.- Barley and other
Cereals ; Potatoes, 45.-Root-crops, Forage, Tobacco, and Sugar-cane, 46.-Sugar-beet, 47. - Vines, 48 –
Orchards, 49.-Olives, 52.
Sydney and its Surroundings.
The City, and Inland Suburbs, 53.-Port Jackson, 59. --- Pleasure Grounds, 62.


CONTENTS.
The Western Districts.
Parramatta, and Windsor, 65.--Richmond, and the Emu Plains, 67.—The Blue Mountains, and their
Waterfalls, 68. – Jenolan Caves, 71.--Lithgow ; From Wallerawang to Mudgee, 72. -- Bathurst ; From
Blayney to Harden, 73.-Carcoar, Cowra, Grenfell, Young, and Orange, 74.–Molong, and Parkes, 75.-.
Forbes, the Condobolin Line, Stuart Town, and Wellington, 76.-Dubbo, 77. --The Western Plains, Cobar,
Wilcannia, The Darling River, and Bourke, 78. — The Country of Springs, Brewarrina, Walgett, Coonamble,
and the Back-blocks, 80.
The Northern Districts.
The Lower Hawkesbury, 81.—Gosford, and Lake Macquarie, 82. --The Hunter Valley, 85.-- Newcastle and
its Suburbs, 82.- Maitland, 85.--The Paterson, Patrick's Plains, Muswellbrook, and the North-west
Road, 87.--Aberdeen, Scone, Wingen, Murrurundi, The Liverpool Range, $8.- Liverpool Plains, Quirindi,
and the Line from Werris Creek to Moree, 89.-Tamworth, The Cockburn Valley, Moonbi Ranges, New
England, Walcha, Uralla, and Armidale, 90.- Glen Innes, Emmaville, Inverell, Tenterfield, and the country
west of the Table-land, 92.- The North Coast, The Macpherson Ranges, and the Richmond River, 93. – The
Tweed, 94.— The Clarence, The Nambucca, The Bellinger, The Hastings, The Macleay, and The Manning,
96.-Myall Lakes, and Port Stephens, 98.
The Southern Districts.
undagaiocoma, Kiandra, and Goulburn, 103.-02- The Wombe
Liverpool, Campbelltown, and Camden, 99.-- Picton, Mittagong, and Berrima, 101.-- The Wombeyan Caves,
Bowral, Moss Vale, and the Fitzroy Falls, 102. --Marulan, and Goulburn, 103.-- Lake George, Queanbeyan,
and Monaro Plains, 105. – Bombala, 123.- Cooma, Kiandra, and Yarrangobilly Caves, 125.-Mount Kosciusko,
Goulburn to Yass, Cootamundra, Gunilagai, Tumut and Adelong, 107.-Junee, The South-west Line, and
Narrandera, 109.-Hay, 110.--Jerilderie, Berrigan, Finley, Deniliquin, Moama and Wentworth, 111.-
Wagga, The Rock, Urana, Corowa, and Albury, 112.—The Upper Murray, The South Coast, The National
Park, and Helensburgh, 113.--Illawarra, Stanwell Park, and Clifton, 115. - Bulli, 116.-Wollongong, 117.---
Dapto, 119.-Kiama, Shoalhaven, and the Berry Estate, 120.- Nowra and Kangaroo Valley, 121.-Jervis
Bay, Ulladulla, Moruya, Bodalla, and Cobargo, 122. --Bega, Candelo, and Bombala, 123.


Historical Sketch.
The Discovery of Australia.
For many centuries before the date of the earliest extant record of its
Early Dutch discovery, there were persistent rumours of the existence of a Great
Discoveries. South Land ; but it was not until the beginning of the seventeenth
century that these vague reports were verified for Western Europe. The
first authenticated discovery of the continent was made
by a Dutchman, Captain Willem Jansz,
whose vessel, the “Duyfhen,” entered the
Gulf of Carpentaria in 1606, and sailed
south as far as Cape Keerweer or Turn-
again. Here some of the crew
landed, but met with such sturdy
opposition from the natives
that they speedily re-
tired. This expe-
dition of the
“Duyfhen” was
the first of a
number of Dutch
voyages of ex-
ploration in Aus-
tralian waters,
the most impor-
tant being that
of Abel Janszen
Tasnian, who dis-
HORNBY LIGHTHOUSE, SYDNEY HEADS.
covered Van Die
men's Land (since
renamed Tasmania) and New Zealand. It was he who called this part of the world New
Holland, a name which it retained until 1814, when, at the suggestion of Flinders, it was
changed to Australia.

HORNSBY LIGHT HOUSE
SYDNEY READS


Historical Sketch.
The first English navigator to sight the Australian continent was William
Early English Dampier, who made a visit to these shores in 1688, as supercargo of the
Exploration. “Cygnet,” a trader whose crew had turned buccaneers. On his return to
England he published an account of his voyage, which resulted in his
being sent out in the “ Roebuck" in 1699 further to prosecute his discoveries. He examined
about 900 miles of the north-west coast, and was disgusted by the sterile and waterless aspect
of the country, as well as by the miserable appearance of the poverty-stricken inhabitants. So
discouraging was his report, that for many years the task of Australian exploration was
entirely neglected by the English, though the Dutch still showed a waning interest in the
apparently inhospitable country.

CIRCULAR QUAY NOW MILSONS POINT SYONE N.SW
CIRCULAR QUAY, FROM MILSON'S POINT, SYDNEY.
In 1769, Captain James Cook of the “Endeavour” was despatched to the
Captain Cook. South Seas to observe the transit of Venus; but he was also commissioned
to ascertain “whether the unexplored part of the Southern Hemisphere
be only an immense mass of water, or contain another continent.” Having successfully
observed the transit from the Island of Otaheite (Tahiti), he turned southward, and later bore up
in a north-westerly direction, beating about the Pacific in search of the eastern coast of the great
continent. After circumnavigating New Zealand, he stood due west for nearly three weeks,
and, on the 19th April, 1770, sighted the eastern coast of Australia at a point apparently
identical with the present Cape Everard. Thence he sailed up the coast, and, on the 28th
April, dropped anchor in Botany Bay. He subsequently continued his northerly course, and
surveyed the whole of the eastern coast, to which he gave the name of New South Wales. On
his return to England he reported that Botany Bay was a suitable place for colonisation.


Historical Sketch.
Upon arrival at Botany Bay, Captain Phillip was soon convinced that a
The Settlement at more unsuitable site for a new settlement could hardly have been chosen
Sydney Cove. than the rather barren-looking shores of this extremely shallow inlet,
exposed as it is to the full swell of the Pacific, without bays, creeks, or
coves to afford shelter. Accordingly he started with three boats to explore the coast in search
of a more convenient site, and, after proceeding northward about nine miles, discovered Port
Jackson, the most magnificent harbour in the world. Cook had only seen the entrance
from a distance, and had marked it on his chart as a barbour for boats. On the 26th
January, 1788, the fleet entered the harbour, dropped anchor in Sydney Cove, and the
colony was formally instituted.
Before sufficient food could be raised from the land to supply the wants
Early Difficulties. of the settlement, the risk of immediate starvation was staring the
colonists in the face. To add to their distress, at this juncture a ship
arrived with another batch of settlers, but
without stores. In a short time the circum-
stances of the colony were such that every.
one, including the Governor himself, was
placed on short allowance. However, when
the prospects of the settlement had reached
their gloomiest, three storeships arrived, and
snatched the new colony from the very brink
of destruction by famine. This tided over
the difficulty, and such a desperate state of
affairs was never again experienced. Other
anxieties arose on the arrival of some ship-
loads of prisoners, most of whom were in a
sick and dying condition; and the Governor's
responsibilities were rendered heavier by the
attempts of many of the convicts to escape.
Governor Phillip's health gave way under the
cares of office, and, in 1792, he returned to
England, where he was awarded a pension
for his services.
The Government of the
Agriculture. colony was then admin-
istered by Major Grose
FITZROY FALLS.
and Captain Paterson, officers in charge of
the military, until 1795, when Captain Hunter, who had been second in command of
the First Fleet, returned from England as the second Governor. He brought out a
number of free settlers, mostly agriculturists; and some fine alluvial land having been
discovered on the banks of the Hawkesbury, in a short time more than 6,000 acres were
under crops of wheat and maize. Attempts to introduce cattle had for a time proved
unsuccessful, but in 1796 a herd of sixty head, descendants of beasts which had strayed
from the settlement some years before, was discovered at the Cow Pastures, rear
Camden.


New South Wales.
Before 1800, when Captain Hunter left the colony, the population was
Early Progress. over 6,000, the Hunter River and its coal-inines had been discovered, the
city of Newcastle had been founded, and the coast to the south of Sydney
had been thoroughly explored.
The officers of the New South Wales Corps, a military body specially enlisted for service
in the colony, were at this period making considerable sums by the excessive importation of
rum, a commodity which was in great request. Philip Gidley King, the third Governor, was
commissioned to put a stop to the traffic. He adopted prompt and vigorous measures, created
a storm of indignation among the importers, and greatly embittered the officers of the Corps
against the Government.
An event of the utmost importance to the colony took place during King's
Wool-growing. term of office. This was the initiation of wool-growing. John Macarthur,
who had held a commission as captain in the New South Wales Corps,
after great trouble and perseverance managed to secure some Spanish merinos, and commenced
the growth of wool on a large scale at Camden. In a short time his enterprise showed every
sign of a successful issue, to the great benefit of the colony generally, and his own personal
advantage.
Notwithstanding these evident signs of material progress, Governor King
Governor Bligh. was so worn out with the conflicts in which he was involved by his efforts
to suppress the rum traffic that he seized the first opportunity of leaving
the colony, and was succeeded in 1806 by William Bligh, a distinguished naval officer, who had
won the respect of the Government by his wonderful voyage after the mutiny of the “Bounty."
He was selected as a fit man to complete the work of crushing the clique of officers engaged
in the rum trade, and to purify official life in the colony. Accordingly he issued a general
order announcing his intention to put a total stop to the practice of “ bartering or paying
spirits for grain of all kinds, and the necessaries of life in general, and to labourers for their
hire”; but the importers, and those in league with them, formed a strong and influential
section of the colony, and the struggle in respect to the illicit trade continued throughout the
whole period of Bligh's Governorship.
Other matters embittered the relations between the Governor and the
Strained Relations colonists, and the contest reached its climax with the arrest of John
between Governor Macarthur, the chief trader in the community, whose efforts to promote
and Colonists. the growth of wool have been alluded to. The crisis was brought about
in the following manner. Macarthur received a summons from Atkins,
the Judge-Advocate, to appear before him and make answer to a complaint preferred by the
crew of a trading vessel, of which he was part owner, of withholding from them their
wages, in consequence of which they alleged that they had been compelled to break the port
regulations by coming ashore without special order. Macarthur returned a written answer
explanatory of his conduct in the matter, but neglected to obey the summons by appearing in
person. A warrant was thereupon issued for his apprehension. He was brought before the
Judge- Advocate, who, he asserted, bore him personal ill-feeling ; but, although this objection
was sustained by the six military jurors, Atkins refused to abdicate his position, and the
Governor declined to supersede him.


Historical Sketch..
colony, in 1831, much progress had been achieved, in spite of his personal unpopularity. The
population had increased to over 51,000 for the whole of New South Wales, and the value of
the total exports was £500,000.
The general odium with which Governor Darling was regarded gave a
Sir Richard Bourke, fictitious advantage to his successor, Sir Richard Bourke, even before his
sterling qualities had become known. Sir Richard Bourke may be said
to have been the real founder of our present free institutions, as, under his rule, the foundations
of the Constitution we now enjoy were well and truly laid, on the solid basis of full and equal
rights to all, whatever their sect or belief. A policy of assisted immigration was initiated at
the Governor's suggestion, and immigrants began to arrive in large numbers.
But perhaps the greatest achievement of Bourke's administration was the
Religious Equality. establishment of religious equality, and the breaking up of the monopoly
of Government aid enjoyed by one communion.
The famous expeditions of Sir Thomas Mitchell were undertaken during Bourke's
tenure of office. The first was to the north as far as Liverpool Plains ; in the second, the
country between the Bogan and the Macquarie was surveyed ; in the third, the course of the
Darling was traced from its source to its junction with the Murray; in the fourth were
discovered the plains of Victoria.
The great event of the time of Governor Gipps, who succeeded Bourke,
The Constitution was undoubtedly the introduction of a new Constitution, by the establish-
of 1843. ment of a Legislative Council composed of thirty-six members, twelve of
whom were nominated by the Crown and the remainder elected by those
who were placed on the electoral roll, a small property qualification being required.
Sir George Gipps was succeeded as Governor by Sir Charles Augustus Fitzroy, during
whose tenure of office occurred several of the most important events in the history of Australia.
. The first agitation for the formation of the Port Phillip District into a
Separation separate colony took place towards the end of Governor Gipps' adminis-
of Victoria and tration. The entire population of what is now New South Wales,
Queensland. Victoria, and Queensland did not, at that period, exceed 150,000, of
which the Port Phillip District contained only 30,000. Their distance
from the seat of Government, nevertheless, justified the demand of the Victorians for separa-
tion, which was conceded in 1851. In December, 1859, New South Wales was again
dismembered, losing its northern province, which was constituted a separate colony under the
name of Queensland.
The discovery of gold early in 1851, near Bathurst, raised a wave of
Gold. excitement which affected all classes. Hundreds of people, attracted by
the possibility of amassing a fortune in a few months, abandoned their
employments and flocked to Bathurst. Before long, the news had spread over the world, and
excited the imaginations of men in every clime. From all quarters of the globe followed a
mighty rush of the most enterprising spirits, and those physically the most capable of enduring
the unknown hardships before them. Since then the current of immigration has never ceased.
Thousands of men in the prime of life, who had been attracted to these shores by the hopes of
riches easily acquired on the gold-fields, seeing patient industry everywhere rewarded, remained
to share in the general prosperity, readily turning their attention to their former less exciting
pursuits. Nothing, since the introduction of wool-growing, has tended so much to develop the


New South Wales.
resources of our country, and to make so widely known the great advantages which Australia
offers to the overcrowded populations of the Old World, as the discovery of gold in 1851.
For several years there had been growing up among the colonists a strong
Responsible Govern- desire for a larger measure of self-government ; and, in 1852, the
ment. agitation in favour of a free Constitution was recognised by the Imperial
Government, and provision was made to confer such a Constitution upon
New South Wales. On the 21st December, 1853, the Constitution Act, the basis of the rights
we now enjoy, was passed ; and, two years later, the new Constitution was formally inaugurated
by Sir William Denison, who had just succeeded Governor Fitzroy.
The Constitution Act entirely swept away the former system, and established two
Legislative Chambers. The first was to consist of not less than twenty-one natural-born or
naturalised subjects, who were to be nominated by the Governor in the name of the Queen.
The Legislative Assembly was to consist of fifty-four members, elected by popular vote. The
readiness with which the people of the colony adapted themselves to the forms and practice of
their new government was not a little remarkable, and fully justified their assumption of its
privileges.
Ever since the institution of Responsible
Government, the steady material progress of the
colony has been remarkable ; but it is not neces-
sary here either to trace the progress in detail, or
to sketch even briefly the political history of the
country. It will be sufficient to indicate one or two
of the more outstanding or important events which
have occurred between 1855 and the present day.
The steady increase of popu-
Population. Jation during the past half-
century is in itself undeniable
evidence of the prosperity and progress of the
colony. At the close of 1859, when Queensland
was separated from it, the mother colony contained
a population of 336,572 persons. After forty years
the number had risen to 1,356,650—an increase of a
little over a million. The following tigures give the
growth of the population at ten-year periods during
the interval :-
1869
481,448.
1879 ... ... .. ... 709,459.
... ... 1,081,820.
DOT'S GLEN, CASTLE ROAD, KATOOMBA.
The year 1870 was the hundredth anniversary of the discovery of the
Expositions. eastern coast by Captain Cook. To celebrate the occasion, an intercolonial
exhibition was held in Sydney. Nine years later a second exhibition,
which this time partook of an international character, was undertaken by the Government.
The Garden Palace, a commodious building erected for the purpose of housing the exhibits,
was subsequently burnt to the ground (in 1882), and many valuable documents were reduced
to ashes.

1889
B


12
Physical Geography and Climate.
eastward of the range, innumerable spurs extend towards the sea, dividing the waters of the
many rivers which flow into the Pacific Ocean.
In the extreme west of the State, bordering upon South Australia,
The Western another mountain system exists, forming the western edge of an immense
Ranges. depression, through which the largest rivers of the continent hold their
devious course. However, the highest points of the western ranges do
not exceed an elevation of 2,000 feet. The whole mountain system of New South Wales
lies below the limit of perpetual snow, though along the south-eastern slopes of the Snowy
Ranges, and on the summits of the high peaks of the Australian Alps, snow sometimes lingers
throughout the year.
Two of the largest lakes in the State lie on the summit of the Main
Lakes. Dividing Range, within a few miles of the towns of Goulburn, Quean-
beyan, and Braidwood.
Though the zone of country just described exhibits certain localities which are not only
exceedingly rugged, but comparatively barren, it can also show extensive patches of the richest
soil, and is well supplied with rain.
The coastal region, which lies between the Main Dividing Range and the
The Coastal sea, varies in breadth from a few miles to about fifty leagues. This
Districts. fertile and well-watered area enjoys an average rainfall of 41.73 inches.
It is traversed by fifteen rivers, of various sizes, all of which flow into
Rivers of the the South Pacific. The largest of these rivers, taking them in order,
Eastern Slope. from north to south, are the Richmond, the Clarence, the Macleay, the
Manning, the Hunter, the Hawkesbury, and the Shoalhaven.
The Richmond takes its rise in the heights of the Macpherson Range, and flows for 120
miles, first through rugged pastoral country and large areas of fertile soil, some of which
are heavily timbered, and, in its lower course, through rich alluvial land. It is navigable
by one branch to Casino, a distance of sixty-two miles, and by another to Lismore, sixty miles
from the sea.
Immediately south of the last-named stream is the Clarence, the largest river on the
eastern watershed; it runs for 240 miles, draining an area of over 8,000 square miles, and
reaches the sea at Shoal Bay. It is navigable for sixty-seven miles, and ocean-going steamers
of large tonnage ascend as far as Grafton, forty-two miles from the sea.
The Macleay discharges into Trial Bay, after a course of 200 miles from its source near
Ben Lomond. It flows through rugged and precipitous country, down magnificent gorges, with
many waterfalls, some of which have a perpendicular descent of over 200 feet. In places the
mountain walls tower to a height of 3,000 feet above the stream. In the lower course of the
Macleay the valley widens into alluvial plains, of which a large proportion is thickly timbered.
This river is navigable for thirty miles.
The Manning rises in the Main Dividing Range, and flows almost due east through a
fine timber country and rich agricultural land.
The Hunter has its source in the Liverpool Range, and flows south and east 200 miles
to Port Hunter, on the shores of which is situated the city of Newcastle. Together with its
numerous tributaries, the Hunter drains an area more than twice as large as the basin of the
Thames. The river is navigable for large steamers as far as Morpeth, thirty-four miles ; and
two of its tributaries, the Paterson and the Williams, are both navigable, the one for a


Physical Geography and Climate.
About eighty miles to the south of Sydney the coast is broken by an important inlet
called Jervis Bay. Its entrance is two miles wide, and on its bosom safe anchorage may be
found in almost any part. It is surrounded by rich mineral and agricultural country, as yet
unexploited. Nature has been so bountiful to the country as a whole that particular districts,
undoubtedly rich, must remain for a while undeveloped, and ports which would in older
countries be prized for their convenience and capacity here remain unused, save as refuges
in stormy weather.
Botany Bay, a few miles south of Sydney, was the first Australian port entered by
Captain Cook. It covers an area of twenty-four square miles, but, on account of its proximity
to Sydney, has little trade.
Port Jackson holds the first place among the harbours of the world for convenience
of entrance, depth of water, and natural shipping facilities. As the harbour and city of
Sydney call for detailed description in later pages of this little book, no more extended
reference need be made to them at present.
Broken Bay, fifteen miles north of Port Jackson, forms the mouth of the River
Hawkesbury. It has a bold entrance, and on Barranjoey, the southern headland, is erected a
fine lighthouse. At the head of Brisbane Water, the northern branch of the bay, stands
Gosford, the centre of an important district.
Port Hunter stands at the mouth of the river of that name. When first used, the
harbour was inconvenient and somewhat dangerous ; but, thanks to the construction of
breakwaters and training-walls, it is now safe and roomy, with shipping facilities equal to
those found in any other Australian port.
Port Stephens, a little further north, offers at all times the safest and most commodicus
harbour desirable. As a natural port, it is hardly inferior to Port Jackson, and the scenery
of its shores is very beautiful. At present Port Stephens is little used, on account of its
proximity to Newcastle and the sparseness of the population in its immediate neighbourhood.
At Shoal Bay, the estuary of the Clarence, the anchorage is safe and commodious ; and,
with the completion of the works designed for improving the river entrance, it promises to
be one of the best ports on the coast.
Of our many smaller harbours nothing need be said here.
The third division of the State includes the great plains of the west,
Out Back. which form a vast basin through which the quiet waters of a few great
rivers have their long though uncertain courses. The rivers of the
western region all belong to the fluvial system of the Murray, which carries to the southern
ocean, through the State of South Australia, the drainage of a watershed immense in extent,
embracing the northern portion of Victoria and the western and larger part of New South
Wales, and reaching almost to the centre of Queensland.
The Murray, the southern branch of this vast river system, takes its rise in the Snowy
Range, from which descend its three principal sources, the Hume, the Tooma, and the Indi.
The Indi is really the main river. From the confluence of these rivers the Murray rapidly
descends to the plains below Albury, where it is only 490 feet above sea-level, though it has still
to loiter 1,439 miles toward the sea. Before being joined by the Murrumbidgee, the Murray


Climatic Conditions.
Climate.
Records of temperature, taken during the course of many years, conclusively show that the
climate of New South Wales is one of the most temperate and uniforin anywhere experienced.
In the coastal region, not only is the climate milder than those of corresponding latitudes
in the northern hemisphere, but the range of temperature is not so great. This is a very
important factor in estimating the healthiness of a country.
In Sydney the inean temperature is about the same as at Naples, but in
In the Coastal the latter town the summer is warmer and the winter much colder than at
District. Sydney. Casino, near the northern border, would resemble the country
bordering on the Gulf of Suez, if the temperature accorded with that of
similar latitudes in the northern hemisphere. Such, however, is not the case. Casino has a
mean temperature of 67.8°, only 2° more than that of Messina. in Sicily, which lies more
than 9° further from the equator. Eden, which is situated at the extreme south of the State,
in latitude 37°, has a mean temperature which is practically the same as that of Nice and Rome,
places respectively 466 and 339 miles further removed from the line. The famed resorts on the
Mediterranean sea-board bear no comparison with the Pacific slope of New South Wales,
either for natural salubrity or for the comparative mildness of the summer and winter.
Passing from the coast to the table-land, a distinct climatic region is
On the Table-land. entered. On the high southern plateau, at an elevation of 4,640 feet,
stands the town of Kiandra, having a mean summer temperature of 56.4°,
and a winter temperature of 32-5°, corresponding with that of Dunfermline, in Scotland.
Cooma, in the centre of the Monaro Plains, enjoys a summer as mild as either London or Paris,
while its winters are far less severe. On the New England table-land, the climate of Armidale
and other towns may be considered as nearly perfect as can be found. The range of
temperature approximates closely to that of the famous health resorts in the south of France.
The climate of the western plains, in spite of the heat of part of the
In the Interior. summer, is remarkably healthy. The town of Bourke may be taken as an
example. Bourke has exactly the same latitude as Cairo, yet its summer
temperature is 1.5° less than that of the Egyptian city. The mean winter reading of the
thermometer is 54:5°; and, accompanied as this is hy clear skies and an absence of snow, the
season is both refresbing and enjoyable. In the early days of the colony, much of the flat
country was without surface water in years of severe drought ; but much capital has been
devoted to the construction of tanks which are invaluable, and of artesian bores, which, yielding
literally rivers of water, afford an abundant and perennial supply. From the standpoint of
health, it is fortunate for the country that dryness is one of the characteristics; otherwise
the interior of the State would, with abundant rains, have become an impevetrable jungle,
the lurking place of those malarial fevers which devastate so many fair regions of the Old World
and America.
I
c


20

CROSSING THE BILLABONG, RIVERINA DISTRICT.


Fauna.
21
The animals included in the Dasyuride are the marsupial carnivora, and
Native Cats, &c. are popularly known in New South Wales as native cats and pouched
mice. The native cats, which are sometimes very destructive to unprotected
poultry, are quite common throughout Australia. Their fur is marked with white spots upon
a ground of grey, black, or reddish brown.
The Monotremata, the lowest order of the mammalia, are confined to
Monotremes. Australia, Tasmania and New Guinea, and comprise the duck-billed
platypus and the native porcupines.
The platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) inhabits Australia and Tasmania,
Platypus. and is one of the most interesting animals known. The total length of
the male animal is 24 inches, while the female seldom exceeds 19 inches.
The male may also be distinguished by the largeness of the horny spur on the hind foot. In
colour the platypus is of a dark brown above and of a yellowish white below, the fur being
close and velvety. The muzzle is produced into a broad flattened beak, which is covered during
life with a delicate and sensitive skin. The tail is well-developed, broad, and flattened ; and
the feet are modified into swimming organs, the five toes being extensively webbed ; while the
teeth, which are unlike those of any other existing mammal, are shed early in life, their place
being taken by a series of horny plates. As a mawmal, the platypus is chiefly interesting
because it lays eggs. They are white in appearance, usually two in number, and in texture
similar to the eggs of reptiles. When hatched, the naked and helpless young are nourished on
their mother's milk. The nest of the platypus is formed at the end of a burrow, which is
reached by two openings --one above and the other below the surface of the water.
The Echidnæ are also egg-laying, but differ from the platypus in that the
Porcupines. females carry their eggs in a pouch, where they are hatched by the warmth
of the body. The common echidna, or porcupine (Echidna aculeata), is
characterised by having the fur thickly mingled with spines, which sometimes conceal the hair
beneath. The feet are five-toed, armed with strong claws, and very powerful, enabling them.
to burrow at a great rate. When startled they burrow perpendicularly, covering themselves
with earth, until they have sunk beneath the surface of the ground. The snout is a kind of
cylindrical beak, which during no period is known to possess teeth. It is admirably adapted
to protect the long extensile tongue, used by the creature to catch the ants upon which it feeds.
The tail is short and conical.
The dog family is representeil in Australia by the dingo or warrigal (Canis
Dingoes. dingo). The native dog is found in all parts of the Australian mainland,
and will inbreed with the domestic doy. It is probably not indigenous,
but was undoubtedly acclimatised before the arrival of the first white settlers. The dingo
does not bark, its temper is intractable, and it works great havoc among the flocks of the
settlers.
Of Australian bats the most extraordinary is the flying fox (Pteropus
Flying Foxes. poliocephalus), which is characterised by its large size, its dentition, its
lack of anything resembling a tail, and the thick brown fur which
covers the body. It is met with in the brush-lands, where it forms large colonies, or “camps."
In these camps hundreds of flying-foxes hang from the branches of the trees, and the offensive
odour which arises from them pollutes the surrounding air for a considerable distance. They are
frugivorous, and during the fruit season they raid the orchards and commit great depredations.


Fauna.
23

THE ORARA RIVER.
and secluded brush forests. It scratches up a little plat-
form of earth, where it stands or struts, pouring out mean-
while a cascade of liquid notes—for it is the most exquisite
singer of the Australian bush. In some districts it is called the
“mocking bird," from its mimicry of the feathered companions of its
solitude. The same order includes the beautifully-plumaged regent-birds, whip-birds, fantails,
robins, and cat-birds.
“The silver-voiced bell-birds, the darlings of day-time,” are to be heard in
The Bell Bird. the thick foliage which shelters many of our creeks; but they are seldom
to be seen, even though their tinkling notes—like the striking of fairy
bammers upon tiny silver anvils—are sounding upon every side.
Three species of bower-birds are found in Australia. They construct
The Bower Bird. ingenious bowers or playing places, consisting of two parallel hedges built
of twigs, so arranged as to overhang the intervening space. The bowers,
and a small space at each end, are strewn with pieces of bleached bone, shells, bits of looking-
glass, coins, or any bright object which the birds may pick up in the bush. The walls, too, are
sometimes adorned with feathers, coloured threads, and similar finery.
The order Columbu is largely represented in the State, especially in the
Pigeons and Doves. great primeval forests of the coast districts.
The game-birds found in the State belong to the orders Gallina and
Game Birds. Hemipodii. The former is represented by the wattled talegallus (Talegallus
Lathami) and the mallee-fowl (Lipoa ocellata), both of which are mound-
raising birds, and deposit their eggs in a scraped-up heap of leaves, decaying vegetable matter,
and sand, leaving them to be hatched by the heat of the sun. To this order belong several
species of quail, one of which, the king quail (Excalfatoria lineata), is probably the smallest
gane-bird in the world. Of the order Hemipodii are four species of turnix, and the remarkable
collared plain-wanderer (Pedionomus torquatus).
The order Grallatores includes many genera, and to it belongs the plain
The Plain Turkey, turkey (Eupodotis australis) as well as the waders, such as stilts, water-
&c. crakes, ibises, spoon-bills, and many others.
Struthiones, or running birds, are represented by the emu (Dromaius
The Emu. novce-hollandice), the largest bird in this part of the world. Unfortunately
it is being rapidly exterminated by ruthless folly.


Flora.
25
value of the indigenous flowers are satisfied by “successful" flower-shows, and little is done to
protect the native beauty of the bush.
Every watered gully has its robe of ferns, all worth notice, from the tiniest
Ferns, &c. coil of tender green to fronds which extend to a length of 8 or 9 feet. In
the coastal districts, too, there are beautiful palms, the commonest of
which is the cabbage palm, while the most graceful is undoubtedly the bangulow.
It will not be possible in the space at disposal here to draw attention
Fodder. to all the plants which are of economic value, but general reference may
be made to a few of them. The nutritious nature and the drought-
resisting qualities of some of the indigenous grasses, salt-bushes, &c., have become proverbial.
It is well known that, thanks to the native pasture, sheep will often thrive in districts
apparently sterile and waterless. Salt-bushes (Salsolacere), of which there are many varieties,
are invaluable as fodder in the inland districts.
It would be difficult to imagine a country with a wealth of timber greater
Timber. than that of New South Wales. Its woods are as varied as they are
valuable, ranging from the ironbarks, unsurpassed for work requiring
hardness and durability, to the kinds suitable for the most delicate specimens of the cabinet-
maker's art. There are, throughout the country, a number of forest reserves where permission
to cut timber is accorded on payment of a regular fee. A license fee is also imposed for the
stripping of wattle-bark which is largely used in the process of tanning Notwithstanding the
great natural resources of the State forestry is as yet only in its initial stages in New South
Wales. The establishment of a School of Forestry has been advocated from time to time, and
will, no doubt, be effected in the immediate future.

TOWN HALL, SYDNEY.


26
Social and Commercial Condition, and
Government.
In one particular New South Wales differs greatly from most other
Distribution of countries, especially from those of the Old World : wealth is more widely
Wealth.
distributed, and the violent contrast between rich and poor, which seems
so peculiar a phase of old-world civilisation, finds no parallel on our more
hospitable shores. That there is poverty in the Commonwealth is unhappily, true; but no one
in Australasia is born into conditions from which it is not easy to escape, and that hereditary
pauper class which forms so grave a menace to the freedom of many States has, therefore, no
existence here. In this connection it is significant that no poor-rate is levied in the Common-
wealth. In the United Kingdom, according to a recent estimate, nine persons in every hundred
possess property to the amount of £100; in Australia the proportion is not less than 16 per
cent. This bare statement shows the great difference between the conditions of life in
Australasia and in the richest country of Europe.
The population of New South Wales in the year 1899 numbered 1,356,650
Population. souls, most of these being persons of British descent. The majority, at
least of the male portion of the population, are engaged in agricultural,
pastoral, industrial, and commercial pursuits.
Before passing from the subject of population, something should be said
The Blacks. of the original inhabitants of the land---the nomadic hunters whom
ethnologists have found it impossible to class with any of the ascertained
stocks of the human race. The dialects of the various tribes differ very greatly; yet there is
reason to believe that all the aborigines sprang from the same stock. Some generations ago
they were numerous, but now they are rapidly decreasing, and will, no doubt, disappear entirely
before the march of civilisation. Drunkenness and the vices and diseases of the enlightened
whites are doing deadly work. When first the British invaded this territory, the natives,
though yielding to few savage races in cunning and vengefulness, were by no means destitute
of some qualities in which civilised men glory. Not only were they courageous and stoical in
their contempt of pain, but they often displayed a reverence for age and a depth of domestic
affection for which few have given them credit. Love and pity were no strangers by their
camp-fires. Their songs and cherished traditions show a power of inventing tragic and sarcastic
fiction, as well as a thirst for religious mystery, and a pride of ancestry which resulted in the
deification of the prehistoric founder of the tribe. In exchange for their traditions we bring


Cost of Living.
27
them the gifts of degradation and extinction. Meanwhile the Government is doing what it
can to ameliorate their condition. A Board is in existence for their protection, and a number
of reserves and stations have been set apart for their benefit.
The rapid settlement of the country created in the mother colony a demand
Rate of Wages. for labour of all kinds, which could not be satisfied except by a constant
accession of labourers from other countries. This demand, which was
continuous for many years, resulted in the establishment of a rate of wages much higher than

HIL SIKER
BROKEN HILL SILVER MINES.
is ordinarily found in older lands; and though a depression of trade at one time caused a slight
reduction, the rate of wages is still considerably above that which obtains in any part of the
Old World, and the condition of the Australian working man is one which many of the underpaid
and overworked labourers of less favoured lands might envy.
The soil of New South Wales is capable of producing in abundance most
Cost of Living of the things essential for the sustenance of huwan life, and, considering
the high rate of wages which prevails, food of all kinds is fairly cheap,
and articles of diet which in other countries are almost within the category of luxuries are
here largely consumed even by the poorest classes. More flesh-meat is consumed than in any
other part of the world, and tea (which is regarded in some sort as the national beverage) is
used twice as freely as in any country of Europe, with the single exception of Russia.
A few figures relative to the cost of living may be of interest. In 1899 the expenditure
for the year amounted to £39 14s. 11d. per head, or at the rate of 2s. 2d. per day. The
expenditure per inhabitant in four of the leading countries of Europe is as follows :-
. £ s. d.
United Kingdom ...........
.......... 29 14 9
France ............................. ................... 23 19 4
Germany ............ ..
............. 20 3 4
Italy ............
.............. 11 11 0
At first sight it appears, not as though we were necessarily more prosperous than the
inhabitants of the older lands, but as though we had to pay more heavily for the privilege of


29

THE DAM NATIONAL PARK
IN THE NATIONAL PARK.


30
Social and Commercial Condition, and Government.
Of late years the progress of the State, as evidenced by its trade, has
Commercial been remarkably steady. During the seventy-four years over which the
Progress. records extend, the value of goods imported into, and exported from,
New South Wales has increased from £400,000 in 1825, to £54,039,800
in 1899. Nine elevenths of the total trade are sea-borne, the remaining two-elevenths comprising
the overland trade with the three bordering States. If the exports be divided into two
classes-those which are the produce and manufacture of the State, and those imported from
other countries—the preponderance of home produce exported is very marked. The value of
the domestic exports in 1899 was nearly twice as great as in 1875, and the expansion during
the intervening period has been of a steady character. Judged by the volume of its exports
per inhabitant, New South Wales compares favourably with any other country whose comn:erce
is at all considerable.
The educational system of New South Wales is admittedly one of the
Education. most perfect in the world. Under the Public Instruction Act of 1880,
Public Schools are maintained to afford primary instruction to all children,
without sectarian or class distinction. Provision is also made for Superior Public Schools, in
which additional les-
sons in the higher
branches are given ;
for Evening Public
Schools, to which
adults, who are under
the disadvantage of
having failed to ob-
tain adequate educa-
tion in earlier days,
may resort ; and for
High Schools, in which
the course of instruc-
tion is of such a nature
as to complete the
AT THE FORD.
Public School curricu-
lum, or to prepare
students for the University. The teaching is strictly nonsectarian.
It is compulsory for parents to send their children between the ages
of six and fourteen years to school (not necessarily to a Public School)
for at least seventy days in each half-year. A weekly fee of 3d. per child is imposed, but the com-
bined fees must not exceed ls. in all for the children of one family; and where it can be shown
that the parents are not in a position to pay, the fees are remitted. Itinerant teachers are
appointed to provide for the educational needs of remote or thinly-populated districts. There
are 2,693 Public Schools in the State, maintained by it yearly expense of £646,154. Besides
these, there are more than 1,050 private schools. The University of Sydney, founded in 1850,
gives degrees which are entitled to rank with the degrees given by any University in the
United Kingdom ; while a Technical College imparts effective instruction on subjects con-
nected with various handicrafts.


32
Social and Commercial Condition, and Government.
months' residence in the district in which the right to vote is claimed. In the case of removal
from one district to another, the qualifying residential period is reduced to one month, and the
elector may vote in his old district until he has acquired the necessary qualification in the
district to which he has removed. The duration of Parliament is limited to three years.
The Federal Legislature consists of two elective Houses ; and the principle of payment,
of Members obtains in the Senate as well as in the House of Representatives, the bonorarium
being fixed at £400 per annum. The suffrage is similar to that existing in each State for the
popular Chamber. In both Houses the tenure of seats is for three years.
The first railway in New South Wales was that from Sydney to Parramatta,
Means of which was opened for public traffic in 1855. Nearly 2,900 miles of line
Communication. are now in operation, the average population per mile of line being 468.
The railways are divided into three distinct branches, each of which
represents a system of its own, and facilities of communication are thus provided for the northern,
n

CLARENCE RIVER AT COPMANHURST IN
CLARENCE RIVER AT COPMANHURST.
western and southern districts of the State. All the railways, with the exception of four
private lines, are under State management and control. The tramways also-steam, cable, and
electrical—are the property of the Government.
In the matter of postal and telegraphic communication the State is well provided for.
Not only is the intercolonial telegraphic system practically perfect, but the State is in direct
communication with Europe and the outer world by means of the cables, connecting with the
various Asiatic continental telegraph lines. A submarine cable also connects New South
Wales with New Zealand. Telephones are in common use in all the more important towns.


34

WOOLSONTINO CLASSING AT THE SHEARING SHED
BUTIRANONG NS.WALES
A WOOL-SORTING ROOM.


Mining.
39
with the best foreign coal. It possesses the advantage of a greater specific gravity, and it
contains less sulphur. The wealth of the State in coal is enormous, and the coal-mining industry
may be said to be in its infancy. It is, however, a very vigorous infancy; and gives promise
of steady and rapid growth.
Large quantities of coke are manufactured in New South Wales, and the amount is
increasing from year to year.
Kerosene shale occurs in many districts. Some of it yields from 100 to
Kerosene Shale. 130 gallons of crude oil per ton, or from 17,000 to 18,000 cubic feet of
gas. The yield of tar amounts sometimes to 40 gallons per ton.
Diamonds, sapphires, emeralds, rubies, opal, amethyst, garnets, chrysolite,
Gems.
and other gem-stones are found in numerous localities. The best of the
New South Wales diamonds are harder and much whiter than the South
African stones, and are classified as on a par with the best Brazilian gems. The value of our
best emeralds, when cut and finished, is about £2 per carat. The finest opal known is obtained
at White Clifts, near Wilcannia, where, at least 700 miners are in constant work. The best
quality of the stone realises occasionally as much as £42 per oz. ; and the principal gem
merchants of Europe have agents on the fields.
Mica is to be met with in the numerous granitic areas, especially in the
Other Minerals. Barrier Ranges, where asbestos also is found in considerable quantities.
Alunite occurs at Bulladelah in the form of a large hill, and yields 80
per cent. of alum.
Building Stones, Quarrying for building stone is carried on to a large extent. Marble
limestone is found in great masses at localities which are within convenient
distances of the great lines of communication, and is obtainable in all
its different varieties. The Hawkesbury formation, over which the city of Sydney is built,
provides an inexhaustible supply of sandstone admirably adapted for architectural effect, and
of the highest quality for building purposes. Basalt, granite, and syenite, are also worked.
Kaolin, superior to the best obtainable in England and France, is worked at Tichbourne,
near Parkes. Fireclays and slates are plentiful, and graphite has been extracted at Undercliff
from a lode 6 feet wide.
&c.
Forestry.
Until quite recently the people of New South Wales have shown a deplorable lack of enter-
prise in pushing the export trade of timber ; but at last they have shaken off their apathy, and
recognise that in the dense populations of Europe there is a splendid market for this class of
goods. In America, too, there is an opening for those hardwoods which are most suitable
for use in the various forms of engineering construction. We have an abundance of good
timber of every description, and, provided that steps are taken for the preservation of young
trees, there is no reason why the supply should ever fail. Besides, the indigenous trees are
being supplemented by the planting of good foreign species, and it has been demonstrated that
the soil and climate of the colony are suitable for the growth of the favourite pines and
hardwoods of commerce. The timber resources of New South Wales are more valuable than
those of any of the other States, and include at least twelve different hardwood trees suitable
for export. It is not surprising, therefore, that the efforts made during the last few years to
capture a portion of the large timber trade of the United Kingdom are being crowned with


42
Industries.
The northern district may be called sub-tropical. The chief crops are maize and sugar.
cane ; but coffee is receiving some attention. The chief summer crops are maize, oaten-hay,
potatoes, lucerne, pumpkins, melons, grapes, and other fruits. The winter crops are wheat,
oaten-hay, and potatoes. The principal cultivation on the tableland is wheat; but maize and oats
also are grown. On the western slopes of the tableland wheat is the principal crop, the cereal
being grown both for grain and hay. According to the most recent statistics, the following
are the principal crops cultivated, and the area devoted to each :-
Description of Crop.
Area.
Production.
Description of Crop.
Area.
Production,
acres.
acres.
10,628
1,319,503
312,451
653,268 cases
TO
U
COV
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
10,487
3,902
.
193,286
25,325
845, 232 galls.
4,264 tons
19,874
115,147
10,283
4,573
2,601
904
7,026
5,217
£175,321
17,944 tons
Wheat-
Grain ...
Hay.....
Maize-
Grain ...,
Green food .......
Oats-
Grain ...
Hay.............
Green fodder
Lucerne and Sown Grasses-
Hay....
Green fodder
Sugar-cane-
Cut this year
Not cut ........
Potatoes.........
*Fruit Orchards
Productive .....
Non-bearing .....
Barley-
Grain .......
Hay......
Green fodder ...
32,748
27,017
Sorghum for green food...
9,276,216 bus. Orangeries-
177,002 tons Productive ......
Non bearing .........
6,064,842 bus. Grape-vines-
For wine-making ....
For table use ...
278,007 bus. Non-bearing ....
79,011 tons Market-gardens....
Pumpkins and melons...
Millet-
76,679 tons Grain ..
Green fodder ......,
Rye-
289,206 tons ! Grain
Green fodder ..
61,900 tons Turnips
| Tobacco
€158,678
Peas and beans ..
Mangold-wurzel.
! Onions ...........
64,094 bus. All other crops ...
1,605 tons
681
9,596
11,244 bus.
14,578
10,181
27,978
24,564
7,174
2,022 24,093 bus.
1,294
519 2,456 tons
1,405 12,706 cwt.
676 21,262 bus.
292 tons
3311 1,019 tons
2,400 £25,928
68
4,459
1,438
3,164
Total...,
2,206,500
* Excluding vines and oranges.
. The quantities of agricultural produce harvested during the year ended March, 1899,
and the values of the various crops, are given in the following statement, the values being the
average for the whole State at the time the harvest was gathered :-
Crop.
Production or
Area.
Value.
Crop.
Production or
Area.
1
Value.
Wheut...
Maize ..
Barley....
Oats.
Other grain
Hay.........
Straw..
Green food
Potatoes
Onions ....
Turnips and niangold-wurzel
Sugar-cane ...
9,276,216 bush.
6,064,842
64,094 ,
278,007
35,337
334,297 tons
40,920 ,
80,307 acres
61,900 tons
1,019
2,748 ,
289,206
1,276,855
934,996
8,012
26,063
3,334
1,160,067
97,185
240,921
269, 2651
6,624
6,526
151,833
Tobacco ......
Grapes ...............
Oranges and lemons
Orchards ..........,
Market-gardens
Peas and beans
Pumpkins and melons
Wine ....
Brandy ...
Unspecified crops . ......
12,706 cwt.
4,264 tons
653,268 cases
24,564 acres
7,026
21,262 bush.
17,944 tons
845,232 galls.
3,886
2,400 acres
16,519
59,696
97,990
158,678
175,321
2,658
44,860
63,392
*777
25,928
Total value ........
4,827,700
It will be seen that the total area cultivated now amounts to 2,440,968 acres, which is more
than twice the area cultivated six years previously.


43

BRANDING WOOL.


44
Industries.
The principal crop of the State is wheat, which is everywhere cultivated
Wheat. except along the coast. It was formerly cultivated, however, in the coastal
districts ; but, owing to the occurrence of rust and smut, the cereal gave
place to other objects of cultivation. On the abandoning of the coastal districts, the districts
of Bathurst, Goulburn, Gundagai, Tumut, Young, Monaro, and New England were each in
turn occupied by agriculturists, and, owing to the suitability of their soil and climate, as well
as that of the mountain plateau, the growth of this cereal became definitely established.
Subsequently, the cultivation was extended in a south-westerly direction to the Riverina
Plains, where at present it is receiving marked attention.
The average return for grain is about 11} bushels, and the cost of production depends
on the size of the holding. On large farms, with first-class appliances, the cost is about 15s.
6d. per acre, on medium sized farms, 20s. ; and on small farms, 27s. per acre. The grain
is excellent, and an average weight of samples, taken from all parts of the State is estimated
to be about 63} lb. per bushel. Up to 1899, the State was an importer of breadstuffs ; since
that year, however, New South Wales has taken its place amongst the countries wbich export
grain.
It would be difficult to picture anything more calmly beautiful, more suggestive of
prosperity and peace, than a large wheat farm ; and there are some of our landholders who
have upwards of 10,000 acres under crop. When first the little blades thrust themselves up
into the air, the earth looks as though it were overspread with a carpet of the most delicate
green. A little later, each gust of wind sends shadowy ripples along the plains and up the
slopes. Then there is a waving billowy sea of verdure. Bearded ears form on each plant,
and, when they are fully grown, the persistent sun slowly bleaches the fields, till they are no
longer green but opulent yellow, and the wind makes a strange rustling as it shakes the
standing crop.
The area devoted to maize is about 215,000 acres, from which an average
Maize. return of about 30 bushels per acre is obtained. Maize is grown chiefly
in the valleys of the coastal rivers, which are peculiarly adapted, both
with regard to soil and climate, for the growth of this cereal. On the table-land, also, its
cultivation is attended with fair results; but as the land rises in elevation, so does the average
yield per acre proportionately decrease. The plant demands a considerable amount of moisture,
and thrives better in the humid climate of the coast than anywhere else in the country.
Whether observed in single plants or in large fields, maize has an exceedingly picturesque
aspect. The colour of its stems and leaves, brilliant at first, and graduaily toning through
deeper shades to the yellow ochre of its later stages, has a singular charm, and the decorative
effect of the tall plants, with their long streamers, and their tassels of dull crimson and tender
green, is not the least of the attractions of our northern rivers. The cultivation adopted is to
plough the land from 7 to 9 inches deep. The seeds are planted in drills in September
and October, sometimes even later, singly, about 16 inches apart. Some districts yield a
very heavy crop of maize, 60 to 70 bushels per acre being not uncommon.
Oats are cultivated as a grain crop principally in the wheat-growing
Oats. districts of the State; and, as they are essentially a product of cold
climates, they thrive best in those parts of the country which have a
winter of some severity. According to the latest returns, there are about 30,000 acres of oats


Agriculture.
45
cut for grain, and about 105,000 cut for hay, the yield per acre being about 20 bushels of grain
and a ton of hay. There is room for a large extension in the cultivation of this cereal, as it is
the best of all grains for horse-feed.
Barley grows very well in the State, but it is little cultivated, not more
Barley and than 16,000 acres being devoted to this crop during the last year. Rye,
other Grain. millet, and sorghum are also grown, but little can be said about them,
except that, as in the case of other cereals, the suitability of the soil
for their production is well established.
The experience of past years distinctly shows that New South Wales is, on the whole,
better favoured as regards soil, climate, and other natural advantages than any other continental

MAFFRA LAKE, MONARO.
Australian province ; consequently, the average yield per acre of wheat, maize, and barley is
greater in the parent State than in any of the remaining four. Extending the field of
comparison, the production of cereals is found to reach an average which places New South
Wales on a level with countries usually considered as rich agricultural states. It is better
than the average of the United States, Italy, and Hungary, and, in some respects, almost
on a level with that of Germany, Austria, and France. The area adapted for cereal-growing
is very considerable, and with a better knowledge of the capabilities of the various kinds of
soil, and with a well-devised means of storage, there should be practically no limit to the
production of grain.
Potatoes are grown, both as a winter and summer crop. The area
Potatoes. devoted to these tubers, according to the last return, was about 35,000
acres, with an average yield of 2 tons 12 cwt. per acre.


53
Sydney and its Surroundings.
The first flush of the tropics in her blood,
And at her feet Success. --Kipling.
Most cities of recent growth are laid out with more attention to the
Sydney. demands of convenience than to the suggestions of beauty. Their streets
are straight, and cross each other with the regularity of a chess-board
pattern, quite irrespective of the contour of the ground. But no myielding plans determined
the course of the Sydney highways. The main street of the city is merely a survival of the
original track by which bullock drays entered and left the little settlement at Sydney Cove,
and still, by its irregular width and curves, it bears evidence of its origin. One of the best
results is a picturesqueness which few deliberately mapped-out towns can hope to vie with.
Where the pellucid waters of the Tank Stream flowed out by the weedy
The oldest quarter rocks of Sydney Cove, now stand the wharves of Circular Quay, the chief
centre of the harbour ferry traffic. The earliest settlement was made on
the rugged heights on the western side of the bay, between the Tank
Streaip and Darling Harbour, and to this day the streets of this part of the city are steep and
irregular. Many of the early settlers were sea-faring men, and when ashore they loved high
land which commanded a view of the blue water and the moving vessels. Moreover, the earliest
wharves were built along this shore, and the rocky point was a convenient dwelling place for
those who wished to be near the ships and the centre of business. There is a quaint old-world
beauty about this part of Sydney, for, in its general outlines, it has hardly changed ; but the
chief commercial buildings have since settled themselves in positions more central to modern
business, and easier of access.
From Circular Quay, George-street runs in a northerly direction, following the course
of the Tank Stream (which now flows underground as an artery in the sewerage system),
crosses the ridge of Brickfield Hill, rounds the lower land of Darling Harbour, and so proceeds
to Parramatta. Sussex, Clarence, and York streets, which lie between George-street and
Darling Harbour, are rich in relics of the Sydney of old days. In many places cuttings have
been made to improve the gradients of the roadway, and here and there are to be seen houses
perched on sandstone cliffs, some 10 or 20 feet above the level of the pavement, and approached
by steps of stone or wood. This quarter is the haunt of persons connected with the shipping,
and particularly of those engaged in the interstate and coastal trade. Produce stores of every
size abound, and here are exposed for sale lucerne hay from the valley of the Hunter ; cheese


54
Sydney and its Surroundings.
and potatoes from the south ; poultry, egys, butter, bacon, and maize from the rich river flats
of the north ; grain from the Riverina and New England districts; and every description of
farm produce that the Commonwealth can show. All day long the dealers are busy selling to
shopkeepers and private householders. But a great change is being effected in this portion
of the town by the removal of old buildings and the erection of new and commodious stores.
If we proceed up George-street from the Quay, the first public building
The principal of note which we reach is the General Post Office, which runs through to
streets of the city. Pitt-street, and faces the broad quadrangle known as Martin-place. The
frontages on the two main streets are comparatively short. The Post
Office is built of Hawkesbury sandstone, but the great pillars supporting the long colonnade
are of polished granite. From the centre of the building rises a handsome clock-tower, the
loftiest in Sydney. A little beyond is King-street, a scene of busy traffic, traversed by a cable
tramway. Further on
again are the massive
buildings of the Vic-
toria Markets, 610
feet long by 100 feet
wide. Here is housed
the Lending Branch
of the Public Library.
In close proximity
stand, side by side,
the Town Hall and
Anglican Cathedral.
The Town Hall, which
occupies the site of
an old cemetery, is a
DOUBLE BAY, FROM SOUTH HEAD ROAD.
handsome structure,
though its style of
architecture is some-
times condemned as too florid. Its principal chamber has seating
accommodation for at least 5,000 people. The Cathedral was
planned more than half a century ago, and is now somewhat too
small. It is an imposing specimen of rather cool and unenthusiastic Gothic. The ground
Just here reaches its greatest elevation, and both edifices stand central and dominant in
the city. Close to the point where George-street trends suddenly westward in the direction
of Parramatta, stands the railway-station (Redfern), on the outer margin of the city. The
electric tramway, which has its terminus at the Quay, runs up George-street on its way to
the station and to various suburban centres. The principal streets of the city are paved
with native hardwoods, which are probably the best for the purpose in the world.
Pitt-street runs approximately parallel with George-street, but joins it at a sharp angle
near Redfern. Looking down Pitt-street from the city, one can see the masts of large vessels
at the Quay, and beyond them the villas and gardens of the North Shore. The ships' seem
almost to be lying in the streets, and on a summer day the shining, shifting water is a pleasant
and refreshing sight. The lower end of the street is crowded with the offices of shipping



STARKET
SYDNEY (EAST) FROM TOP OF AUSTRALIA HOTEL.


Suburbs of Sydney.
57
as a “teinporary” terminus for the suburban system of steam trams, or street railways, as
they might be called with greater fitness. At the top of Bridge-street are the gates of
Government House.
Beyond Macquarie-street, which forms the eastern boundary of this part of the city, is
a public reserve, which includes the Botanic Gardens, the Domain, and various Government
buildings and lands. The northern end of Macquarie-street runs along the eastern edge of
Circular Quay, and is devoted to wool-stores ; but to the south of the lodge-gates there is a
fine array of private residences. The windows and balconies of these houses overlook the
green lawns and bright flowers of the Palace Gardens (where once the ill-fated Garden Palace
stood), and command a magnificent view of the harbour with its daily fleet of incoming and
outgoing craft, and the dark green hills beyond ; and over those glittering waters the sea-breeze
comes fresh and cool. It would be difficult to find another residential street so beautiful, so
quiet, and restful, and yet so close to the commercial centre of a great city. At the corner of
Bent-street stands the Public Library, which, although it has been added to of recent years,
is still too small for the proper accommodation of the books, to the number of which each mail
largely contributes. In the Domain are the Parliament Houses, the Sydney Hospital, and
the Mint. The first-named is an old salmagundi unimpressive building which has been added
to from time to time; but a grand domed Senate House is soon to replace it. The Hospital
has been rebuilt and is the chief ornament of the street ; but the Mint is a plain square
balconicd house of a very antiquated style. The end of the street opens out into a broad open
space, in the middle of which stands a stately bronze figure of the late Queen Victoria, and just
beyond is a statue of Albert, the Prince Consort. The Supreme Court and the Registrar-
General's Office are in this neighbourhood. Originally, Macquarie-street bore straight on
through Hyde Park, but this portion has been transformed into a broad tree-shaded promenade,
while the street traffic has been deflected to College-street, a little to the east, past St. Mary's
Cathedral, a noble cruciform pile which is only half completed, though the foundation-stone
was laid more than thirty years ago. It is the grandest specimen of ecclesiastical architecture
in Sydney. In a line with the Cathedral, though separated from it by park land and the City
Bowling Green, is the Australian Museum, an imposing structure in the Corinthian style. It
stands at the corner of William-street, which leads through the hollow, in which Woolloomooloo
is situated, to Darlinghurst and the waterside suburbs beyond.
Darlinghurst occupies an elevated ridge, from which a good view is
The Eastern obtained of a portion of the city. At sunset, when chimneys and house
Suburbs. fronts are transmuted to polished gold, and the smoke drifts luridly across
a copper sky, the scene is peculiarly impressive. The principal street
traverses the fashionable neighbourhood of Potts' Point, and is remarkable for its many hand-
some residences. Over the ridge the road swoops down upon the valley of Rushcutter's Bay,
and thence leads past the suburbs of Darling Point, Double Bay, and Rose Bay, finally
reaching South Head and the sea-beaten cliffs at the back of Watson's Bay. This road is one
of the favourite drives out of the city, for it affords much variety of landscape and many
charming glimpses of the harbour. Watson's Bay is on the inner side of what is known as the
Gap-a dip in the outline of the sea-cliff close beside the entrance of the port. It was at the
Gap that the “ Dunbar,” one tempestuous night in the year 1857, crashed on the rocks at the
foot of the perpendicular precipice and went down with the loss of all hands but one. The old
South Head Road, which we have just been following, runs along the ridge which divides the
11


62
Sydney and its Surroundings.
with further clusters of waterside villas; and then the open sweep of Rushcutter's Bay,
where the foreshores have been reclaimed, and are now a public park. On the heights
of Darling Point, which flanks the bay on the east, the graceful spire of St. Mark's Church
rises from amid dense foliage. In this suburb are many magnificent private residences,
surrounded by sloping lawns and trim garden closes. Opposite the point, at a distance of about
a quarter of a mile, is Clark Island, a public recreation reserve of a kind as delightful as it is
unusual. The high ground of Darling Point overlooks the beautiful inlet of Double Bay, with
its long white beach, behind which the houses cluster on flat and bill-side until they merge into
the opulent suburb of Woollahra. Point Piper is the promontory between Double Bay and
the beach—a mile and a half long—of Rose Bay. From Rose Bay to Bondi Bay, on the ocean
beach, was once a harbour mouth, but, as was also the case with the neck of land upon which
Manly is situated, the ocean sand gradually
choked up the channel. Passing the snowy
span of Milk Beach, the battery reserve of Shark
Point, Vaucluse Bay, Parsley Bay, and the
jagged cluster of rocks known as the Bottle and
Glass, we come within sight of the broad sweep
of Watson's Bay, a favourite resort for fishermen
and lovers of “the fierce old mother” —the
“husky-voiced sea.” For now we have reached
the harbour gates again. Watson's Bay is the
nearest landing place for those who wish to
climb the South Head and see the phalanxed
waves march majestically to the foot of the
impregnable walls. Up here is the great light-
house, whose revolving beam can be seen full
sixty miles out at sea.
It would be difficult to overrate the beauty
and commercial value of our harbour. It differs
from many other commodious ports in that it is
not a bay, but a system of bays, which open upon
a broad, winding channel. Any of its larger coves
would, on a less hospitable coast, be regarded
as a fine haven, and their multiplicity gives
ORPHAN ROCK, KATOOMBA.
a superabundance of accommodation, though
Sydney grow to be the greatest city in the world, and dwarf the busy wilderness of London.
Almost as much by lucky accident as by design the inhabitants of Sydney
Pleasure
are rich in convenient pleasure grounds. The most highly improved of
Grounds. all our public reserves is the Botanic Garden, to which reference has
already been made. It was first used as a farm, but was dedicated to the
public in 1816. South and east of the Gardens lies the general public Domain. A pleasant
carriage drive leads round by Mrs. Macquarie's Chair—a commanding position from which to
view the harbour—and passes the public baths in Farm Cove and Woolloomooloo Bay. In
the Domain stands the National Art Gallery, which, in its interior arrangements, is said to be
superior to any picture gallery in Europe.


Recreation Grounds.
63
Hyde Park is practically a continuation of the Domain, separated from it only by an
intervening road. This Park was reserved as a racecourse in the early days, but horse-racing is
now carried on further afield, particularly at Randwick and in the neighbourhood of Parra-
matta. To the south of Hyde Park the closely-built suburb of Surry Hills breaks the continuity
of green reserve. But then begins the ample space of Moore Park, which extends to the water
reserve of Botany. At one time a waste of shifting sand dunes occupied this area, but now a
large portion of it has been levelled and grassed. One part is devoted to the purposes of a
Zoological Garden, where, in addition to the lions, tigers, elephants, camels, bears, and other
ordinary occupants of a menagerie, there is a fine collection of Australasian birds and animals.
A few years ago a strip of land on the Moore Park Reserve was used as a rifle range, but the
butts have now been removed to a distance from the city. Close by is the Association Cricket
Ground, with accommodation for about 25,000
spectators-a notable witness to the Australian
love of sport. To the east, the Centennial Park,
with its miniature lakes and broad roads, in-
vites the cyclist and the picnicker. All the
suburbs, as well as the country towns, have
ample reserves. Among the minor parks of the
city and its neighbourhood may be mentioned
Belmore, Prince Alfred, St. Leonards, and Went-
worth Parks. The last-named is laid out on
the resumed land at the head of a bay, where
once spread unsightly mud-flats and mangrove
swamps. Other similar areas are being re-
sumed in the public interest. Just outside the
southern boundary of the city is Grose Farm,
a reservation of 175 acres, originally used for the
Government's earlier agricultural experiments.
It is now subdivided, and several detached
public buildings stand upon it. On the highest
ground, commanding a view of the greater part
of the city, are the University and its supple-
mentary buildings. The four colleges-three
CASCADE, LEURA FALLS.
denominational, and the Women's, which is
secular-have each good slices of land assigned
to them, and Prince Alfred Hospital stands between two of them.
There are a number of beautiful seaside reserves. At Manly there is a picturesque
headland, and a long ocean-beach with an esplanade overlooking it, and a similar reserre on
the barbour side. To the eastward of Randwick lies “wave-worn Coogee,” where the beach
and both rocky headlands are public property; and a little to the north is Bondi. Maroubra
and Long Bay, Balmoral Beach in Middle Harbour, and large portions of the shore at Botany
form other waterside reserves. Sea-bathing is carried on at most of these places, all of which
are thronged with visitors during the fine warm days of summer. But the largest of all
our metropolitan pleasure grounds are the National Park and Kuringai Chase. The former
comprises a territory of 36,300 acres ; it has a frontage of 9 miles to the Illawarra railway


Westward.
In so young a country as ours, a century is a very long time; so that
Parramatta. Parramatta, founded in 1788 by the first Governor, seems to us a hoary
and venerable town. It saw the beginnings of our history; it is old-
fashioned and retrospective. Situated at the head of the navigable portion of the estuary
known as the Parramatta River, it is surrounded by rolling hills. For a period it was regarded
as the capital of the colony, and for many years was the seat of the vice-regal residence. The
oldest church in the town dates from 1803, and was originally built in imitation of the church
at Reculvers, on the coast of Kent. But the shops and public buildings, as well as the pretty
villa residences that have spread out into the neighbouring country, indicate recent growth, and
modern notions of architectural beauty. Among the many educational establishments for which
the town is famous, pride of place is taken by the old King's School, founded in 1832, and still
the great Church of England school of the State. Many of its old pupils have attained eminence
in the social, professional, and political life of the province. Among the successful manufactures
of Parramatta may be noticed the weaving of tweed, the making of tiles and pipes, and soap and
caudle making. The public park, once the domain of Government House, is the pride of all
Parramatta residents, chiefly on account of its century-old oaks, beneath which runs a pleasant
drive. Willows and firs, planted in 1800, still flourish on the flats and slopes of the park. The
districts for miles about Parramatta are frugiferous. English fruits grow best in the hollows,
but the ridges and the eastern slopes are thickly planted with orange groves. In spring the
country-side is fragrant with the orange-blossom, and in winter the golden fruit bangs thick
amid the glossy foliage ; but here the seasons are so mild that they seem to intermix, and fruit
and blossom are frequently to be seen hanging on the tree together.
Between Parramatta and Blacktown there is undulating country taken up by farms,
orchards, grazing-paddocks, and private residences. From Blacktown, once the scene of an
educational experiment with aboriginals, a branch line of railway extends from the Great Western
line to Windsor and Richmond on the Hawkesbury River. On this route is Riverstone, where
there is a successful slaughtering and meat-preserving establishment, the neighbourhood being
naturally devoted, for the most part, to grazing. Beyond it lie rich farms and orchards.
Windsor is the oldest but one of Australian country towns, and looks
Windsor. a Rip Van Winkle settlement. Many of its oldest edifices still remain,
and the inns especially remind us of “the old colonial days,”-one-storied
buildings, with immensely thick walls of dark red brick, pillared porches before the doors, and
long verandahs where the greybeards of the hamlet foregather and tell stories of old times.



INTERIOR OF WOOL SHED, DARLING HARBOUR.



THE WEEPING BOCX
WENTWORTH FALLS, BLUE MYN NSW.
WEEPING ROCK WENTWORTH FALLS.


The Jenolan Caves.
71
the Victoria Pass, from which fine views of Hassan's Walls and the Kanimbla River are
obtained ; then the Cox River is crossed, and a mountain spur overcome. The latter half of
the journey is a continual descent, and the last few miles of the road wind down hills of great
height, amid wild and majestic scenery.
The Caves are in a limestone belt, which varies in thickness from 200 to
Jenolan Caves. 400 yards, and through this formation the creeks have worked their way
by subterranean channels, thus carving out through countless ages fantastic
tunnels and chambers. The caves which are usually shewn to the tourist are situated in a
saddle between the two hills from whose sụmmits
descend the Mount Victoria and Tarana roads.
The Mount Victoria road approaches the Caves
House (which stands in the bottom of a little
basin among smooth-sloped hills and rough walls
of limestone) through the Grand Arch, an
irregular tunnel, about 200 feet broad and 70
feet high, which penetrates a portion of the lime-
stone belt. Within the Arch a steep flight of
steps leads to the entrance of the Imperial Caves,
where a thousand natural marvels glitter in the
electric rays. Here are lovely stalactites and
stalagmites in endless variety-marble pillars,
icicles, miniature cities, statues, frozen cascades,
shawls, caskets of jewels, and curtains of deli-
cate lace. Some of the formations are snowy
white ; others are grey, deep red, yellow, or the
colour of ripe apricots. Through a dim tunnel,
below the general level of the floor, the under-
ground river flows from mystery to mystery.
In the Lucas Cave, wbich is entered near the
summit of the hill above the Grand Arch, the
most impressive object is the “Cathedral,” with
SCULPTOR'S STUDIO, JENOLAN CAVES.
its dome 300 feet in height. The decorative
formations are fewer than in the Imperial Cave, but one is awed by the magnitude of the
chambers and the appearance of gloom and chaos about the deep recesses and the tumbled
rocks——“rude fragments of an earlier world.” A similar sense of vastness is imparted by the
Nettle and Arch Caves, with their colossal and monstrous shapes. The Devil's Coach-house
possesses features which make it one of the chief attractions of Jenolan, and it has not the
drawbacks of clamminess and gloom. It is thus faithfully described by the author of a recently-
published book :---" The Devil's Coach-house is a huge cavern or arch, through which in flood-
time runs a creek, violently struggling, tossing tawny arms, and fighting its passage over and
between the boulders which block its course. The light penetrates the larger entrance of the
chamber, and at certain hours there is spilth of sunshine from a pear-shaped gap in the roof.
The said roof is 275 feet from the floor. In the walls are innumerable ledges, crevices, and
caves, the playgrounds of rock wallabies, and from the roof hang stalactites of pink and green
calcite. The wonderful blending of colours in this magnificent hall can only be appreciated

er
fore


The City of the Plains.
73
Westward from Wallerawang, the main line runs through broken and undulating
country. Tarana, a quiet settlement on the edge of the Fish River, is overlooked by the
crags from which the explorers of 1813 first saw the rolling pastures to the West-
" There, where the silver arrows of the day
Smote slopes and spire, they halted on their way.
Behind them were the conquered hills—they faced
The vast green West, with glad, strange beauty graced ;
And every tone of every cave and tree
Was as a voice of splendid prophecy.”
The road falls as the Bathurst Plains come in sight, and on all sides are cultivation paddocks
on low-lying hills.
Bathurst, “the City of the Plains,” is situated on the Macquarie River,
Bathurst. and is thus provided with a plentiful, sometimes over-plentiful, supply of
fresh water. The soil is rich and, though gold is worked in various localities,
the district depends upon its farmers for its prosperity. The city includes both an Anglican
and a Catholic cathedral, and has about it an air of immovable prosperity. Most of the public
buildings occupy a
handsome block in the
centre of the town,
close to the public
park. But, perhaps,
the most pleasing
structure in the
place is the square-
towered Roman
Catholic cathedral,
the deep-red walls of
which barmoniously
contrast with the dull-
green trees which
spread their boughs
beside it. All Saints'
Granımar School and
St. Stanislaus' College
take high rank among
educational institu-
tions, and the School
JIMENBUAN CASCADE, SNOWY RIVER.
of Arts, which pos-
sesses a large and up-to-date library, is one of the best of its kind out of Sydney.
Beyond Bathurst the rail traverses a pleasant country of corn-fields and gardens,
orchards, and rich pastures, through which a willow.fringed stream. winds its way. Then
rougher and less-inviting land is encountered, and Blayney is reached
Blayney to Harden. in a district where farming, copper-mining and pastoral industries are
. pursued. From here a branch line has been constructed to afford an
outlet for the rich lands on the western slopes of the Dividing Range and to enable residents


Molong and Parkes.
75
I shall be a baronet, you'll be knighted, and my old horse will be stuffed, put in a glass case,
and sent to the British Museum.” Mining operations are still carried on in the immediate
neighbourhood. Besides the gold, antimony, silver, lead, precious stones, and excellent marble
have been found.
Along the branch line from Orange to Forbes (97 miles) most of the
Orange to Forbes. country is fertile, and much of it is adapted for farming. There are also
broad patches of mineral country. The line derives its chief commercial
importance from its affording railway communication to the rich pastoral and gold-mining
district, extending for about 50 miles west of the Lachlan River.
Molong, the first important town on this route, lies on a bed of lime-
Molong. stone beside a tributary of the Snowy River. A belt of pastoral land
surrounds the township, but farms and orchards prosper, and copper and
gold have been obtained in the vicinity.

THE BROKEN CASCADE FITZROY VALLEY.
kes.
About Bumberry agricultural development has made great progress since the line was
opened, and farming operations are successfully conducted on no incon-
Parkės. siderable scale in the neighbourhood of Parkes. The latter is a busy
town on the eastern border of an extensive plain. Within a few miles of
the township there are valuable station properties, and the output of wool is large. There was
a gold rush here in the early sixties, and, though alluvial digging is not so profitable as it used
to be, reef mining promises to afford continuous employment to a large number of men for
many years to come.


80
Westward.
to a vanishing point. Bourke is the main centre of the pastoral industry in Australia. It is
built on a flat of black soil, on the left bank of the river; and when the water is high, and the
steamers are plying backwards and forwards, the wharves beside the main street constitute a
scene of remarkable activity. Wool comes, for transhipment by rail to the coast, from stations
as far west as Wilcannia, and as far east as Walgett. It comes from the Barwon, the Warrego,
and the Paroo, and large consignments arrive from the Queensland border. There are large
meat-chilling works in the district, and artesian water has been struck, at a depth of 1,250 feet,
some 7 miles from the township. The supply of water from the Pera Bore, as it is called,
amounts to 750,000 gallons per day. From this source travelling stock are watered, and a
Government experimental farm and a number of 20-acre leasehold blocks are supplied. Experi-
ments in cultivation show that if properly irrigated the soil of the district will grow anything
--fruit, cereals, tobacco, and all kinds of vegetables. All the greater buildings in Bourke are
of brick, and the streets are broad and tree-shaded. The dead level of the country is broken
thirty miles to the west, where the treeless ridge of Mount Oxley reaches the height of seven
hundred feet above the plain. The surrounding district is unsurpassed in the State for the
variety and luxuriance of its herbage.
To the north lies a country of springs, between the Paroo and the Warrego,
. The Land of where the water breaks through to the surface, creating pleasant oases
Springs. round the reedy pools. But beyond the springs, the land is poor and
scrubby. In a country like ours, however, we can well afford to keep
a barren patch or two.
Brewarrina, on the eastern bank of the Darling, is 70 miles east of Bourke,
Brewarrina. and resembles that town in its prospects, as in its appearance. But to the
north it commands a country far superior to the plains round Bourke-
about 20,000 acres of rich black-soil country, watered by four goodly creeks, but a district in
which the difficulties of a dreadful climate have to be met and overcome. The phenomena of
the mirage sometimes appear to perfection in this part of the country--phantom lakes in which
the trees are clearly reflected, sheep or travellers looming gigantic in the distance.
From Walgett, the permanent head of the Darling navigation, a good
Walgett and coach-road leads to Coonamble, and thence to Dubbo. Coonamble, a
Coonamble. hundred miles down the Castlereagh, has agricultural resources scarcely
. inferior to those of Dubbo, and the area of good soil is very extensive;
but nowhere is the need of a thorough system of water conservation and irrigation more
apparent. The country between the Namoi and the Bogan is covered with a network of water-
courses, and in a rainy spring the fertility of the soil asserts itself ; but the desolation of a
dry summer, a season “of short and thirsty sighs,” shows that much remains to be done before
the resources of the district can reach their full development.
West of the Darling there is no railway communication, and there are
“Out Back.” very few creeks. At one time, much of the land was available for grazing
purposes during only one-half of the year, but energetic pastoralists have
worked hard to increase the water-supply by the construction of “tanks” and the sinking of wells.
The natural fodder of the west consists of grass and the invaluable salsolaceous plants. Year by
year the country "out back” is improved, and its peculiar advantages turned to more profitable
account. To a stranger the western plains in a bad season would appear forbidding-a lurid
desert of despair; and yet this vast district is a very valuable province of New South Wales.


The Newcastle District.
83
parallel with the railway and the edge of the harbour ; and the streets which intersect them
drop down the steep hill-side in a sheer descent. There was a chance here for picturesque
effect, as of some mediæval European town, such as we see in engravings by Albrecht Dürer.

59. KUAINS-GAI CHASE PRIWATER
LOVETT5 BAY WATER HEAD
A PEEP IN KURING-GAI CHASE.
But nobody has ever charged Newcastle with being over beautiful. Utility is the one consider-
ation, and the whole city is eloquent of its staple product. The private residences are plain


84
Northern Districts.
and unpretentious, and the public buildings, though neat, are not particularly ornamental.
But always the sea is booming on the shore, and rugged cliffs and pleasant beaches are close at
hand. At the top of Monument Hill are the public park and the recreation ground, the former
neatly turfed and beautified with flower beds, the latter a wind-blown desert of grass tussocks.
From this high ground may be obtained magnificent views of the coastline for many miles.
Almost as good a look-out is afforded by Signal Hill, on which the fortifications stand, at the
butt end of the southern breakwater. One of the prettiest drives in the vicinity is along the
marine promenade that surrounds this cliff-faced little knoll.
The suburbs of Newcastle have grown up as separate towns about each
Suburbs of colliery, but the city is rapidly extending inland and gathering in these
Newcastle. outlying posts.
Hamilton, Lambton, Waratah, Plattsburg, Wallsend, Stockton, Wick-
ham, Charlestown, and Minmi are all important mining centres close to Newcastle, while
further north are situated the famous Greta coal-fields.
At Hamilton, many years ago, the Australian Agricultural Company sank a great shaft
through a troublesome quicksand, and were rewarded by perennial wealth in the shape of clean
coal of first rate quality, much esteemed for the generation of gas as well as for household use.
A patent fuel factory in the neighbourhood takes the small coal from the different pits, and
fashions it into convenient oval blocks. In itself, Hamilton is a large and flourishing town, and
is fortunate in standing on the main railway routes at the junction of the Sydney-Newcastle
and Newcastle-Wallangarra lines.
Lambton produces building stone and fruit as well as coal, and steam-sawmilling is a
thriving industry. There are also smelting works in the vicinity.
As a mining centre Waratah is less important than it was ; but perhaps for that very
reason, as well as on account of the pleasantly undulating nature of the ground, it is the
favourite residential suburb. Large quantities of oranges, bananas, grapes, and other varieties
of fruit have been raised in the vicinity of the town, tin and smelting works are in full swing,
and the clay hereabouts has been found suitable for pottery. The Waratah Coal Company has
transferred its plant to the neighbourhood of Charlestown, a village on the road to the
picturesque marine settlement of Belmont, which is one of Newcastle's chief pleasure resorts.
At Plattsburg, coal-mining is pursued on an extensive scale, and a large number of
ovens are employed in the production of coke.
But of all the colliery centres about Newcastle the most important is Wallsend, which
takes rank in the same class as the largest collieries of England. The coal is worked by one
of the wealthiest coal-mining corporations in Australia. Most of the mineral is drawn from a
tunnel which pierces the seain at the outcrop; but there are, in addition, several pits on the
estate. There is a large population in the town.
Amongst the various supplementary industries that help to support the harbour suburb
of Stockton are ship-building, lime-burning, and saw-milling. Stockton lies at the base of the
northern breakwater.
The colliery municipality of Wickham includes several villages of considerable size. The
streets of Newcastle extend, without interval, into the most thickly-populated portions of
Wickham. Soap and cordial manufactories, saw-mills and wool-washing establishments find a
home in this neighbourhood, and the great furnaces of the Hunter River copper works hold up
their streamers of smoke and flame.


98

SHEEP YARDED FOR SHEARING.


The Hunter Valley.
87
to the settled opulence of the district. Crops grow with such lush profusion here that the toil
of the husbandman is “that of perpetual harvest.” Of course, the farmers are the mainstay
of Maitland, but a number of factories have sprung up, and many of the inhabitants find regular
employment in tanning, carriage-building, manufacturing tobacco, bootmaking, brewing, and
making brooms.
At Maitland are the waterworks for the district. One feature of the scheme is an
artificial lake, to be pumped full whenever the river is clear, so that, when a freshet fills the
river with turbid water, the supply for the filtration beds may be drawn from this reserve
store.
A few miles away is the pretty little village of Paterson, which rests by
The Paterson the river of the same name. The banks of this marvellously calm and
beautiful stream are fringed with numberless weeping willows, trailing
their long strands in the current, and adding greatly to the loveliness of the river by their bright-
ness and the softness of their reflected foliage. The soil is rich and red, and is productive of
very fine grapes, figs, melons, and other fruit. Steamers ply between Port Hunter and the
townships on the river. Scattered round the upper waters are splendid cattle stations and noted
stud farms, the native homes of many a famous racer.
From Maitland the railway runs northward, up the narrowing valley of the Hunter,
traversing the wine-growing districts of Lochinvar, Allandale, and Branxton. It is a country
of pleasant days stored in full cellars of the memory :-
Then place your hand in
This hand of mine ;
And, while we stand in
The brave sunshine,
Pledge deep our land in
Our land's own wine.
Then an entrance is made upon Patrick's Plains, so called because dis-
Patrick's Plains. covered on St. Patrick's Day. These alluvial flats grow maize, grapes, and
tobacco with eagerness. Coal is successfully worked about three miles from
the line; copper, iron, and limestone abound ; and the district is famous for its dairy produce.
Singleton, the principal township on Patrick's Plains, was founded in 1825, and its age has given
it an aspect of solid comfort and prosperity.
Muswellbrook, situated at the junction of the Muswellbrook Creck with
Muswellbrook. the Hunter, is the centre of an agricultural and pastoral district. Wheat,
maize, tobacco, and the vine are cultivated. Muswellbrook is remarkable
for its beautiful church, built at great expense by a local family from designs by Sir Gilbert
Scott.
From this point the road to the north-west branches off through an
On the North-west important and early-settled district. This road, which is the route by
Road (to Bourke). which the main range may be most easily crossed, lies through the towns
of Denman, Wybong, Merriwa, Cassilis, Denison Town, and Cobborah.
Of these Merriwa undoubtedly ranks first. It stands by the Merriwa River, on the
main stock route between Bourke and Sydney. Gold, coal, and kerosene shale have been found
in its vicinity; some of our best timbers, including ironbark and cedar, flourish in all parts of
the district ; climate and soil encourage the growth of wheat and other cereals; and potatoes


88
Northern Districts.
and grapes yield heavy crops. Pastoral pursuits also occupy the attention of the settlers, and
Merriwa is famous for its Merino sheep. Grand mountainous scenery surrounds the town, and
the country is well watered by the numerous streams which have their rise in the Liverpool
Range. Pastoral and agricultural industries are also prosecuted in the fertile areas surrounding
Cassilis, Denison Town, and Cobborah.
On the Hunter River, north of Muswellbrook, the railway touches Aber-
Aberdeen. deen, more than 600 feet above sea-level. The country is devoted prin-
cipally to wool-growing; but farming is by no means neglected. The
chilling of carcases for export is carried on extensively, and the meat-works here are the largest
and best equipped in the State. Eight miles further along the line is the
Scone. old settlement of Scone, situated in the midst of well-wooded plains and
gently undulating pastures. Among agricultural products, the foremost

WOOL TEAMS ON THE ROAD.
place is taken by wheat; maize, potatoes, and tobacco are also cultivated. The elevation above
the sea is 700 feet, and Scone, having a genial climate, has the nature of a sanatorium. Visitors
are also attracted by the beauty of the mountain country in the neighbourhood.
At an altitude of 1,000 feet is the town of Wingen, which interests the
Mount Wingen. tourist because it stands within a few miles of a burning mountain. This
is not a volcano—we have not an active volcano on the continent; but
before the advent of the white man a vast bed of coal became somehow ignited here, and it has
been glowing and smoking in the hill ever since.
Murrurundi, at the foot of the hills, is the last town on the Great
Murrurundi and the Northern route before it crosses the Liverpool Range. The name of
Liverpool Range. Murrurundi, conferred on the place by the blacks, means “the big
camping-ground.” The line rises rapidly from this point, sweeping round


16

A VIEW AT PITTWATER.


92
Northern Districts.
chain rises. Here is wild scenery of peculiar beauty. Down rugged gorges, flanked by pre-
cipitous heights, flow creeks which, in rainy weather, are clamorous and fierce, and leap from
chasm to chasm” in a series of cataracts.
The highest point in the railway system of the State is reached at Ben
Glen Innes, Lomond, 4,500 feet above the sea. After passing the bleak and rugged
Emmaville summit of the range, the line runs down through rough granite country,
(Vegetable Creek), and fertile plains, to Glen Innes, a picturesque and prosperous town in
and Inverell. the shadow of a high hill. The climate is cool and invigorating, and
the surface of the surrounding country is alternately mountainous and
flat. Large areas are
taken up in the culti-
vation of hay and wheat,
and tin-mining has added
greatly to the prosperity
of the place. One of the
chief centres of the
tin-mining industry is
Emmaville, which lies
28 miles north of Glen
Innes. The metal was
first found in the form
of easily washed-out
stream tin in the gullies,
but rich lodes are now
treated by elaborate
machinery. Inverell to
the west, is also noted
for its production of tin,
and the country lying
between it and Glen
THE WHARF. PATERSON.
Innes comprises wide
tracts of agricultural
land, much of which is taken up by farms and vineyards.
Only 1.2 miles from the border is the town of Tenterfield, among the
Tenterfield. hills that flank the northern portion of the New England Range. It
stands at an elevation of 3,000 feet, and its bracing climate proves attrac-
tive to Queensland residents in search of a sanatorium. Gold, silver, and tin occur in payable
quantities about the river-beds and mountain spurs in the east and north.
To the west of the table-land, along which the Northern line makes its
West of the way, the ground slopes towards the centre of the Continent, and agricul-
Table-land. ture gives way by degrees to pastoral occupation. This is the general
character of the country lying in the large triangular tract, of which Tam-
worth is the apex, while Mungindi and Tenterfield stand at the extremities of the base, the
two railway routes bounding it on either side. There are no very large towns within these
lines.


99
The Southern Districts.
As far as Granville the railway is common to both West and South, and
Liverpool. all the townships on this section of the line may fairly be regarded as
suburbs of Sydney. Froin Granville, where drain-pipes and bricks are
plentifully manufactured, the Great Southern Line branches off, and, after passing through
about ten miles of good but not particularly interesting country, arrives at the early settlement
of Liverpool, on the bank of George's River. The river, which flows into Botany Bay, is
navigable as far as the town. The surrounding country is mostly level and well grassed, and is
used chiefly for dairy-farming purposes. In the vicinity is the best and largest paper-mill in
Australia, and there are also close at hand extensive wool-washing and fellmongering establish-
ments. Not far from the town is Moore College, a privately-endowed seminary for the
training of students for the Anglican Ministry. The church of St. Luke's, a weather-beaten
towered building, was erected early in the nineteenth century. Some years ago its interior
fittings were removed, and under the gallery floor were found a number of old Spanish dollars,
relics of old days when certain prisoners, who were permitted to attend public worship here,
beguiled the tedium of the service with a little gambling.
For the next twenty miles, the country is partly agricultural and partly
Campbelltown. pastoral, and the line passes through a land of grassy billows, varied by
orcharıls, vineyards, pleasant leas, and ploughed fields. Between the hills
run little creeks, shaded by luxurious trees. In the midst of this country lies Campbelltown, a
dozen miles from Liverpool, and 160 feet higher. Campbelltown consists of a single street,
some of the houses in which are solidly built in the old-fashioned style which obtained when
the early settlements were made. Before the railway arrived, it was an important coaching
town; now it is notable as the centre of a district of fertile fields and orchards. A coach
runs to Appin, a hoary village in the neighbourhood of the source of the metropolitan water-
supply. A light branch line runs from Campbelltown to Carden, a
Camden. delightful township situated in park-like country, about ten miles to the
westward, and close to the winding waters of the Upper Nepean. It
was in this district that experiments in wool-growing and viticulture were first made in
Australia.
Menangle, six or seven miles to the south of Campbelltown, is one of the
“The Cow Pastures.''prettiest places on the line. It was here that in 1794 a herd of cattle,
descended from stock which had taken to the bush, were discovered.
Hence the (now obsolete) name of “The Cow Pastures.”


102
The Southern Districts.
the aspect of rural England. Old people sit in the sun and look as though they had not
budged since the first comfortable little cottages were built.
From Berrima, a recently constructed road runs tlırough Bullio, down
The Wombeyan the mountain slopes to the clear rippling Wollondilly, and thence up a
Caves. convenient spur to Wombeyan. Another route leaves the rail at Goulburn
and passes through Taralga. Wombeyan Caves are similar in formation
to the caves at Jenolan, but, though they are not so extensive, they are perhaps even more
beautiful, inasmuch as the objects of interest seem to cluster more thickly together. The gem
of them all is the Kuringa Cave, the ceiling of which is marvellously draped with stalactitic


AYRSHIRE AND JERSEY CATTLE.
formations of various hue. The Basin Cave is remarkable for its terraces of natural tanks or
basins, some of which are over six feet in depth.
Between Mittagong and Bowral the railway passes by a tunnel beneath a
Bowral. high mountain spur known as the “Gib” from its fancied resemblance
to Gibraltar. From the top of the Gib, on clear days, fine views of the
country are obtainable, and one can even see the distant ocean. Under shelter of this rock,
and even extending upon its lower slopes, is Bowral, a thickly populated little town, with the
usual appurtenances of a fashionable resort.
Moss Vale is a pleasant little township stretching on both sides of the
Moss Vale and the railway line over lightly timbered land, most of which is only gently
Fitzroy Falls. undulating. Some of the wealthiest families in New South Wales have
built handsome mansions in the district, and two miles from the station,