Books of Reference concerning the Commonwealth of

Australia.

1. OFFICIAL PUBLICATIONS.

Each of the Colonies publishes an Annual Blue Book and Statistical Register, containing Annual Reports of the various administrative, industrial, educational, and other departments.

A Statistical Account of Australia and New Zealand, by T. A. Coghlan, Government Statistician of New South Wales. Published annually since 1886. Sydney.

Australasian Statistics, published annually, by T. A. Coghlan, A. M. Inst. C. E., Government Statistician of New South Wales. Sydney.

Australasian Statistics, published annually, with Report, by J. J. Fenton, Assistant Government Statist of Victoria. Melbourne.

Colonial Office List. Published annually. London.

Statistical Abstract for the several Colonial and other Possessions of the United Kingdom. Annual. London.

Official Record of the Proceedings and Debates of the National Australasian Convention held in the Parliament House, Sydney, New South Wales, March and April, 1891. London 1891.

In four

Commerce, Customs, and Excise of the Commonwealth of Australia. Sydney, 1904. The Year-Book of Australia. Edited by the Hon. Edward Greville. Annual. London. Report on the work of the Horn Scientific Expedition to Central Australia. parts-Narrative, Zoology, Geology and Botany, Anthropology. Melbourne, 1897. Annual Statement of the Trade and Navigation of the United Kingdom with Foreign ountries and British Possssions. Imp. 4. Annual. London.

2. NON-OFFICIAL PUBLICATIONS.

Bates (H. W.) and Eden (C. H.), Colonel Warburton's Journey across Australia. 8. London, 1875.

Becke (L.) and Jeffery (W.), The Naval Pioneers of Australia. London, 1899.

Calvert (A. J.), The Discovery of Australia. London, 1893. The Exploration of Australia. London, 1895.

Chalmers (R.), A History of Currency in the British Colonies. London, 1893.

Cockburn (Sir J. A.), Australian Federation. London, 1901.
Collingridge (G.), The Discovery of Australia. Sydney, 1895.

Craig (G. C.), The Federal Defence of Australasia. London, 1897.

Daiber (A.), Eine Australien und Sudseefahrt. Leipzig, 1902.

Davitt (M.), Life and Progress in Australia. London, 1898.

Demarr (J.), Adventures in Australia Fifty Years Ago (1839-44). 8. London, 1893.

Dilke (Sir Charles Wentworth, Bart., M.P.), Greater Britain: a Record of Travel in English-Speaking Countries in 1866 and 1867. New edit. 8. London, 1885.

Dilke (Sir C. W.), Problems of Greater Britain. 2 vols. London, 1890.

Epps (W.), The Land Systems of Australia. 8. London, 1894.

Favenc (Ernest), The History of Australian Exploration. Sydney, 1888.

Finch-Hatton (Hon. H.), Advance, Australia: an Account of Eight Years' Work, Wandering, and Amusement in Queensland, New South Wales, and Victoria. London, 1885. Forrest (John), Explorations in Australia. 8. London, 1875.

Froude (J. A.), Oceana; or, England and her Colonies. London, 1886.

Galloway (W. J.), Advanced Australia. London, 1899.

Garran (R. R.), Australasia Illustrated. Vol. I. London, 1898.

Giles (E.), Australia Twice Traversed. 2 vols. London, 1890.

Gordon and Gotch, Australian Handbook. Annual. London.

Grey (J. G.), Australasia Old and New. London, 1901.

Hardman (Wm.), John M'Douall Stuart's Journals of Explorations in Australia from 1858 to 1862. 8. London, 1866.

Howitt (A. W.), The Native Tribes of South-East Australia. London, 1904.

Kent (W. Saville), The Great Barrier Reef of Australia. 4. London, 1893.-The Naturalist in Australia. London, 1897.

Lang (G. S.), The Aborigines of Australia. Melbourne, 1865.

Laurie (J. S.), The Story of Australasia. 8. London, 1896.

Lloyd (A. D.), Newest England (Australia and New Zealand). New York, 1900.

Métin (A.), Le Socialisme sans doctrines: la question ouvrière et la question agraire en Australie et Nouvelle Zéland. Paris, 1901.

Moore (H.), The Constitution of the Commonwealth of Australia. London, 1902.
Petherick (E. A.), Australia in 1897. London, 1897.

Reclus (E.), Géographie Universelle. Vol. XIV. Paris, 1889.

Reeves (W. P.), State Experiments in Australia and New Zealand. 2 vols. London, 1902.

Rowland (P. F.), The New Nation. London, 1903.

Rusden (G. W.), The History of Australia. 3 vols. London, 1883.

Schmeisser (K.), The Goldfields of Australasia. 2 vols. London, 1899.

Scott (G. F.), The Romance of Australian Exploring. London, 1899.

Semon (R.), In the Australian Bush and on the Coast of the Coral Sea. Experiences, &c. of a Naturalist. London, 1899.

Shaw (Flora L.), The Story of Australia. London, 1897.

Silver (S. W.), Handbook for Australia and New Zealand. 5th edit. London, 1888. Spencer (B.), and Gillen (F. J.), The Native Tribes of Central Australia. London, 1899. -The Northern Tribes of Central Australia. London, 1904.

Thomson (J. P.), The Physical Geography of Australia (Smithsonian Report). Washing. ton, 1898.

Thynne (R.), The Story of Australian Exploration. London, 1894.

Todd (A.), Parliamentary Government in the British Colonies. 8. London, 1880.

Trollope (Anthony), Australasia and New Zealand. 8. London, 1873. New edit. 1875. Vossion (L.), L'Australie nouvelle et son Avenir. Paris, 1902.

Walker (H. de R.), Australasian Democracy. London, 1897.

Wallace (A. R.), Australia. 6th edit. 8. London, 1893.

Wallace (R.), The Rural Economy and Agriculture of Australia and New Zealand. 8. London, 1891.

Zimmermann (A.), Die Europaischen Kolonien. 3 vols. Berlin, 1899.

NEW SOUTH WALES.

Constitution and Government.

The constitution of New South Wales, the oldest of the Australasian colonies, now a State of the Commonwealth of Australia, is embodied in the consolidating Act No. 32, 1902. In 1855, 'responsible government was established. The constitution vests the legislative power in a Parliament of two Houses, the first called the Legislative Council, and the second the Legislative Assembly. The Legislative Council consists of not less than twenty-one members (61 in September, 1904), appointed by the Crown for life, and the Assembly has 90 members. During 1904 the State was divided into 90 electorates, each with only one member. Every man or woman being a natural born or naturalised subject above 21 years of age, having resided one year in the State and three months in a particular electoral district, is qualified as an elector and is entitled to one vote only. The elections must all take place on one and the same day. The duration of a parliament is not more than three years. Members of the Legislative Assembly are paid 3007. per annum, in addition to which they are allowed to travel free on government railways and tramways in the State, and are provided with official stamped envelopes for the free transmission of correspondence through the post. Members of the Legislative Council receive no allowances, but are privileged to travel free over all government railways and tramways. At the general election of 1901, 195,359 electors out of 313,390

enrolled in contested districts, or 62.34 per cent. of the electors on the roll voted. Information regarding the general election held in August, 1904, is not yet available, but as this election was the first at which women voted, the figures will be much larger than those shown for the election in 1901. The executive is in the hands of a Governor, appointed by the Imperial Government.

Governor.-Sir Harry Holdsworth Rawson, R.N., K.C.B., appointed January 29, 1901.

The Governor, by the terms of his commission, is commanderin-chief of all the troops in the State. He has a salary of 5,000l.; private secretary and orderlies paid for by the State. In the exercise of the executive he is assisted by a Cabinet of eight ministers, consisting of the following members :

Premier, Colonial Treasurer and Minister for Railways.-Hon. Joseph Hector Carruthers.

Colonial Secretary. -Hon. James Alexander Hogue.

Attorney-General and Minister of Justice.-Hon. Charles Gregory Wade. Secretary for Lands.-Hon. James Ashton.

Secretary for Public Works.-Hon. Charles Alfred Lee.

Minister of Public Instruction & Industry and Labour.-Hon. Broughton Barnabas O'Conor.

Secretary for Mines and Agriculture.-Hon. Samuel Wilkinson Moore. Vice-President of the Executive Council.-Hon. John Hughes, M.L.C. Member of the Executive Council (without portfolio).-Hon. William Thomas Dick.

The Colonial Secretary and Attorney-General have salaries of 1,8201., and the other ministers, except the Vice-President of the Executive Council, of 1,3701. Agent-General in London.—(Acting) Rt. Hon. the Earl of Jersey, G. C. B.,

G.C.M.G.

Secretary.-T. G. White.

LOCAL GOVERNMENT.

Under the Municipalities Act of 1867 local government is extended to 192 districts, 78 being designated 'boroughs' and 114 municipal districts,' in addition to the City of Sydney. A borough must contain a minimum population of 1,000, within an area not larger than 9 square miles; a municipal district a population of 500, and an area not larger than 50 square miles. The portion of the State incorporated is small, covering only 1,810,912 acres, or the one hundred and ninth part of its area. The population residing within the municipal area was 851,908 (census March, 1901). The estimated population on December 31, 1903, was 901,360.

The State grants an endowment to every municipality for a period of 15 years after its incorporation as follows: For each of the first 5 years a sum equal to the local revenue raised during the past year, in each of the next 5 years one moiety, and in each of the next 5 years a fourth of the amount raised by rates and subscriptions. All persons holding household, leasehold, or freehold estate in any municipality, and paying rates, are entitled to from 1 to 4 votes for the election of aldermen and auditors, according to annual value of property.

Area and Population.

The area of the State is estimated at 310,700 square miles. The State is divided into various districts for departmental pur. poses, the most important division being that into 141 counties. The estimated population on December 31, 1903, was 1,431,629 (754,632 males, and 676,997 females). lation at five successive census periods was :

The popu

According to the race or origin, percentages were as follows at the census of 1901 (exclusive of aborigines):-New South Wales, 72.20; other Commonwealth States, 754; New Zealand, 0.78; English, 9.32; Irish, 4·43; Scotch, 2.27; Welsh, 0.26; other British subjects, 0·44; total British subjects, 97 24. Chinese, 0.74; German, 0·64; other foreigners, 1.23; total foreigners, 2.61. Born at sea, 0.15.

At the census of 1901 there was in the State a population of aborigines, comprising:-Males, 2,451; females, 1,836; total, 4,287, included in total census population given above.

According to occupation the number of actual workers was distributed thus at the census of 1901 :

The number of persons classed as 'dependants' was 787,727, of whom 13,760 were dependent on public or private charity. There were besides 2,320 persons whose occupations were not stated. The aborigines are not included in this tabulation.

The census population of Sydney (1901), including suburbs, is 481,830. Of the country towns Newcastle has 12,988; Bathurst, 9,223; Goulburn, 10,612; Parramatta, 12,560; Broken Hill,27,500; Maitland, 10,073; Albury, 5,821; Granville, 5,094; Hamilton, 6,124; Lithgow, 5,268; West Maitland, 6,789; Wagga Wagga, 5,108; Tamworth, 5,799; and Wickham, 7,752. The following table shows the births, deaths, and marriages for five years:

The increase in population between the census of 1891 and that of 1901 was 226,899. Towards this the excess of births over deaths contributed 226,739.

The following are the statistics of the arrivals and departures by sea for five years, making allowance for those unrecorded:

Assisted immigration, which became the policy of New South Wales in 1832, practically ceased in 1887. In 1881 a poll-tax of 107. was imposed on Chinese immigrants other than British subjects or those who have been naturalised in New South Wales. The tax in 1888 was increased to 1007. In the year 1888, there were in New South Wales 16,032 Chinese not including half-castes. At the census of 1901 there were 10,219 Chinese and 1,044 Chinese half-castes.

The recorded arrivals and departures of all Chinese have been as follow in six years :

The clergy

An Act abolishing State aid to religion was passed in 1862. who received State aid when the Act was passed, and now survive, still receive that aid, the total amount in 1903 being 3,0367.

The Church of England in the State is governed by a Metropolitan who is Archbishop of Sydney, Metropolitan and Primate of Australia and Tasmania. He is nominated by the Bishops in Australia and consecrated by the Archbishop of Canterbury. There were in 1904 six dioceses. The affairs of the Roman Catholic Church are administered by the Bishops of seven dioceses under the Cardinal Archbishop of Sydney, who is also Primate of Australasia. The following table shows the number of ministers of religion licensed to