Area and Population.

The first penal settlement was formed in Tasmania in 1804; and till 1813 it was merely a place of transportation from Great Britain and from New South Wales, of which colony it was a dependency until 1825. Transportation ceased in 1853.

The area of the colony, with Macquarie (170 square miles), is estimated at 26,385 square miles or about 16,886,000 acres, of which 15,571,500 acres form the area of Tasmania Proper, the rest constituting that of a number of small islands, in two main groups, the north-east and north-west. The colony is divided into eighteen counties.

According to Census Returns the population has increased as follows::

On

At the census of 1901 there were 89,624 males and 82,851 females. the basis of this population, the average density is 6.58 persons to a square mile. Of the total population in 1901, 136,629 were natives of Tasmania 19,815 natives of the United Kingdom, 12,526 natives of other Australasian colonies, 484 Chinese, 773 German. In 1901 there were 25,807 males and 25,460 females married, 60,917 males and 52,571 females unmarried, 2,560 males and 4,672 females widowed, 35 males and 22 females divorced, and 305 males and 126 females unspecified. The aborigines of Tasmania are entirely

extinct.

Of the population in 1901, 4,997 were returned as professional; 7,937 domestic; 7,497 commercial; transport and communication, 4,848; 18,750 industrial; 27,899 primary producers; 1,566 indefinite; 98,981 dependants. The births, deaths, and marriages for five years have been as follows:

Of the total births in 1903, 285, or 5'61 per cent., were illegitimate.

The number of immigrants and emigrants was as follows in each of the last six years :—

A A

Besides hospitals and

Pauperism.

enemien: msammens, there are two establREmence or papers, viti 1980 male and 18 simale inmates at the end of the pas 1M3, the iny are mer of persons matinamel bring the year being 181 males and 148 james The sick expendime during the year va 38. manly xazed by the riental Government. During the

year 1903 outdoor relief was administered to the amount of 1,9237; 3.115 persons (including children) were relieved by Benevolent Societies in 1902.

Revenue and Expenditure.

The State revenue is derived chiefly from duties, licences, railways, and other public services, and from the rental and sale of Crown lands. The customs, postal and telegraph, and defenee services are now in the hands of the Commonwealth, the balance of revenue over Commonwealth requirements being returned to the State. The decrease of State revenue and expenditure since 1900 shown in the following table is owing to this arrangement :—

Included in the receipts and disbursements for 1903 are certain sums raised and expended for 'redemption of loans,’under the name of 'Territorial Revenue.'

The revenue for 1903 is (under existing Federal and State conditions) estimated at 897,7817., and expenditure 864,0007.

The public debt of Tasmania amounted December 31, 1903, to 9,318,3997. the debt, except 4,200,3357. at 34 per cent., consists principally of 4 per cent. debentures, redeemable from 1904 to 1940, and the whole was raised for the construction of public works. The interest on the amount realised on the last 34 per cent. loan floated was equivalent to 3-621 per cent. at par. The following is an abstract of loans expenditure up to December 31, 1903 :Public works: railways, 4,085,3587., or 45 43 per cent. ; telegraphs, 142, 4107., or 1.58 per cent. ; roads, bridges, 2,215,6087., or 24 64 per cent.; harbours, rivers, jetties, and lighthouses, 472,4717., or 5 25 per cent. ; publie buildings, 830,8287., or 94 per cent. ; defences, 128, 1797., or 142 per cent. ; other public works, 153,1177., or 1·70 per cent.; loans to local bodies, 316,770l., or 3 52 per cent.; miscellaneous, 136,7937., or 1·52 per cent. -total public works, 8,481,5357., or 94 30 per cent.; other public services, 512,3714., or 570 per cent.-total, 8,993,9067., or 100.00 per cent.

The total local revenue, exclusive of all grants from the Government, for 1902 was 204,5887., and the expenditure 194,3437. Local debt, 1902, 824,4577, For defence, see under Commonwealth of Australia. There are four batteries on the river Derwent, and one on the Tamar; and the State possesses one torpedo boat and some small craft,

1

Production and Industry.

The total area of the colony is 16,778,000 acres, including 1,206,500 acres islands and lakes, unalienated land, principally heavily timbered or mineral-bearing, 11,737,587 acres. At the sawmills the quantity of timber cut in 1903 was 35,196,700 feet, value 89,2271. In 1901 19,422 persons were directly engaged in agriculture, and 1,881 in pastoral pursuits. In 1904 there were 259,611 acres under crop, and 343,284 acres under permanent artificially sown grasses. Of the total area, 5,040,413 acres have been sold or granted to settlers by the Crown up to the end of 1903; while 1,536,988 acres have been leased as sheep runs. In 1903-1904 the total area under fallow, 38, 267; 15,819 acres were devoted to horticulture. The following table shows the acreage and produce of the chief crops for five years

Under the head of horticulture 639 acres were sown with hops in 1904, yielding 864,604 lbs. of hops. The yield of apples was greatly above the average while prices generally were exceedingly high. Fruit culture is of great importance; fruit and jam to the value of 395,497. was exported in 1903.

There were in the colony 35,541 horses, 185,938 head of cattle, 1,397,053 sheep and lambs, and 56,538 pigs, on March 1, 1904. The wool clip in 1903 was estimated at 9,200,000 lbs.

The soil of the colony is rich in iron ore, tin, copper, and galena, and there are large beds of coal. The total number of gold-mining leases in force at the end of 1903 was 243; of tin-mining leases, 444; coal, 32; silver, 169, copper, 58. Gold to the value of 125,8257. was exported in 1903, and silver to the value of 428,1257., copper ore, &c., 511,801. The total output of gold from beginning of gold mining to end of 1903, was 1,410,596 crude ounces; value 5,449,2637. Owing to cessation of alluvial working, the total number of persons employed in gold-mining has decreased from 2,060 in 1879 to 923 in 1903. The total number of men employed in silver and copper mining in 1903 was 1,681, output 388,042 tons, valued at 887,9331. The total value of tin exports in 1903 was 298,0631. The total value of the tin exported up to the end of 1903 was 8,191,2297. The total number of men employed in coalmining in 1903 was 161, output 51,805 tons, valued at 20,9167.

Commerce, Shipping, and Railways.

The commerce of Tasmania, exclusive of inter-State trade, is comprised in the statement of the commerce of Australia, given under the heading of the Commonwealth.

There are heavy customs duties, those levied in 1903 amounting to 366,8987., or 14.15 per cent. of the total value of imports. The total imports and exports, including inter-State trade, were as follows in each of the last five years:

In 1903 the imports subject to duty amounted to 1,396,6777., and the imports duty-free to 1,197, 1337. The duties collected in 1903 amounted to 366,8987.

The exports are chiefly wool, gold, silver, tin, timber, fruit and jam, hops, grain, hides and skins, bark.

The registered shipping in 1903 consisted of 150 sailing vessels of 8,744 tons, and 57 steamers of 9,038 tons; total, 207 vessels of 17,782 tons. In 1903 928 vessels of 938,371 tons entered (56 of 245,217 tons belonging to the United Kingdom), and 927 of 935,802 tons (56 of 244,977 tons belonging to the United Kingdom) cleared Tasmanian ports. Of the former 313 of 572,992 tons entered, and of the latter 314 of 569,764 tons cleared Hobart; the remainder falling to Launceston and sub-ports.

At the end of 1903 there were open for traffic 620 miles of railway completed, consisting of a main line connecting the two principal ports, Hobart and Launceston, and a line connecting Launceston and Burnie, and other inland branch lines. Of the total length of line, 452 miles belong to Government and 168 miles to companies. The railways have a gauge of 3ft. 6in. The cost of construction of railways to end of 1903 was 4,981,5637. The receipts in 1903 amounted to 307,4697., and the working expenses to 200,0377. For posts and telegraphs see under Commonwealth of Australia.

Fenton (James), History of Tasmania. Hobart, 1884.

Johnston (R. M.), Official Record of Tasmania. Annual. Hobart.-Systematic Account of the Geology of Tasmania. Hobart, 1888.

Just (T. C.), Tasmaniana: a Description of the Island and its Resources. Launceston,

1879.

Lloyd (Geo. Thomas), Thirty-three Years in Tasmania and Victoria. 8. London, 1862. Murray (A. S.), Tasmanian Rivers, Lakes, and Flowers. London, 1900.

Roth (H. Ling) and Butler (M. E.), The Aborigines of Tasmania. 2nd ed. Halifax, 1900. Rusden (G. W.), The History of Australia. 3 vols, London, 1883.

Tasmania and its Mineral Wealth. Melbourne, 1898.

Progress of the Mineral Industry of Tasmania.

Welch's Tasmanian Almanac. Annual. Hobart.