crown lands, mining and other licenses, and land sales. The colony has an imperial grant in aid, amounting to 6,000l. for 1884. Western Australia had a public debt of 607,7917. at the end of 1883, the total including a loan of 200,000l. at 4 per cent., raised in 1879 for the construction of a railway, and another of 150,000l. in 1881. Also a further loan of 254,000l. has been authorised for completion of Eastern Railway, making a total public debt of 861,7917. in 1884. Population and Trade. As defined by Royal Commission, Western Australia includes all that portion of the continent situated to the westward of 129° E. longitude. The greatest length of this territory is 1,280 miles from north to south, and 800 miles from east to west, while the occupied portion of the colony is about 600 miles in length from north to south, by about 150 miles in average breadth. The total estimated area of the colony is 975,920 English square miles, including islands. It is divided into 14 districts. Western Australia was first settled in 1829, and for many years the population was small. In 1850, the colony had not more than 6,000 inhabitants, but at the census of December 1859, the population had risen to 14,837-namely, 9,522 males and 5,315 females. On the 31st December 1867, the population numbered 21,713, comprising 13,934 males and 7,779 females. At the census taken on the 31st March 1870, the total population was 25,353, of whom 15,565 were males and 9,788 females. Included in these numbers were 1,790 male prisoners, either in prisons or at working depôts in various parts of the colony. These At the end of 1878, the estimated population of the colony was 28,166, according to the returns of births and deaths; and the results of the census of April 3, 1881, gave a total population of 29,708-17,062 males and 12,646 females. This shows an increase since 1870 of 4,923, or 19.86-1.8 per cent. per annum. populations do not include the aborigines, of whose numbers it is difficult to give even an approximate estimate, scattered as they are over an extensive territory, much of which is yet entirely unknown. There were 2,346 aborigines in service in the colony in 1881. Of the total population in 1881, 20,410 were returned as unmarried, and 17,773 as being natives of West Australia. Perth, the capital, had 5,044 inhabitants in 1881, Fremantle 3,641. In 1883 there were 1,058 births and 560 deaths, giving a surplus of 498. There were 1,507 arrivals and 1,071 departures; excess of arrivals over departures, 436; the total gain during the year being 934; the total mean population being on December 31, 1883, 31,233. The religious division of the population was as follows at the census of April 3, 1881 : Of the total white population above 15 years in 1881, 9.93 per cent. could neither read nor write. Education is compulsory. The agricultural prosperity of the colony has been greatly on the rise in recent years; still there were only 58,111 acres of land under cultivation at the end of 1883, out of a total of 624,588,800 acres. The live stock consisted, in 1883, of 32,884 horses, 64,558 cattle, and 1,315,155 sheep. At the census of 1881, 4,763 persons were returned as directly engaged in agricultural pursuits-exclusive of their families; 2,607 persons were engaged in industrial pursuits. In 1883, of the cultivated area, 24,768 acres were under wheat, 5,547 under barley, 1,917 under oats, and 20,295 under hay. The total area alienated in the colony up to the end of 1883 was 1,719,500 acres. In 1879 upwards of 20,000,000 acres of well-watered country were discovered along the river courses of the north and north-east of the territory, affording not only good pasturage, but adapted to the cultivation of sugar, coffee, and rice. Efforts are being made to utilise this territory. The total value of the imports and exports, including bullion and specie, of Western Australia, in the five years from 1879 to 1883, is shown in the subjoined statement : : The value of the commercial intercourse of Western Australia with Great Britain is shown in the following table, which gives the total exports of the colony to Great Britain, and the total imports of British home produce, in each of the five years from 1879 to 1883 :— The exports of the colony to Great Britain consist almost entirely of wool and of lead ore. The wool exports were of the value of 150,039. in 1877, of 146,2027. in 1878, of 157,5897. in 1879, of 179,8337. in 1880, of 221,3897. in 1881, of 186,0157. in 1882, and of 192,0367. in 1883. Of lead ore the exports to Great Britain amounted to 5,9271. in 1882, and 6,6377. in 1883. Recent scientific researches prove the colony to be rich in mineral ore, principally copper, and coal has been found in small quantities. In 1883, 219 vessels of 194,273 tons entered, and 212 of 194,829 tons cleared the ports of the colony. There were 55 miles of railway open for traffic at the end of 1883 and 68 miles under construction. In 1883 there were 1,609 miles of telegraph line within the colony, with 29 stations; and from Albany the wire extends to South Australia. There is also in course of construction a line of 750 miles, extending from Geraldton to Port Cossack on the North West coast, which it is probable will be united by submarine cable with the telegraph system of the world. In 1883 there passed through the post office 1,180,650 letters, 916,274 newspapers, and 108,682 packets. Statistical and other Books of Reference concerning Australasia. 1. OFFICIAL PUBLICATIONS. Agricultural Statistics of the Colony of New Zealand. Fol. Wellington, 1884. Australasia: Despatch on the subject of a Draft Bill to constitute a Federal Council of Australasia. London, 1884. Australian Statistics, published annually, with Report, by H. H. Hayter, C.M.G., Government Statist of Victoria. Melbourne, 1884. Census of New South Wales, taken on the 3rd April, 1881. Fol. Sydney, 1882. Census of New Zealand, taken on the 3rd of April, 1881. Fol. Wellington. 1882. Census of Victoria, 1881. Fol. Melbourne, 1883. Census of the Colony of Queensland, taken on the 3rd April, 1881. Fol. Brisbane, 1882. Census of South Australia, taken on the 3rd April, 1881. Summary tables. Fol. Adelaide, 1881. Census of the Colony of Western Australia, taken on the 3rd April, 1881. Fol. Perth, 1882. Census of Tasmania, 1881. Hobart, 1883. Financial Statement for New South Wales for 1884. Fol. Sydney, 1884. Financial Statement for South Australia, 1883-4. Adelaide, 1884. Financial Statement for Victoria. Melbourne, 1884. Financial Statement of the Treasurer of Tasmania. Hobart, 1884. Handbook for New Zealand. By James Hector, C.M.G., F.R.S., 3rd edition. Wellington, 1883. Hayter (H. H.), Notes on the Colony of Victoria. Melbourne, 1876. Hayter (H. H.), Victorian Year-Book for 1884. Melbourne, 1884. Mineral Statistics of Victoria for the year 1883. Fol. Melbourne, 1884. New Guinea, Further Correspondence respecting. London, 1883. New South Wales in 1881. Published by Authority. Sydney, 1882. New South Wales: Blue-book for the year 1883. Fol. Sydney, 1884. New South Wales; its progress and resources, prepared for the Amsterdam Exhibition. Sydney, 1883. New Zealand: Financial Statement of the Colonial Treasurer for 1884. Wellington, 1884. New Zealand: Import, Export and Shipping Returns for 1883. Wellington, 1884. Official Handbook of New Zealand. London, 1883. Papers relating to H.M.'s Colonial Possessions. Reports 1882-3. 8. London, 1884. Queensland: Blue Book for the year 1883. Fol. Brisbane, 1884. Queensland: Report from the Auditor-General on Public Accounts for the year 1883. Fol. Brisbane, 1884. Queensland: Twenty-third Annual Report from the Registrar-General on Vital Statistics. Fol. Brisbane, 1884. Railways of New South Wales. Report of their construction and working, from 1878 to 1881. Fol. Sydney, 1881. South Australia; its History, Productions, and Natural Resources, by J. P. Stow. Adelaide, 1883. Statistical Abstract for the several Colonial and other Possessions of the United Kingdom in each year, from 1869 to 1883. No. XXI. 8. London, 1884. Statistical Notes on the Progress of Victoria, from the foundation of the Colony. 4. Melbourne, 1862--78. Statistics of the Colony of New Zealand for the year 1883. Compiled from Official Records. Fol. Wellington, 1884. Statistics of the Colony of Queensland for 1883. Brisbane, 1884. Statistical Register of New South Wales for the year 1883. Fol. Sydney, 1884. Statistical Register of South Australia for 1883. Fol. Adelaide, 1884. Statistics of the Colony of Tasmania for the year 1883. Fol. Hobart, Statistical Register of the Colony of Victoria for the year 1883. Fol. Melbourne, 1884. Tasmania: Progress of the Colony, 1871-80. Hobart, 1882. Victoria: Defence Reorganisation scheme. Melbourne, 1883. Western Australia: Blue Book for the year 1883. Fol. Perth, 1884. Trade of Great Britain with Australasia; in' Annual Statement of the Trade and Navigation of the United Kingdom with Foreign Countries and British Possessions in the year 1883.' Imp. 4. London, 1884. 2. NON-OFFICIAL PUBLICATIONS. Bates (H. W.) and Eden (C. H.), Colonel Warburton's Journey across Australia. 8. London, 1875. Bell (Sir F. D.), The Public Debt of Australasia. London, 1882. Blair's Cyclopædia of Australasia. Melbourne, 1881. Bonwick (James), The Resources of Queensland. London, 1880. Boothby (J.), The relative positions and aggregate importance of the Australasian colonies at the end of 1873. In Almanack of the Statistical Society for 1875.' 8. London, 1875. Braim (Th. N.), New Homes. The rise, progress, present position and future prospects of each of the Australian Colonies and New Zealand. 8. London, 1870. Bramall (H.), The mineral resources of New Zealand. London, 1883. Clarke (Rev. W. B.), On the Progress of Gold Discovery in Australasia, from 1860 to 1871. 8. Sydney, 1871. Cotton (J. S.) and Payne (E. J.), Colonies and Dependencies in English Citizen Series.' London, 1883. Dilke (Sir Charles Wentworth, Bart., M.P.), Greater Britain: a Record of Travel in English-speaking countries in 1866 and 1867. 3rd edit. 8. London, 1869. Fenton (James) History of Tasmania. Hobart, 1884. Forrest (John), Explorations in Australia. 8. London, 1875. Giles (E.), Geographic Travels in Central Australia. Melbourne, 1875. Gordon & Gotch's Australian Handbook for 1884. Melbourne and London, 1884. Hardman (Wm.), John M'Douall Stuart's Journals of Explorations in Australia from 1858 to 1862. 8. London, 1866. Harcus (William), South Australia: its history, resources, productions, and statistics. 8. London, 1876. Hay (W.D.), Brighter Britain: or, Settler and Maori in Northern New Zealand. 2 vols. London, 1882. Hayter (H. H.), Statistical Account of the Colony of Victoria in 'Journal of the Statistical Society,' 1879. London, 1879. Heaton (J. H.), Australian Dictionary of Dates and Men of the Time. 8. London and Sydney, 1879. Hochstetter (Fr. von), New Zealand: its Physical Geography, Geology, and Natural History. 2 vols. 4. London, 1868. Howitt (W.), History of Discovery in Australia, Tasmania, and New Zealand. 2 vols. 8. London, 1865. |