THE DIVIDING LINE.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1971, 30 January 1914, Page 7

THE DIVIDING LINE.

BETWEEN THE STATES. THE AUSTRALIAN DISPUTE. PRIVY COUNCIL JUDGMENT. By Telegraph--Prtss Awoolatloi-CoDjTlclit London, January 28.. The Privy Council has given judgment ill tho case of South Australia v. V'ctoria, involving tho question of tho disputed boundary between tho two States. . , ~ ,Their Lordships found that both tlio Executives of Victoria and South Australia intended to fix i tho boundary finally when thoy acccpted Mr. ' Wade b lino. Their Lordships instanced, tho Lieutenant-Governor of South Australia proclaiming it in 1847. Tho lino was fixed as near tho theoretical lino as the scientific appliances of tho time mado it practicable.

The long-standing dispute between the States of Victoria and South Australia was, at the instance of the Government of South Australia,, brought before the High Court of fivo Judges in 1911 for a declaration that the land lying two miles to tho west of the 111 st degree of east longitude belonged to South Australia. The Government of South Australia, claimed that tho real boundary was fixed Tjy 'letters patent doted February 19. 1836, at-the 141 st degree. In 1846 Sir. Henry Wade was appointed by the Government of New South Wales, with the ■ concurrence of Sonth Australia, to determine the boundary. Tbe boundary so fixed by •Mr. Wade was, it wis claimed, two miles nineteen chains to the west of the true ttosition. It is the area between these two lines that has since been known as the "disputed territory," and in respect of which the action arose. It was Contended on behalf of Victoria that the (vstorn boundary, surveyed by JJr. Wade, had alwavs been accented as the boundary in all sub'eouent legation arid nflmini'trntion. and that f r om JM7 to the time of (he erection of the district of Port Phillm into, a senarnto polony the ftoveriiments of New So«th Wales and South Australia treated TTr Wndes lino nq th» boundary. The Hitrh Conjt. on Mar.'23. 1911. e nr e j ll in favour of tho State of Victoria.