NOT A DESERT

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 71, 20 September 1930, Page 14

NOT A DESERT

CENTRAL AUSTRALIA

BUT LITTLE FUTURE

Mr. Donald Mackay, leader of the re^ cent aerial expedition to Central Aus-

lralia,,in an address to members of tho Sydney Millions Club, denied that Central Australia was a sandy desert but admitted that the difficulties of settlement there were almost insuperable says the "Sydney Morning Herald." '/ When, rain came, ho said, there was an exuberance of vegetation. Grass grew rapidly, and among it a wealth of wild flowers, that gave the ."landscape a. beautiful appearance. But in periods of drought the vegetation all disappeared except the saltbush, spinifes, and mulga. These were the standbys of tho cattle farmer. At the present time tho settlers there were passing through trying times. Some of tho herds that numbered a few years ago from 5000 to 10,000, were now reduced from 300 to 500. But when the wet seasons came, and vegetation was available, they would soon be built up again to normal proportions. At one time the settlers got cattle land at sixpence per square mile, but that had been increased to 3s, why, he had never/been able to find out. His advice was that the land should be given free to settlers for a period of 30 to 50 years, on condition that they carried out specified improvements in tho interval and each year put down a number of wells.

Dealing with the mineral possibilities of Central Australia, Mr. Mackay said these wore distinctly promising, but there was great difficulty in prospecting. The ideal way was a combination of aeroplane and camel transport. The aeroplane could' be used for the exploration of probable routes for tho camels over,-the country to be prospected, whilst the camels could carry the heavy tools arid food. ■ The difficulty with aeroplanes alone was tho possibility of a forced landing in an area whero there would be difficulty in getting sufficient space for an adequate runway to take oil again. With camels alone the difficulty was the slow '.progress—about three miles an hour. He realised that the prospectors had a hard time before them in that area.

Mr. Maekay said that the natives in Central Australia were favourable to visitors when they -were treated properly. The main point was never to let the native regard himself as superior to the white man, and never co a'uow him or. his gins into, tho tent of the white men. The natives were very helpful to his expedition. They assisted them in every way, and led them to water. At night the tools and food of the "party were left unprotected alongside .the area where the blacks were camped, and not a thing was touched.

They could not have done the same thing in or around Sydney. Answering a question, Mr. Mackay said there was very little game to be seen in Central Australia. They saw one or two kangaroos in the distance, and there were somo mountain wallabies, but they were a more handful. There wore plenty of goldfinches, but the only other birds he saw on the trip wero a crow, a hawk, and two wagtails. He was told that at one time there were thousands of rabbits in the area that he explored, but the recent drought had killed most of them off. They would come again when the food supply increased. The climate of the area was pleasant and invigorating. The days were sometimes fairly warm, but the nights were cool to cold, with occasional frosts.'He believed that Central Australia could bo made an ideal place for a holiday, using Alice Springs as headquarters. It was,only three days by aeroplane.from Sydney. ____________