PASTORAL INTEREST OF THE AUSTRALIAN COLONIES.

Globe, Volume IX, Issue 1286, 3 May 1878, Page 3

PASTORAL INTEREST OF THE AUSTRALIAN COLONIES.

Mr J. S. Hill, says a London contemporary, presiding at tho last half-yearly meeting of the proprietors of the Union Bank of Australia, said, in moving the adoption of the report, that he was unfortunately obliged to refer to the partial continuation of the drought from which the colonics had suffered for the past two seasons. Notwithstanding that which had occurred, at no time was the pastoral interest more sound, or more prepared to meet a calamity than now. However, whilst they should recollect that the pastoral interest would at all times be the most important in Australia, still other industries were rapidly extending theniFclves. South Australia and New Zealand were now large exporters of cereals, and Queensland was successfully producing sugar and other tropical products. In giving some statistics with regard to the colonies in 1863 and in 1876, he said that there had been a remarkable change in the exports of gold and wool. In the former year, gold was exported to the value of £11,000,000, whereas it had sunk in 1876 to £8,000,000; but, on tho contrary, wool was exported in 1863 to tho extent of £6,000,000, and that had risen in 1876 to no less than £19,000,000. In the year 1863, there were also in the colonies altogether sheep to the number of 31,000,000, which number had increased to 62,000,000 in 1876; in tho former period there were 4,000,000 cattle, and their number in 1876 exceeded 7,000,000. The total revenues of the Australasian colonies in 1863 were about £7,000,000 sterling, and in 1876, they exceeded £16,000,000; the total population of the Australasian colonies and New Zealand in 1863 was 1,200,000, and it now exceeded 2,400,000; the total number of acres under cultivation in the Australasian colonies was 2,000,000 in 1863, and about 6,500,000 in 1876 ; and the total debt of the colonies was £60,000,000 sterling, invested chiefly in reproductive works, including 3000 miles of railway.