Australian Items.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 15, Issue 795, 13 June 1870, Page 4

Australian Items.

At Sydney, on the sth May, the Countess of Belmore was delivered of a son, who in heir-apparent to the Earldom of Belmore. The present Earl is the fourth of that name.

Remarking on the fact that H.M.S. Gala tea, with his Royal Highness the Duke oi Edinburgh, has been ordered to the Australian station, the Melbourne Leader says: —How delightful! Why it is enough to drive the whole beauty and fashion of .Australia into a fever of gaiety ! Only to think of our once more enjoying the pretence of the hon. Eliot Yorke, fresh primed to give us lessons in the proper mode o' pronouncing English; and Viscount .Newry, to lead the van among amateur actors, should there be any locality in need of such a means for promoting its educa tional instincts.! Had the Malta's budgetbeen even more heavy than it it, this announcement u'ono would be sufficient illumination.

The probability of Australia being suppliod with keroi?ine derived from Blue Mountains shale aj/peurs now tu increase in probability. So rich is the shale that the Sydney companies which were started jour or five years ago would have proved in the price of the American oils, amply successful' but for the rapid fall which, being obtained with extreme ease, swamped this new manufacture. It wi.l not be forgotten that this enormous increase in the American supply also prevented the success of the ITootscray Works established four years ago by Mr Patrick Hayes, for the purpose of utilising the Hartley shale. The Western Kerosine Company have, however, found the means of competing with the low-priced imports, by a liberal expenditure-of time and trou* ble in ascertaining which was the best distilling apparatus in the world, and of money in establishing enormous works both at the mines and on the Botany-road, where the distillery and refinery is situated. The enterprise is largely Tic* torian, Mr Stanford (of Bourke and Ivussell streets) being one of the leading shareholders.

The Ovens Spectator says:—"There is considerable doubt as to whether the alleged bushranger Keliy, who has been brought up at the BenaJla Police Court, as the associate of Power, is the real Simon Pure. Only about three days before the arrest, there is good reason for believing both Power and Kelly were at a place about 180 miles fromßenalla, on the central goldfields. Of course it is possible that the two bushrangers might have come across country for 180 miles in three days; but it is very doubtful if they are sufficiently well mounted to do so very easily, and Power is rather a cautious mau. It would scarcely do to take the chance of knocking the horses up at au inconvenient place."