PIONEERS OF SETTLEMENT

Hokitika Guardian, 5 October 1920, Page 3

PIONEERS OF SETTLEMENT

ENTERPRISE IN FAR NORTH OF

AUSTRALIA

SYDNEY, September 7

A party has just left Port Darwin in a. large motor launch to take possession of a large, beautiful, and fertile island, lying off the North Coast of Australia, near the mouth of the' McArthur river. It is known as Vanderlin Island. The leader is Mr J. T. Beckett for manv years Protestor of Aborigines in the North Territory 7 . In the course of his travels through the Far North of Australia, Mr Beckett was much impressed with the character and potentialitiies of some of the unoccupied coastal lands, which he. declares to be capable of growing anything and of maintaining a large population in happiness and comfort. Finally lie decided to himself settle on one of the coastal islands—Vanderlin. He has decided that there ho can grow various tropical products and more particularly cotton and cocoanuts. He lias also purchased a. number of sheep from the Government Experimental Farm in the Northern Territory, stating that these animals will flourish on his island. The party on the big launch which will be the means of communication between the island and civilisation, number thirteen, including Mr Beckett and his wife their son and his wife. There were also a number of aborigines as labourers and servants. The whole project, to those compelled to live in this mad world of strikes and H.0.L., had a most attractive appearance. The enterprise lias attracted a good deal of attention, and may have the effect of turning the faces of many • people towards the undeveloped Australia.- In any case, this is a development hound to occur sooner or later—a drift of the population, under economic pressure, back, to the land the work of direct production.