"BANANALAND."

Hokitika Guardian, 28 August 1930, Page 2

"BANANALAND."

IMPRESSIONS IN BRISBANE. BRISBANE, August 111. Why Bananaland ? Queensland grows bananas in profusion, but to a New Zealander, accustomed to the luscious Island fruit sold in Auckland, the Queensland variety is of very poor quality. As displayed in Brisbane, it is small, unattractive in appearance and unpalatable. It does not ripen well, unlike the Island banana. Queensland oranges, on the contrary are delicious, and the best compare favourably with the Island fruit to which we are accustomed in Auckland. Queensland oranges are sold in Brisbane at twelve to twenty for a shilling. Mandarins are large, luscious, and plentiful. Pawpaws and custard apples are served to visitors as more likely to be something “new” to them. They are pronounced delicous by some, but the “taste” is rather on acquired one, Tne pawpaw is something like rock melon, and the custard apple (nothing resembling an apple) a rough-looking large green knotty melon containing a custardy centre of super sWeetiless. Queensland pineapples are almost “famous” until olie gets to Brisbane. The larger pineapples, such as one gets on- the interstate and intercolonial steamers, or at the best hotels are something to remember, but those sold in Brisbane are mostly small and dear, considering 1 the climate conditions. \Y.hy does one find so often that the best of a country’s products are shipped or. trained elsewhere?

BRISBANE’S SHOW WEEK. Tins has been Brisbane’s show week 1 —alfi of the six days devoted to a huge carnival centring around a huge display of Queensland’s greatest asset — the product of her immense meat, dairying, and fruit industries. The city is packed with visitors, and hoteis and' - boardinghouses are reaping their 'harvest'//;/ Queensland has .suffered . iporey probably, than any other of trie' Australian. States; fj-pni;.political blundering’ and squandering -Of public money but is ; hiking' a wondei.tful recovery. With 'incf;ea«ed'State taxation and • paralysing /Federal; imposts there is undoubtedly- a strong feeling of depression; hut of all' the States Queensland ! appears . to be,'the least/ depressed. The- winter .“sales” have given the city a lively‘appearance, 'and there are very fewi“td: let?’rfiipiices on shops or houses,. which is a remarkable contrast to the conditions in other Australian States',;’' V -

’ The Premier Of Queensland, the Hon H. E. MOorfi, is a NeW Zealander by •birtll; With a sttoiig party in Office he ,is “making good,” so,far as :is.humanly possible, in tile task of repairing the blunders of his predecessors. BRISBANE’S WATER SUPPLY. .Mention of one New Zealander iii high office in Queensland naturally leads to mention of Mr W. E. Bush, formerly city engineer in Auckland, who occupies a much more onerous and lucrative position in"a similar capacity under Brisbane’s civic administration. By the courtesy of Mr Bush three Auckland visitors, Messrs W. Coltman, J, J. Hipkins and A. S. Reid, had a wondebful trip to the source of what will be. Brisbane’s future water supply —a scheme so prodigious that the fig/ ures appear incredible. Proceeding by motor from the city, we were driven some 80 miles inland, beyond Ipswich and then, through almost virgin -country to the surveyor’s camp at Little Mount Brisbane. Here is is proposed to construct a dam across the Stanley River at a point where the catchment area is 512 ■square miles, giving a storage capacity of 727,000,000,000 gallons and- making provision for water supply until the year 1954. The cost-of the completed scheme is estimated at £5,733,700. Air Bush has reported that a sum of £l,641,500 will have to he expended between 1931 and 1935. The council has not the money, but the representative of some British financiers has offred to do the work on a percentage basis, with adequate safeguards of both the council arid the ratepayers. The council has the offer under , consideration as an urgent matter. The water is not to be “piped,’ hut turned into the Brisbane River to a pumping station at Mount Crosbie, the estimated cost of which is £75,000, The scheme provides not only for water supply; hut also for prevention of such floods as have,.in past years caused enormous damage by the inundation of city properties on the Brisbane River.