THE COFDITION, RESOURCES, AND PROSPECTS OF AUSTRALIA.

Southland Times, Volume III, Issue 47, 24 February 1864, Page 5 (Supplement)

THE COFDITION, RESOURCES, AND PROSPECTS OF AUSTRALIA.

(Prom tae Home News.) At a recent meeting of the Society of Arts — Mr. Samuel Gregson, M.P., in the chair — a paper Avas read " On the Australian Colonies, their Condition, Resources, and Prospects," by Sir Charles Nicholson, Bart. After touching on tbe foundation ancl early history of these colonies, the author traced their rapid progress up to the present time, contrasting the condition of Australia in January, 1788, Avhen the first settlers arrived there, Avith that at the present time. A group of men, women, and children Avere then encamped on the shores of a Avide bay, hemmed in by the margin of a sombre forest. Despair, repentance, and hope must alternately have agitated ' the breasts of many seated on that lonely strand, but in seventy-five short years, the 1100 people had igroAvn into- a community of 1,300,000 souls. The weary voyage, Avhich then occupied seven or eight months, could noAV be accomplished in as many weeks. The morass surrounding the shores of Botany Bay, ori the margin of which for a few clays they first encamped, Avas noAV within the sound ancl sight of a splendid city, mustering 100,000 inhabitants, and containing within its precincts many of the attributes of a

rich and luxuriousYcapital. It was a ; ;. singular fact that the first portion of land cleared from the. : indigenous timber; was that selected sixty, years afterwards as the site of a. magnificent pile of buildings .for. , the first . university established in Australia. . It seemed a striking and i happy coincidence that the supply of the material element for the sustenance, of the physical body should thus become the : ahtetype of that higher provision for the intellectual wants and moralY requirements -of the race that was so soon "to follow. The cohvi6t question Av.as 'referred to*, ■ •a hope ; being- expressed thatthe. Im- r . perial Grovernment would so mouidits ' policy . as u.otfneedlessly to, provoke a feeling of hostility and determined resistance on almost the only single question in which any -possible difference can arise between England and her^Southern dependencies. In drawing attention tb the immense extent of country included in these Colonies, the author referred to the varied ■ character of the climate, and ; consequently the immense variety of products. In intertropical Australia cotton, sugar, rice, and all the ordinary fruits and vegetable productions of India, tropical Africa, aud America, might be readily raised. In the regions immediately on the south, and" with the climate of Morocco and Spain, the plantain, vine, orange, pomegranate, and a great variety of fruits indigenous to China, would thrive luxuriantly ; whilst still further to the south, wheat and all the cereals of Central Europe found appropriate habifr.ts. Few portions of the earth were more favorably situated. The lesser and northern half were withi ti the torrid zone, the southern and larger section within the temperate zone. Although stretching eleven miles within the tropic, the climate was tempered by the insular character of the land, aud was most healthy, malarious fever.-; being unknown. Tlie author described the geographical and geological character of the country, and then proceeded to notice its various animal, vegetable, and mineral productions. The principal exports wore sold, to a limited extent, silver and antimony, copper and coal. Iron ore, which existed iv unlimited quantities, associated wifch coal, was at the present moment valueless from the cost of labor necessarily incurred in its production. Wool, hides, tallow, bark for tanning, copper and coal, constitute, with ihe precious metals, the great exports. Amongst the products that might hereafter be raised, and in illation to which the most sanguine expectations were formed, might be mentioned cotton. The plant itself would grow with amazing rapidity, and, Irom tiie absence of frosts in the northern parts of Queensland, become perennial. It was iioav looked forward to as likely to be a profitable investment of both labor and capital. Ho great was the anxiety to encourage its cultivation in both New South Wales and Queenslaud, that the government of each of these colonies had offered bounties for its production. The first consignment that reached England a few week's ago netted 2s. Gd. per pound, which, with tlie bounty of lOd. a pound, would yield to the producer a rate equal to 3s. Al. per pound. Other.-.-inducements, in the shape of free grants of land, were also held out, with the view of stimulating the enterprise. There could be no question that the Australian colonies were capable of producing this groat staple to any extent if tliey can command the requisite amount of labor. After speaking of the healthy character of these colonies, as evidenced by the vital statistics, the author pointed out the advantages to the emigrant, and indicated the qualifications requisite to ensure success.