New South Wales of To-day.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 240, 4 February 1888, Page 3

New South Wales of To-day.

As a contrast to the sketch of Now South Wales 100 years ago, we purpose giving now a few facts and figures to illustrate the position of the colony on the completion of her first century. The population exceeds one million, the public revenue exceeds eight millions annual^ and just about , balances the annual expenditure. The public debt is £35,000,000, nearly £30,000,000 of which has been spent on railways and one and a half million on irrigation. Her exports exceed £17,000,000 annually, and her imports £24,000,000, £8,000,000 of which are derived from the sister colonies. Her inward and outward shipping tonnage is £4,500,000. Her capital, Sydney, is a busy town with a population of 350,000 souls, and is making such giant strides that it promises before the end of the next century to be one of the leading cities of the world in point of population and wealth. If old Governor Phillip and his contemporaries could stand in King-street or George - street today, they would marvel greatly at the change that the events of 100 years have wrought on the small'obscure settlement of which they were the founders. Even a brief account of New South Wales of to-day would be incomplete without a reference to the pastoral industry Avhich has played such an important part in the prosperity of the colony. About 1790 Mr McArthur, an officer of the New South Wales corps and the Rev. Samuel Marsden discovered that the merino sheep throve well on the natural grasses of the colony. The animal was successfully established at Camden by the year 1860, and the foundation laid of the subsequent famous flocks of the colony, The introduction of the merino has proved a greater source of wealth to the country than its gold discoveries ; and the wealth which the animal is yet designed to bring to the country is incalculable, The climate of every portion of Australia suits the merino to perfection ; and on the luxuriant natural pastures of the country, and in the hands of the scheming and experimenting Anglo - Saxon, the improvement of the flocks has been rapid, and the wool of Australia, in its various grades and varieties, the wonder of the world. The increase of the flocks is I astonishing. From 60 to 95 per cenfc. of lambs is no uncommon increase. The colonies have to-day many famous breeders ; and so closely have the various requirements and conditions of the colonies been watched that almost every district has its peculiar class of animal, yielding its peculiar class of wool. IS ow, in 1888, the sheep and other live stock in New South Wales number 41,108,387, valued at £24,004,825, with a productive power (irrespective of increase) of about £9,038,672 annually. To this must be added £3,943,645 worth of agricultural produce. The total number of holders of land in 1885 was 43,079. The aggregate area of the land held by them was 31,353,991 acres freehold, and 3.681,512 acres leasehold. The total number of acres under crop in , 1885 was 852,017. The land enclosed but not cultivated covered an area of 29,319,775 acres and theland unenclosed was 4,863,711 acres. Tho 289,757 acros under wheat in 1884 yie1ded 4,345,437 bushels, or an average of 15 bushels per acre. Maize yielded 36 § bushels to the acre, barley nearly 21 bushels, oats 21 bushels, and potatoes 2£ tons. The sugar produced from 7,583 acres of productive sugar - cane was 35,220,6401b5. Tho vineyards in 1883 covered an area of 2,660 acres of grapes for wine-making purposes, and 1,027 acres for table use. The aggregate quantity of wine produced was 589,604 gallons. In 1885, 4,584 acres were under vines. The orangeries, some 7,268 acres in extent, yielded 8,102,658 dozens of oranges. Every description of European fruifc and vegetable and most varieties of tropical produce can , be advantageously grown in this favoured country. The mineral wealth of the colony is remarkable. Victoria has been much richer in gold, but none of the colonies possess such varied and extensive mineral resources as New South Wales. The total output to the end of 1887 was valued at £70,000,000. The output in 1884 amounted to £2,852,988, consisting of coal, £1,303,077 ; shale, £72,176 j gold, £395,291 ; silver lead ore, £123,174 ; i copper regulus and ore, £416,179 ; tin in- \ gots and ore, £521,587 ; antimony, bismuth, I iron, and silver. The colony possesses the j richest, most accessible, and extensive coal and cannei - coal seams in the Southern Hemisphere. Upwards of 8,000 miners are employed in working them. The approximate area of the carboniferous stata is estimated at 23,950 square miles. The coal is o£ excellentqualityfor steam, household, smelt ing, and gas purposes, and the largest exports are to Victoria, Hong Konc r San Francisco, South Australia, Manilla, Japan, Valparaiso, Honolulu, India, Tasmania* New Zealand, and Queensland, more thaw 1,000 vessels being annually engaged in this traffic. The gold-fields extend, with shoirfe. intervals, throughout the entire lengjtfo of the oolony. The approximate auriferous area is about 70,000 square miles. In* 1884y 6,548 miners were engaged ingold'aainiivg.