AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Westport Times, Volume VI, Issue 966, 30 April 1872, Page 2

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Victoria, says the " Argus," has now growing 9,672,341 vines, and South Australia, 6,049,343. For New South Wales we have no returns. South Australia has 5,820 acres of vineyard, Victoria, 5,446, and New South Wales only 3,908. Again, notwithstanding the falling off in the growth of the vine in South A ustralia, that Colony makes 895,795 gallons of wine in the year, while Victoria only makes 629,219 gallons, and New South Wales 460,321 gallons. But Victoria sells a large quantity of her grapes for table use, instead of converting them into wine, and New South Wales does the same to some extent. On the occasion of the Victorian Ministerial banquet at Castlemaine, which is 75 miles from Melbourne, the 1 Argus ' of next morning had a ver. batim report of Mr Duffy's speech, besides a condensation of others of lesser note. The report occupies nearly a page (seven columns) of small type. The following figures show the numerical strength of some of the religious sects in Victoria : PERSONS, Church of England 251,328 Boman Catholics 167,467 Presbyterian Church of Victoria... 81,832 Presbyterians (not otherwise defined) 10,673 Free Presbyterian Church ... 20,160 "Wesleyan Methodists 80,491 Congregationalists... ... ... 18,174 Baptists 16,311 Pagans ... ■ 17,646 Objected to state religion 9,967 No religion 2,146 FACTS FEOM QUEENSLAND. On December 31, 1870, there were in tho colony 83,358 horses, 1,076,630 cattle, 8,163,818 sheep and 30,992 pigs ; all these, except sheep, are increasing yearly ; sheep are decreasing, There were 482,425 more sheep in 1869 than in 1870, and 275,541 more in 1868 than in 18G9. The cause of this yearly decrease in the flocks is not given, but it is doubtless due to the discovery that the country is not so well adapted for sheep as for cattle, Less and less wool is also being produced ; while in 1869 the quantity exported was 22,386,6501b, in 1870 it was only 20,695,6501b, in 1870 it was only 20,695,6271b. So with regard to the acreage leased for pastoral purposes. On 31st Dec, 1869, there were 172,903,692 acres so leased, to 106,923,334 on 31st Dec., 1870. Agriculture is steadily advancing. There was more land under wheat, maize, potatoes, cotton, sugar, and vine, and also in gardens, on 31st December, 1870, than on the same date in 1869. Altogether there were 52,210 acres under cultivation in 1870, to 47,034 in the previous year. There was all but twice as much sugar manufactured in 1870 as in 1869 ; and 511,8561b more of cotton was exported in 1870 than in the previous year. The mining industry is seemingly declining, 14480z less of gold having been exported in 1870 than in 1869, and rather more than 200 tons less of copper. Up to the year 1866, there was an excess of imports over exports. But in 1867 the tide turned, and since then the reverse has been the case, In 1870, the balance in favor of exports was very nearly a million, the imports being £1,577,339, and the exports £2,533,732.