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C.—4

106

Queensland. The extensive forests of Queensland yield a great variety of woods, esteemed for their strength, durability, or beauty. The principal timbers lie between the eastern seaboard and the Great Dividing Range, which runs roughly parallel to, and about two hundred miles from, the coast. The principal Eucalyptus are ironbark, grey, spotted, and red gum, blackbutt, and turpentine ; Moreton Bay, brown, and Bunya Bunya pines represent the conifers ; and red-cedar, beech, tulipwood, and bean are among the brush timbers of fine grain. State forests and national parks comprise 816,272 acres, of which 793,097 were State forests. In 1908 there were 175 sawmills in operation, which cut during the year 64,696,990 sup. ft. of soft woods, 1,125,866 sup. ft. of cedar, and 34,936,160 sup. ft. of hard woods. The quantity of local timber sawn or hewn in Queensland of late years was as follows : In 1905, 73,930,279 sup. ft. ; in 1906, 82,801,846 sup. ft.; in 1907, 91,752,000ft.; and in 1908, 100,759,016ft. The chief supply of mill-timber is in the southern coastal region, from the New South Wales border as far north as Gladstone. In the regions between Rockbampton and Ingham the supply is not so plentiful; but northward of the latter town the red-cedar, karri-pine, and black-bean are luxuriant. Large supplies of these valuable frees are found on the Barron Valley reserves, and in other localities between Ingham and Port Douglas. Inland from this zone of heavy forest is another, less densely timbered, bearing cypress and other pines, ironbarks, and acacias. In the south-western regions of the State the cypress-pine flourishes. In 1908 Queensland exported 1,013,650 sup. ft. of timber valued at £9,481, and imported timber valued at £36,944. South Australia and Northern Territory. The principal forest districts of South Australia proper are restricted largely to the hill ranges in the neighbourhood of Adelaide and Spencer Gulf, and the trees have not the fullness and lofty growth of the eastern and south-western borders of Australia. Red-gum is widely distributed, though never far from water. The stringy-bark has its habitat principally in the hills ; other useful woods are the white and blue gum and peppermint (hardwoods). Blackwood (in demand for cabinet-work) is common in the south-west and along the eastern border. Wattle is cultivated for its gum and bark. The sandal-wood-tree grows luxuriantly in Yorke's Peninsula. In Central and Northern Austraila there is little forest. Heavy timber clothes the uplands about the Roper River ; and the table-land which stretches across the territory at a distance from the coast of from thirty to a hundred miles bears large paperbark trees, Leichhardt pines, and palms. On the higher steppes there is also abundance of bloodwood and other varieties of Eucalyptus, besides other kinds of trees. The quantity of timber sawn or hewn is very small, being as follows : In 1905, 155,662 sup. ft. ; in 1906, 130,763"5up. ft,; and in 1907, about 143,000 sup. ft. Western Australia.* Supplies of Jarrah. —Virgin jarrah forest to the north of Blackwood River, and suitable for milling, is estimated at 2,000,000 acres. Based on the present rate of cutting, this would be equivalent to about thirty-two years' supply. To the south of Blackwood River there are also considerable supplies of this timber ; but, being so constantly intergrown with karri, blackbutt, and red-gum, no fair estimate of quantities can be given. In addition, there are several millions of acres of jarrah country not of sufficient commercial value for milling purposes, but which will afford immense scope for sleeperhewing. Supplies of Karri. —This timber is limited to the tract of country lying between Margaret River and the Porongorup Range, about 1,200,000 acres of which is under karri. Of this, some 150,000 acres have been cut over, leaving an area of over a million acres of virgin forest, estimated to be capable of supplying 12,000,000 loads of karri in the round. Supplies of Tuart. —The area covered by this timber is very limited in extent. The approximate extent arrived at is 100,000 acres, ca,rrying about 150,000 loads of timber. Supplies of Blackbutt. —Being so closely associated with jarrah, karri, and red-gum, it is impossible to arrive at the areas over which the blackbutt grows. In "' Notes re Timbers of Western Australia," issued by the Minister of Lands and Agriculture in 1906, the following estimate of timbered lands was given : — " The total wooded area of Western Australia is estimated at some 98,000,000 acres, and the extent of merchantable timber has been reckoned to be approximately as follows : — . " Jarrah (mainly, with blackbutt and red-gum interspersed) .. .. 8,000,000 Karri.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1,200,000 Tuart .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 200,000 Wandoo (white-gum and allied timbers) .. .. .. .. 7,000,000 York gum, yate, sandal-wood, and jam-wood| .. .. .. 4,000,000 . 20,400,000" The Royal Commission estimated that the jarrah forests were being depleted at the rate of 60,000 acres per annum.

* The particulars were published by the Royal Commission on Forestry which sat in Western Australia in 1904.

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