POLITICAL DIVISIONS. HE Seven Colonies of Australasia, which now possess a THE population of nearly four millions, and a degree and distribution of material wealth scarcely parallelled by any other community on the globe, were unknown and undreamt of a little more than a century ago. It is the object of these pages to present a short account of the magnificent development to which these infant States have already attained, and to show in reference to the various elements of prosperity which go to build up a nation, their importance, not only as compared with one another, but also as regards the world at large. Settlement in The earliest attempt at settlement in Australasia was the Date of First foundation of the Colony of New South Wales, which took place each Colony. in 1788. Colonisation was extended to Tasmania in 1804, to Western Australia in 1829, to Victoria in 1834, to South Australia in 1836, to New Zealand in 1840, and in 1842 the district of Moreton Bay, in Queensland, was proclaimed open to free settlement, although as far back as 1825, this locality had been used as a penal settlement. Originally the colonies now known as Victoria and Queensland, formed part of New South Wales, while Western Australia, Tasmania, and New Zealand were, prior to being proclaimed separate colonies, dependencies of New South Wales. South Australia, from the date of first permanent settlement was established a separate Colony. A 2 NEW SOUTH WALES AND TASMANIA. NEW SOUTH Limits of the TASMANIA. The first settlement in New South Wales, the oldest Colony of the group, was effected by an expedition under the command of Captain Arthur Phillip, who landed at Botany Bay on 19th January, 1788, and formally took possession of the whole continent. Botany Bay being found unsuitable for the purpose the fleet was brought round to Port Jackson, and the city of Sydney founded on the 26th January of the same year. New South Wales was proclaimed a Colony on the 7th of the following month, and its boundaries were defined as extending from Cape York, the northern extremity of Queensland, 10° 37' south latitude, to South East Cape, the most southerly point of Tasmania, 43° 39' south latitude, and from the 135th degree of east longitude, to the east coast, including adjacent islands. The boundaries thus defined include the whole of the territories now known as New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, Tasmania, and about half of the area of South Australia. Though the Colony was originally a penal settlement, free immigration existed from the first, and, after the abolition of transportation in 1840, all traces of the penal element were rapidly lost. The Constitution Act of New South Wales was assented to on the 16th July, 1855, proclaimed on the 24th November of the same year; and the first representative Parliament was opened on the 22nd May, 1856. The boundaries of the Colony at the date of proclamation included that portion of the continent now known as Queensland, but were exclusive of Victoria, which had been made a separate Colony in 1851. Tasmania, formerly known as Van Diemen's Land, was colonised from New South Wales, having been intended to serve the purpose of a subsidiary penal settlement. Lieutenant Bowen, in charge of an expedition despatched from Sydney, took possession of the island on the 12th September, 1803, and formed a settlement on the east bank of the Derwent River, at Risdon; but the actual commencement of colonisation dates from February, 1804, when Lieutenant-Colonel Collins established himself at Sullivan's WESTERN AUSTRALIA AND VICTORIA. The Govern Cove, at the site of the present city of Hobart. AUSTRALIA. The foundation of the Colony of Western Australia dates from WESTERN the year 1826, when Major Lockyer landed at Albany in charge of an expedition from Sydney, consisting of a detachment of the 39th Regiment, and a number of prisoners. In 1827 Captain Stirling arrived in H.M.S. "Success," and explored the Swan River with a view to establishing a permanent settlement on its banks, and in June, 1829, Captain Freemantle landed near its mouth, and in the same year the town of Perth was founded. The Colony was known originally as the Swan River settlement; it was made a separate Colony on the 1st June, 1829, Captain Stirling being appointed the first Governor. Western Australia remained a Crown Colony under the direct control of the British Government until 20th October, 1890. The present Constitution Act of Western Australia was assented to on the 15th August, 1890; it was proclaimed on 21st October, and the first representative Parliament was opened on the 30th December, in the same year. The first attempt to settle Victoria was made in 1803. On VICTORIA. the 7th October of that year Lieutenant-Colonel Collins arrived from England with the intention of founding at Port Phillip a convict settlement similar to that which had been established at Sydney. The expedition landed on the shores of Port Phillip, near Sorrento, and several explorations of the country were made, but in the course of a few months the attempt at colonisation was abandoned, as the place was believed to be unsuitable for a settlement. For twenty years the District of 3 4 SOUTH SOUTH AUSTRALIA. Port Phillip, as it was called, continued to be neglected. In 1824 Hume and Hovell undertook an exploration of the territory, which they reached overland from Sydney, and in 1826 another expedition, under Captain Wetherall was sent from Sydney to form a settlement, but returned by order of Governor Darling, after one year's trial, although the reports of Hume and Hovell, and the officers of the military, were favourable to the occupation being continued. The first permanent settlement took place in 1834 at Portland Bay, by the Messrs. Henty. In May, 1835, John Batman arrived at Port Phillip, from Launceston, Tasmania, and obtained from the aborigines tracts of land covering an area of 600,000 acres on the shores of Port Phillip and the banks of the Yarra, but the grants were afterwards disallowed by the Imperial Government. In August of the same year, another party under the leadership of J. P. Fawkner, also from Launceston, arrived in the Yarra and formed a settlement on the site now occupied by the city of Melbourne. In 1836, Sir Richard Bourke, then Governor of New South Wales, despatched Mr. Stewart from Sydney, with the title of "Superintendent of the District of Port Phillip,” to establish a regular Government, and Captain Lonsdale arrived soon afterwards with a party of soldiers as well as the necessary civil officials. In 1837 the Governor of New South Wales arrived from Sydney, and gave the name of Melbourne to the new settlement. Port Phillip was separated from the mother Colony on the 1st July, 1851, and became an independent Colony under the name of Victoria. The Constitution Act of Victoria was proclaimed on the 23rd November 1855, and the first representative Parliament was opened on the 21st November, 1856. South Australia was colonised in the year 1836, by immigrants sent from England, under the auspices of the South Australian Colonisation Company. Until a site for the capital was chosen the immigrants were landed at Kangaroo Island. Colonel Light, who was sent out to select the site for the settlement, arrived in August, 1836, and, after examining Nepean Bay, Port Lincoln, NORTHERN TERRITORY AND NEW ZEALAND. and Encounter Bay, decided upon establishing the capital where Adelaide now stands. Captain Hindmarsh, the first Governor, arrived at the close of the same year, and proclaimed the Colony on the 28th December. At this date, the northern boundary of the Colony was fixed at the 26th parallel of south latitude, which remained the limit of the Colony till July, 1863, when the boundary was extended northward to the seaboard. The Act granting Responsible Government was proclaimed on the 24th October, 1856, and the first representative Parliament was opened on the 22nd April, 1857. Territory. In 1831 a settlement was established by the Imperial Govern- The Northern ment at Port Essington, under Sir Gordon Bremer. It was principally used as a military post, and as a harbour of refuge for distressed vessels, but after an occupation of nineteen years it was abandoned. In 1862 Mr. John M'Douall Stuart, a South Australian explorer, succeeded in crossing the continent from Adelaide to Adam Bay on the north coast. He represented the country as suitable for settlement, and application was accordingly made to the Imperial Government for permission to annex the whole of the territory lying between the 26° of south latitude, and the seaboard, and the meridians of 129° and 138° east longitude. This tract of territory was formally granted to South Australia in July 1863, and is now known as the Northern Territory of South Australia. In 1864 the first colonising expedition to the Northern Territory was despatched from Adelaide, a settlement was established at Escape Cliffs, Adam Bay, but the locality being found unsuitable, the colonists in 1870, removed to Port Darwin, which has since remained the official centre. The administration of the territory is under the control of a Government resident, who is directly responsible to the authorities of South Australia. In 1839 a company organised in England, styled the "New NEW ZEALAND. Zealand Land Company," despatched a preliminary expedition to New Zealand for the purpose of treating with the natives for |