of the Executive Council." The motion in its amended form was passed on the 25th November, and on the 19th December the resignation of Sir Thomas McIlwraith was accepted. It should perhaps be mentioned here that since the elections of 1896 Sir Thomas McIlwraith had been a member of the Executive Council without a seat in the Legislature.

Sir Hugh Nelson resigned the Premiership on the 13th April, 1898, and was appointed President of the Legislative Council. The task of leading the Government was entrusted to Mr. T. J. Byrnes, who immediately embarked on a policy of progressiveness, but unfortunately for the State, what gave promise of a brilliant career was cut short by his death in September, 1898, at the early age of 36 years. The Hon. J. R. Dickson, C.M.G., then became Premier, although a section of the Ministerial Party favoured the appointment of the Hon. R. Philp. Under the leadership of Mr. Glassey the Labour Party were awaiting developments, and when the expected split did not eventuate, announced that they would consider themselves the Constitutional Opposition, though still retaining their title as Labour Party. A few days later Mr. J. G. Drake announced that six members sitting with him had formed themselves into an Independent Opposition. The most important legislative work of the session was the passing of a comprehensive Mining Act, which consolidated and improved previous legislation on the subject. During the year the country experienced a fair measure of prosperity. The drought lifted for a time in many districts, while the agricultural and pastoral industry benefited greatly from seasonable rains. Work was plentiful, and the demand for labour was so general that the Government began to consider the advisableness of reviving the system of assisted immigration. Nothing definite was, however, accomplished in this direction until 1900, when upwards of 2,000 Stateaided immigrants entered Queensland.

The elevation of Mr. Dickson to the Premiership brought about a change in the attitude of Queensland towards federation. Hitherto politicians, notably Sir Hugh Nelson and the Hon. T. J. Byrnes, had been lukewarm on the subject, and in consequence, Queensland had not been represented by delegates at the Federal Convention of 1898. But Mr. Dickson was an ardent federalist, and set about the accomplishment of his ideals almost as soon as he became head of the Government. He succeeded in having Queensland represented in his own person at the Conference of Premiers in 1899 which followed the first referendum, and the new Parliament which met after the General Election in May devoted itself almost solely to the passing of an Enabling Bill. This was carried out, and in September Queensland adopted Federation by a large majority. But, as in the other provinces, when the question of Federation was disposed of, the course of local politics was interrupted, and Mr. Dickson found himself ousted in December by Mr. Anderson Dawson, the head of the Labour Party. Mr. Dawson's Cabinet was composed entirely of Labour members, but the combination did not last longer than a week, and on the re-assembling of Parliament a vote of

no confidence was immediately carried against them on the motion of Mr. Philp. A new Ministry was then formed by Mr. Philp, and with sundry alterations has remained in office ever since. At this period, despite the drawbacks occasioned by drought and the tick pest, the pastoral industry had made great progress, and agriculture also advanced, notwithstanding bad seasons. The export of dairy produce showed a satisfactory expansion, while the increased prices realised in all branches of production compensated in some measure for the bad seasons experienced in the past. Queensland in 1899 was the first Australian province to offer troops for service in South Africa, and the despatch of the first contingent was made the occasion for a great outburst of enthusiasm. The early months of this year were marked by a succession of violent cyclonic storms, which wrought great havoc in the north, and culminated in the disaster to the Thursday Island pearling fleet, when nearly all the vessels employed in the pearling industry were wrecked, and upwards of two hundred employees drowned.

The year 1900 was the last of Queensland's period of prosperity, although the healthy condition of the public finances was sustained by an excess of revenue over expenditure amounting to £47,789. At the close of the financial year there were signs of an approaching period of depression. The drought still continued in the western districts, and its effects began to be felt nearer the coast, and although pastoral produce still showed large in the lists of exports, it was inevitable that the decreasing flocks and herds should be followed by a falling off. There was a slight increase in wheat production, which was, however, counterbalanced by a decline in the output of sugar, while the mining industry, although the yield showed an increase, began to suffer from the lack of water. An impetus was, however, given to the latter industry by the initiation of private railway schemes, several of which received Parliamentary approval during the session, despite the opposition of the Labour Party. These lines were to be built by syndicates primarily to connect mining areas with the coast, but it was urged that in addition agricultural and pastoral industries would be benefited in the districts traversed by them. The Shops and Factories Act instituting early closing regulations and other efforts towards the betterment of shop and factory workers was also passed. Three contingents were despatched to South Africa during the year, and another was recruited before the Commonwealth took over the Defence departments.

During 1901 the fortunes of Queensland were at a lower ebb than for many years past. The severity of the drought led to the abandonment of many stations and selections, and the consequent falling off in pastoral production seriously affected the railway receipts. The sugar crop was indifferent, while the industry was in an unsettled state owing to the federal legislation with respect to coloured labour. The Chillagoe Copper Mines Company, from which great results were anticipated, collapsed in the market, and had to be reconstructed. At the end of the financial year the Treasurer's statement showed a deficit of £528,188. The only

In

bright spots in the year's cloud of misfortune were the record yield of of wheat and the expansion of the dairy industry, although the latter suffered somewhat from the unfavourable climatic conditions. Parliament the chief work was the passing of a Pastoral Holdings New Leases Act, which was designed to afford some assistance to pastoralists, by giving greater security of tenure. Lord Lamington left for England in June, having extended his term of office to cover the visit of the Prince and Princess of Wales, which took place in May, and was marked by the same enthusiasm as elsewhere. The new Governor, Sir Herbert Charles Chermside, took up his duties in March, 1902.

The outlook in the early months of 1902 was not by any means cheering. In consequence of the shrinkage in revenue occasioned by drought and by the falling off in the Customs receipts, rigid economy had to be practised, and the policy of retrenchment in the Civil Service was resorted to. One of the most striking evidences of the disastrous effects of the drought was provided in May, by the announcement that the firm of Cobb & Co. had abandoned the carriage of inland mails, owing to the scarcity of fodder and water. This action for a time caused great inconvenience, many travellers being left stranded in the inland towns. Some time later, however, an arrangement was made between the Postal authorities and the contractors, and the service was renewed.

In the following table will be found a list of the Ministries which have held office in Queensland from the inauguration of responsible Government up to the date of publication of this volume::

97

SOUTH AUSTRALIA.

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N 1834 a Colonisation Committee, called the "South Australíam Association," was formed. It consisted, in the first instance, of twenty-nine gentlemen, all of whom occupied leading positions, eighteen being Members of the House of Commons. A Bill for the colonisation of South Australia, promoted by this Committee, was introduced and passed the House of Commons with the support of the Secretary of State for the Colonies, and on the last day of the session of 1834 it received the Royal Assent.

The Act under which South Australia was founded empowered the Crown to erect "one or more provinces" in that part of Australia lying between the 132nd and the 141st meridians of east longitude, and between the 26th parallel of south latitude and the Southern Ocean. It further enacted that all persons residing within the said province or provinces should be free," not subject to the law or Constitution of any other part of Australia, but bound by only those which should be constructed especially for their own territory." The measure provided that the entire proceeds of sales of land in that portion of Australia should be devoted to the transportation of labourers from the mother country, but that no convicts should at any time be sent to this favoured colony; and that a Constitution should be granted to the inhabitants as soon as they numbered 50,000 souls.

As the Commissioners were restrained from entering upon the exercise of their general powers until they had invested £20,000 in Exchequer Bills, or other securities, and until land to the value of £35,000 had been sold, in order to secure the mother country from expense in founding and governing the new colony, there was some little hitch at the beginning of the new establishment, and fears were entertained as to the ability of the Commissioners to dispose of a sufficient quantity of land to realise the required sum. At the outset the price of land had been set at £1 per acre, and each land-order was for 80 acres of country land and 1 acre of town land; the price for the whole being £81. At about this juncture the "South Australian Company" was formed, under the inspiring direction of George Fife Angas, with a large capital, intended for employment in the progress and development of the colony. This association offered to purchase at once the remaining lots of land at an upset price of 12s. per acre. The

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Commissioners accepted the proposition, but, in order to act fairly by their former clients, allowed those who had paid for 80 acres of land at £1 per acre to receive 134 acres at 12s. per acre.

To Edward Gibbon Wakefield belongs the merit of devising this new method of colonisation. The essential principle of his scheme was that land should be exchanged for labour, instead of being given away or alienated for a merely nominal sum. The colony should, in short, be self-supporting from the very first, and a revenue created by the sale of the waste or unappropriated lands within it, which revenue should be used as an immigration fund; the price of land should, moreover, be fixed sufficiently high to secure a constant supply of hired labour for its cultivation. In South Australia the land was sold in unconditional and absolute fee simple, without reserve for any purpose. The three fundamental principles upon which the colony was founded were selfsupport, anti-transportation, and the voluntary principle as applied to religion.

The required quantity of land having been sold, and the investment of £20,000 in Exchequer bills completed, the Commissioners began their arrangements for the founding of the colony. In the first place the Governorship of the new community was offered to Sir Charles James Napier-" the Conqueror of Scinde "; but this gentleman wanted a military establishment, and power to draw upon the Home Government for funds in case of emergency; and as the colony was intended to be self-supporting, his demands could not, of course, be complied with. He thereupon declined the proffered honour, and Captain Hindmarsh, R.N., a bluff, typical British scaman, was gazetted to the post on the 4th February, 1836.

On the

In the meantime the despatch of emigrants had begun, the first vessel, the "Duke of York," arriving on the 29th July, 1836, and casting anchor in Nepean Bay. The first person to set foot on shore in the new colony, was also the youngest member of the party, namely, the infant daughter of Mr. Beare, the second officer. Other vessels began to arrive in fairly quick succession; and Kangaroo Island being then better known than any portion of the mainland, steps were accordingly taken by the Company's agents to make the settlement there. 19th August, 1836, Colonel Light arrived at Kangaroo Island in the 'Rapid," and at once assumed command of the expedition. His first work was the selection of a site for the settlement a task he set about with unusual care. After examining Kangaroo Island and various places on the shores of the Gulf of St. Vincent, he turned his attention to Port Lincoln in Spencer's Gulf, but without discovering any locality suitable for the establishment of a large settlement. ultimately decided upon the arm of the sea upon which Port Adelaide is situated, and here he fixed the site of the colony's chief town.

66

He

Governor Hindmarsh arrived in the "Buffalo" in Holdfast Bay on the 28th December of the same year, and at 3 o'clock in the afternoon, under the shade of gum-trees a short distance from the beach,