Historical and Statistical View of the Colony of Victoria [Read before the Statistical Society of London, Monday, 19th June, 1854.] AUSTRALASIA, or Australia, has been characterised as a maritime division of the globe, distinguished from the older terrene divisions of Europe, Asia, Africa, and America, on account of its having no one continent of that particular name, but including, like other divisions of the world, various kingdoms circumscribed by one shore. In this respect it is considered a kind of anomaly in geographical calculation. It comprehends a tract of ocean bounded on the north by the equator, on the east by a line drawn on the 186th degree of east longitude to the 55th degree of south latitude, on the south by the 55th parallel, and on the west by a line drawn from the North West Cape of Hapau, on the east of the islands of Mysol, Timorlant, and Coram, to the 65th degree of east longitude on the 55th parallel, making an irregular four-sided figure, extending upwards of 5,000 miles in average breadth from east to west, and about 3,200 from north to south. Under the general name Australasia are included the islands in the Pacific, distinguished as Polynesia, and also New Holland, New Guinea, New Zealand, and the islands in their neighbourhood. This arrangement has, of late years, been adopted by most writers. Others have preferred the name Australia as being more in accordance with the primitive appellation Terra Australia, or Southern Land. The discovery of the islands of Australasia may be briefly described. Papua, or New Guinea, was discovered by the Portuguese under D. Forge de Meneses, in 1526; New Holland by the Dutch and Spaniards about the year 1542, although the first authentic account of its being visited is dated 1606; Solomon's Islands by the Spaniards under Alonso de Mandana in 1567; the New Hebrides by the Spaniards under De Quiross and De Torres in 1606, afterwards explored by Captain Cook, who gave them their present name, in 1774; New Britain, New Ireland, &c., by the Spaniards under Le Maire and Shouten in 1646; Van Dieman's Land and New Zealand by the Dutch under Abel Jansen Tasman in 1642; St. Paul and Amsterdam by the Dutch under Ylaming in 1696; Kerguelen's Land, or Island of Desolation, by the French under M. de Kerguelen in 1772; and New Caledonia by the British under Captain Cook in 1774. Although the name Australasia includes the whole of the islands in the Pacific, the popular idea seems to limit itself to the one large island comprising the two great divisions of New South Wales and New Holland, now more especially known as Australia. This is not only the largest, but appears destined to become the most important island in the world. It is little more than sixty-five years since it was taken possession of in the name of the King of Great Britain, and the first colony founded. Captain Dampier, who discovered this island in 1688, and visited it again in 1699, gave a most repulsive picture of the natives. He described them as the most miserable people in the world, without houses, without clothes; black, tall, thin, straight-bodied, small limbs, great heads, and heavy brows. Their eye-lids were always half closed to keep the flies out of their eyes, which were so troublesome that no fanning would drive them away from their faces. They had great bottle noses, pretty full lips, and wide mouths. The two fore teeth of their upper jaws were wanting in all of them, men and women, old and young; neither had they any beards, but were long-visaged, of a very unpleasant aspect, having no one graceful feature in their faces. Upon the recommendation of Captain Cook the British Government determined to found a colony of convicts in Australia; and of this colony Arthur Phillips, Esq., was appointed governor. He sailed from Portsmouth in 1787, in the "Sirius" frigate, accompanied by the "Supply" tender, three store ships, and six transports, having on board a detachment of marines and 778 convicts, of which 220 were women. He arrived in Botany Bay in the beginning of 1788, but finding it in many respects ineligible for a colony, on farther exploring the coast, he fixed on Port Jackson, about three leagues and a-half north of Cape Banks, and here the settlement was formed, which he called Sydney Cove. Such was the origin of the present important capital of New South Wales, regarding which Lord Sydney, on the departure of these first colonists, exclaimed with something like prophetic truth, "There goes the foundation of a mighty empire!" The excellence of the climate, the extent and richness of the pasture lands, the natural resources of the country, and the geographical advantages of its position, gradually attracted free settlers from all parts of the United Kingdom, and more especially perhaps from Scotland. These first free settlers followed a pastoral life. Some colonies were founded through the instrumentality of public companies, others by the facilities enjoyed for agricultural and commercial pursuits. The most important of these are Sydney and Port Philip, both of which had their origin as penal settlements. The great increase in the number of free settlers, and the growing importance of the colonies as the seats of industrial enterprise, gradually forced upon the attention of the colonists and the home government the evils arising from the continuance of Australia as a penal settlement, and, in 1852, the British Government announced its determination that the transportation of convicts should cease. Plenty of good land and liberty to manage their own affairs in their own way, were considered by Adam Smith to be "the two great causes of the prosperity of all new colonies." Plenty of good land there certainly is in Australia, but whether the colonists have enjoyed all the advantages from this circumstance, and from being permitted to manage their own affairs in their own way, which the great political economist would indicate as associated with them, seems to be a matter of doubt.* Australia is, however, essentially a British colony, and if, in past years, its extremely remote position, being upwards of 14,000 miles distant from the mother country, and to be reached only by sailing vessels occupying from three to four months on the voyage, and its comparative unimportance as only a penal settlement and the abode of squatters, placed it at a disad* Victoria, late Australia Felix. By W. Westgarth, p. 275. 66 22 vantage with reference to other colonies under the British crown, it must be universally admitted that its great agricultural, commercial, and mineral resources, as well as the regularity and speed with which it can now be reached by steam communication, have elevated it to a position which bids fair to rival the most important of our colonies. This elevated position has been attained within the space of a very few years. The extraordinarily rapid increase in the number of the inhabitants and the trade of Australia, are, perhaps, the most remarkable features in its history, though its mineral resources alone have justly excited the wonder of the world. The colony of Victoria especially has exhibited a degree of progressive prosperity unparalleled by any colony in the history of ancient or modern times; and by confining this paper to a statistical detail of the origin, progress, present position and future prospects of Victoria, a fair idea may probably be presented not only of the general importance but of the immense resources of our antipodean possessions. Previously to 1851, Victoria, more familiarly known as Port Philip, formed the southern division of New South Wales. On being established as a separate colony it was honoured, by special consent, with the name of Her Most Gracious Majesty. It is favourably distinguished as comprising the greatest comparative extent of available land of any of the other large sections of Australia, and is superior alike for the richness of its soil and the beauty of its landscape. A greater proportion of the finer soil is represented to be of volcanic origin. Extinct volcanos everywhere abound, the craters, in many instances, being clearly defined. The rich and extensive pasture lands of Victoria early attracted the attention of the inhabitants of New South Wales and Van Dieman's Land, and were eagerly occupied and rapidly supplied with an abundance of live stock; so much so, indeed, that what was an import trade in live stock in 1835 became an export trade in 1838. The fat stock of Port Philip has ever since maintained a pre-eminence in the markets of the adjoining colonies. The highly interesting account published by Sir Thomas Mitchell of his explorations, undertaken in 1836, of the district of Port Philip, upon which he bestowed the name of Australia Felix, soon attracted a steady tide of immigration from all quarters, but especially from Great Britain, which has rapidly increased since the discovery of its mineral treasures. The sale, re-sale, dividing and sub-dividing of allotments of land formed a prolific source of profit and loss, of gratification and vexation to immense numbers of the original settlers, as they do now in a more modified form to those of the present day. The Crown grants, in many instances, are made after lands have been sold and re-sold, and withheld where the best interests of the colony might be served by the land being freely offered for open competition. Where the quantity of land is comparatively inexhaustible, and the rapidly increasing colonists are willing and eager purchasers, it would appear to be the policy and interest of the Government, in colonial phrase, to "unlock the lands," in other words, to throw them open to public competition. The effect of the gold discoveries in Victoria has been strikingly manifested in the general prosperity of the colony, the increase of its population, the augmentation of its live stock, the export of its produce, the rapid advance of its commerce, but especially in respect to the value of the land. An allotment, whose value in 1837 was 50%., rose in 1851 to 4,000l., and in 1853 readily realised 15,000l. In various parts of the suburbs of Melbourne the advance in the value of land has been in still greater proportion to this. The following return shows the quantity of crown land sold in 1852 : Land Sales. Return showing the Quantity of Crown Land Sold in the Colony of Victoria, the Number of Purchasers, and the Amount Received for the same, during the Year 1852. The increase of the population of this colony has more than corresponded with its rapid improvement in other respects. In 1841 the population was little more than 11,000; in 1851, at the period of its separation from Sydney, it had reached 80,000. Melbourne, the capital of the colony, was, in 1841, a small straggling town, with almost impassable streets, and a population of 4,500. In 1843 it possessed a municipal corporation, whose best endeavours were directed to its internal improvement. In 1851 the population had reached 25,000, the principal streets were in the highest state of repair, with broad macadamised carriage ways, open side drains, and kerbed footpaths. Elegant and substantial churches and public edifices met the eye in every direction, while many of the numerous shops might bear comparison with the best in some of our provincial towns. Since the discovery of the gold fields the population of Melbourne and its suburbs has increased, in less than two years, to upwards of 80,000. On the 31st December, 1852, the total population of the colony of Victoria was 148,627, of which 98,313 were males, and 50,314 females. This was exclusive of the aborigines, who were estimated at about 2,500. Such are the figures given in the official returns printed by order of the Council; but according to Mr. Westgarth "the population of the colony had been more than doubled within the interval of one year, namely from 95,000, the estimated number at the end of 1851, to 200,000 at the end of the following year. Previous to the discovery of gold the staple commodity of the colony of Victoria was wool. The first exportation of wool took place in 1836, but there exists no official report of the quantity then exported. The quantity exported amounted in The importance of the trade in Australian wool may be judged of from the fact that the wool from this colony forms upwards of onehalf of the whole wool now imported into Great Britain. In reference to its wool and the agricultural pursuits of the colony, the following return of the number of live stock on the 31st December, 1852, is not without interest : Return of the Number of Live Stock within the Colony of Victoria on the 31st Another staple article of export from Australia, and which attracts unusual interest at the present moment, is tallow. The extremely low price to which stock had fallen in 1843 led to the practice, partaking almost of the merit of a valuable commercial discovery, of boiling down the carcass for the sake of its tallow. The practice originated in New South Wales. In the Sydney district cases had occurred of sheep having been sold at 1s. a-head, and even as low as 7d. In such a state of affairs it is not surprising that it should have become a grave question whether stock and stations were worth possessing, or whether these could be managed without positive loss. In the Port Philip district sheep had been sold in 1843 as low as 2s. 6d. per head with the right of station; but the discovery of the tallow manufacture elevated at once the value of the sheep and the hopes and profits of the agriculturist. The export of tallow is an important branch of Port Philip trade. The quantity exported It will be observed that in the two last years, and especially in 1852, there was a considerable falling off in the export of tallow. This is to be attributed to the discovery of the gold fields and the immense increase of population, which naturally created a greater demand for every description of animal food. This demand will, in all probability, continue to increase, and it may, therefore, fairly be expected that the manufacture and export of tallow will gradually diminish. The curing of colonial beef may, for the same reason, be said to have received a temporary check. The following is a return of the number of boiling-down establishments, the number of live stock slaughtered, and the quantity of tallow and lard produced from the same in the colony of Victoria during the year 1852: |