ATLAS OF AUSTRALIA—1886.
a license to occupy for ten yenre is issaed, subject to tha following
coiuUtious ;—
1. i u aniiiinl foe at tlie rate of ouo shilling on acre, or frootional
part of nn acre, shall lie paid iu ad\'auce on oi- before the first of
>[ai-ch ill each year; the fii-st ])aymeut to be made at the time of
gmutiug the application.
2. Thi.' lioensco shall not, during tlie curi'Eucy of the license, sub-let,
or transfer his interest therein, escopt by pei-missiou of the
Commissioner of Crown Lauds, mid on payment of a fee of ten
sUillings. The license shall become absolutely void upon any
sub-letting or transfer of the licensee's interest iu the license
without suc-h permission, or on failure of paj-ment oE rent, unless
within sixty days after such is due, it is ])aid together with an
additional sum equal to twenty-five per cent, added as fine.
3. The licensee shall, within the tei-m of his license, or befoi-e he can
claim tlio Crown gi-aut, eitlier by payment or otherwise, enclose
the land described iu bis license with n good and substantial
fence, and shall have cleared and cropped nt least one-fourth of
the whole area.
•i. Upou payment of the Inst sum due on account of the rent, or at
any time during the term, upou payment of the difference
between the amount of rent actually paid—such being calculated
at the rate of one shilling a year per acre—and the entire sum of
ten shilliugs for each acre, the licensee or his representatives, if
he or they have fulSlled all the foregoing pi-ovisions iu regard to
improvements, sball be entitled to a Crown grant of the lands
\xc< such grant shall be
exceptions,
ibject to such
covenants, conditiot rations as the
Governor may direct,
5. If the afoi-esaid improvements have not beeu made before the end
of the license, the licensee or his representatives may continue to
hold the land at the same annual rental, but no Crorni grant
will be issued until the improvements have been duly made.
6. With respect to lands within the Greenough and Irwin Commonages
which already have been or may hereafter be taken up
for Special Occupation, the licensee, notwithstanding sub-section
3 of No. 56 of the General Kegulations, shall not be required to
cloar or crop any ])ortion of the land described iu his license as a
condition precedent to claiming the Crown grant.
Blocks of not less than ten acres each are sold by private contract
for vineyards, orchards, or gardens.
Settlement iu the Kimberley District is encouraged by the
bestowal of free grants of land under certain defined conditions.
Pastoral lands are divided into /rul chas, including all lands in
the Central Disti-ict, except those lying to the east of the Fitzgerald
Rivei", and second class, which embmces all other pastoral lands in the
colony.
Annual licenses arc granted to occupy blocks of land of not less
than 3,000 acres in each case, at a rental of £1 per 1,000 acres.
Similar leases, iu blocks of 10,000 acres each, are gi'anted, such
tenure euding ou the 3Ist December, 1887.
Pastoral Lands of the second class, except within the Kimberley
District, are leased iu areas of not less than 20,000 acres, at a rental
of five shillings per 1,000 acres, such leases to terminate on the
31st December, 1893. These leases carry certain rights of purchase.
Areas of not less than 50,000 acres when on a frontage, and of
20,000 with none of the boundaries abutting on the coast, a lake,
river, or stream, are granted under lease in the Kimberley district,
for periods termiuating on the 31st December, ISOS. Certnin
conditions with regard to stocking the land attach to leases in the
northern part of the colony.
Poisonous plants, which produce fatal results when pastured on by
sheep and cattle, are found in some districts. Lands so infested are
open to lease for 21 years, with the right of pre-emption, under the
following conditions;—
1. That not less than 1,000 acres be taken up.
'2. That £1 be paid every yeai-, ou or before the 1st of llareh, in
advance, for each 1,000 acres, or part of 1,000 acres.
3. That all expenses incurred in survey, and in production of necessary
evidence, have been previously deposited with the Receiver
of Revenue, or paid to the parties coucerned and Bm])loyed.
4. That if the land so leased shall be completely fenced in to the
satisfaction of the Commissioner of Cro\vu Lands, with a good
and substantial fence of the ordinary height, and of the
construction generally in accord with the provisions of the
statute law of the colony dealing with fencing, and the
poisonous indigenous plants entirely eradicated therefrom, the
occupier shall, at the expiration of the aforesaid term of years,
be entitled to receive, on payment of such fees as are required
by these Regulations, a Crown grant of the land.
5. That if all the foregoing conditions ai-e complied with, and the
ftill balance of rent be paid at any time during the lease, the
Cro^™ grant may thereupon be issued.
Leases are granted for mining purposes other than gold-mining.
Auriferous areas are dealt with under separate regulations. If the
holder of a mining lease allows the minerals to remain unworked for
a period of twelve months, the lease is liable to be forfeited; uudor
such circumstances, the miner is allowed to remove his machinery,
im))rovements, and the ore brought to the surface.
'["he law also provides for the cutting of timber on Crowu lands,
and presciibes certain fees for licenses.
The remaining regulations deal with commonages iu connection
«-ith towns, and the settlement of pensioners and Immigrants on
certain Cro\s-u lauds,
GOVERNMENT,—The governinont of Western Australia differs
considerably fi'om that of the other Australian colonies. It is the
only member of the group that has not adopted the responsible foi m
of government. Thei-e is no Ministry constituted from a party in
power. The Govenior, assisted by the Executive Council, administers
the laws, and manages public affaii-s. The Governor and the
Executive Couuoll, which includes the Colonial Secretary, the
Attorney-General, the Colonial Treasurer, the Commissioner of Crown
Lands and Surveyor-General, and the Director of Public A\'^orks and
Commissioner of Railways, receive their appointments from the
The legislature consists of one body, known as the Legislative
Council. It is composed of the Executive Council e.'icept the
Colonial Treasurer, four nominees of the Governoi-, and sixteen
elected members. The pi-oceedings are presided over by a Speaker.
An elector must possess a freehold of the value of tlOO, or be in
occupation of either houses or lands of an annual rental value of £10.
Candidates for seats in the Couuoll nmst be iu the possession of
property worth £1,000,
The settled portion of the colony is divided into thirteen districts.
Each electoral district, with the exception of Perth, Freuiantle, and
the North, which have two representatives, i-etui-ns one member to the
Legislative Co une D.
The administration of justice is carried out under the Chief
Justice, ouo Puisne Judge, Police Magistrates, and Justices of tlie
Peace.
PRODUCTS AND TRADE,-The products of Western Australia are
of a vei-y varied character. On the northern and north-western
coasts, they are those of ti-opical climates, while in the southern
jjortlons of the colony, plant« indigenous to the temperate parts of
the globe, find a suitable habitat.
Pnstoi'al pursuits, and th& rearing of stock, are largely followed
by the aettleií, Thi.s is especially so in the northern disti-icts, where
there are immense tracts of well-grassed country, eminently suited to
the pastui'iug of sheep and cattle. The value of wool exported
during 1885, was estimated at £2«,-iOO, The returns of the same
year show that there were l,"02,7!f) sheep, Si,802 horses, and
70,408 horned cattle, on the vaiious runs of the colony.
In tlie Central and Southei'n Districts, there are very large ai'eas
of a fertile character, and suited to the growth of wheat and other
cereals. Many of the settlers are now engaged in this industi-y. At
the present time, the land uuder cultivation aggregates a total area of
about 77,728 acres. It is, perhaps, worthy of notice, that the
numei-ous forms of enterprise open to the settlers have had the
effect, in the past, of diverting attention from the cultivation of the
soil.
On the north-western coast, north of the 25th parallel, pearlfishery
is carried on extensively, and as au industry, lias proved very
remunerative to its promotore. This entorj)rise, during the year
1885, yielded tho following results ;—
Pearl-shell £41,21«
Pearls £15,000
Little has been done towards the development of the industry on
the coast north from King Sound, There is no doubt, however, that
the resoui-ces of the northern shores equal, if not surpass, those of
that part of the seaboard where the enterprise is now regularly
followed.
Timber of a very durable quality Is obtained in large quantities
in various parts of the colouy. The Jarrali fF.ncahj-pl.ii> marginata)
is specially celebrated for its durability, iiud is much in demand for
piles for wharfs and bridges, and for railway sleepers. It resists
the attacks of the white ant and the IWedu navalt", and is in request
not only throughout Australia, but in other countries. The Karri
(Eucalyptua dvvcrsicolurj is found on the south coast, where it attaius
I a great size. The value of timber exported from the colouy during
I 1885, was estimat-ed at .t(i7,SòO.