ALBURY, a small country town of rising importance in Goulburn county, New South Wales. Situated at an elevation of 542ft. on the right (north) bank of the river Murray (q.v.), approximately 1,47om. from its mouth, Albury marks the head of possible navigation ( July—December) on this stream, though at present river steamers normally ply only as far as Echuca. Its position, again, on the western flank of the eastern highlands, not far from the point of debouchment of the Murray, and in the general line of connection between Melbourne and Sydney, con stitutes Albury a crossing-place of some importance. As a fording point it has figured in the history of Australian exploration. In 1883 the Victoria and New South Wales railway systems were connected at this point, and Albury is now a bridge town on the main line linking Victoria and New South Wales (Albury—Sydney c. 35om., Albury—Melbourne c. 190 m.), and also the eastern and western portions of the continent (Transcontinental line, Fre mantle and Perth—Brisbane). The river is crossed by means of an iron bridge from Wodonga on the Victorian side, and here also is a break of gauge (Victorian system: 5' 3”; N.S.W.: 4' 84")• A little above Albury is the confluence of the Murray with its tributary the Mitta Mitta. Albury, therefore, figures in the now historic River Murray Agreement (1914), and it will acquire further considerable importance as a result of the execution of the schemes under that agreement, notably that of the Hume reservoir. Albury, which has a mean annual temp. of 6o.7° ; mean annual rainfall: 27.65in., of which 18.9in. falls in the seven months, April—October, is the centre and virtual capital of the eastern Riverina, a rich agricultural and pastoral district pro ducing wheat, fruit and sheep. Albury became a municipality in 1859, and has shown a steady rise in population (1891, 5,447; 192i, 7,752; 1933, 10,542)•