Finance (1927-28): Revenue: L9,807,950 (L25.009 per caput); expenditure: L9,834,410 (L25.076). Public debt (net) : L67,528, 626; average interest payable: 4.52%; L168.8o1 per caput. Cheque-paying banks (io) : liabilities (2nd quarter, 1928) : L18, 223,851 ; assets, L22,138,245. Commonwealth Savings Bank (W.A.) (1928) : deposit accounts: 87,980, amounting to £2,823, 500 (L32.092 per deposit). State Savings Bank: deposits, c. 189,000; L7,695,935 (c. £40.250 per caput). Schools Savings Bank: deposits: 51,860; L89,890 (L1.732 per caput). (0. H. T. R.) See: E. de C. Clarke: "Natural Regions in Western Australia" in Journal Royal Soc. Western Australia, vol. xii., No. 14 (1926) ; W. C. S. McLintock: The Swan Geography (1923) ; Western Australia: An Official Handbook (1925).
Both the western and northern coasts of the colony are pretty accurately laid down on maps said to date from 1540 to 1550, where the western side of the continent terminates at Cape Leeuwen. The discovery of the coast may be attributed to Portuguese and Spanish navigators, who were in the seas north ward of Australia as early as 1520. The Dutch explored the coast in the 17th and the French in the i8th century.
The earliest settlement was made from Port Jackson, at the end of 1825, when, owing to a fear that the French might occupy King George sound, Major Lockyer took formal British possession of it with a party of convicts and soldiers, 75 in all, though Van couver had previously done so in 1791. Yet the Dutch had long before declared New Holland, which then meant only the western portion of Australia, to be Dutch property. This convict estab lishment returned to Sydney in 1829. In 1827 Captain Stirling surveyed the coast from King George sound to the Swan river, and Captain Fremantle, R.N., in 1829 took official possession of the whole country. Stirling's account stimulated the emigration ardour of Sir F. Vincent and Peel, Macqueen, etc., who formed an association, securing from the British Government permission to occupy land in Western Australia proportionate to the capital invested, and the number of emigrants they despatched thither. In this way Mr. Peel had a grant of 25o,000ac., and Colonel Latour of 103,000. Captain (afterwards Sir James) Stirling founded the Swan River Settlement, the towns of Perth and Fre mantle, and was appointed lieutenant-governor in 1829. The people were scattered on large grants. The land was poor, and the forests heavy, provisions were at famine prices; and many left for Sydney or Hobart Town. The overland journey of Eyre from Adelaide to King George sound in 1839-40, through a waterless waste, discouraged settlers; but Grey's overland walk in 1838 from Shark's bay to Perth revealed fine rivers and good land in Victoria district, subsequently occupied by farmers, gra ziers and miners. The difficulties of the settlers had compelled them to seek help from the British treasury, in the offer to accept convicts. These came in 1850, but transportation ceased in 1868,
in consequence of loud protests from the other colonies.
The progressive history of Western Australia may be said to commence in 187o, with the beginning of partial representative government under the presidency of Governor Sir Frederick Weld. The colony was fortunate in possessing two explorers of the best practical type—the brothers, John and Alexander Forrest. The object of their expeditions was to find more land available for pastoral or agricultural settlement. Perhaps the most famous of these journeys was that accomplished by Mr. (afterwards Sir) John Forrest between Eucla and Adelaide in 1870. Other ex plorers—notably Mr. Ernest Giles, the Gregorys and Mr. Austin —also contributed to the growing knowledge of the resources of the vast territory. In 1882 the government geologist reported indications of auriferous country in the Kimberley district, and the first payable goldfield was shortly afterwards "proclaimed" there. Within five years goldfields were proclaimed at Yilgarn, about 200M. to the east of Perth, and the discovery of patches of rich alluvial gold in the Pilbarra district quickly followed, but the rush for the Coolgardie and Kalgoorlie goldfields did not begin until 1893.
A bill enabling the queen to grant a constitution to Western Australia received the royal assent on Aug. 15, 1890. This pro vided for a governor, a legislative council and a legislative as sembly, the two bodies to be appointed by the governor until the population reached 6o,000. In 1893 the Colonial Parliament passed an act so amending the constitution.
For a long time the advantages of federation were not so apparent to the people of Western Australia as to those of the eastern colonies. They were slow to grasp the principles of the bill framed at the Federal Convention which had held its sittings since 1886 in Adelaide, Sydney and Melbourne; and they hesi tated to join the Commonwealth without receiving a pledge for the retention of their own customs dues for five years. Early in 1900 Sir John Forrest as premier made an unsuccessful attempt to obtain this concession. On a referendum of the electors, a majority of over 25,000 votes decided in favour of federation, as the Constitution Act provided that this state should have the right to enact her own tariff as against the sister states for the desired five years, decreasing annually at the rate of one-fifth of the amount of the original duty until the whole disappeared. In 1933 a referendum favoured secession from the Commonwealth, hut a joint committee of the British Houses of Parliament declared itself in 1935 incompetent to consider the state's petition to that effect. By the Constitution Acts Amendment Act, 1911, the legislative council is limited to 3o members representing I0 prov inces and elected for six years. The legislative assembly con sists of 5o members, elected for three years.