The Western Slopes consist in the main of gently rolling country which rises from levels of under i,000 ft. to elevations of over 2,000 ft. and merges into the plateaux to the east. It is essentially the zone of the upper, and fairly roomy, basins of the western rivers, but in the north-west and south-west the nar rower head-water valleys and plateau margins are included in the administrative division. The rainfall is abundant and also fairly reliable (19-34 in.—rather more in the north, 24-33 in., more varied in the south where the Australian Alps are ap proached: 16-40 in.). The outcrops of ancient rocks along these slopes, as also the stream-beds descending over them, have yielded rich stores of minerals, and Forbes, Temora, Wyalong, Grenfell, etc., were once famous mining centres. Some gold-mining is still carried on, tin is obtained at Ardlethan, chrome iron at Gundagai, and a little coal is worked near Gunnedah. But in general mining has been succeeded by agriculture as the value of the red soils for wheat has become known. Out of the total area, 28,164,000 ac. (c. 44,000 sq. miles) 4- is occupied. Wheat, needing dry sum mers and an optimum growing-season (April–Oct.) rainfall of 11-15 in., finds these conditions in a belt c. soo miles long (north west–south-east), about 100-130 m. wide, and limited on the east by a line about 120 m. from the coast, the coastal portions having proved too humid. Within this belt are 53 ,000,000 ac. of which about 26,000,000 ac. seem capable of cultivation, and of this would normally be used for growing wheat-hay (fodder). The area of possible wheat cultivation has greatly increased, nearly 20,000,000 additional acres having been occupied for this purpose in 1904-22. The total area actually cultivated to wheat (1926) is about 8,000,000 ac., about one-half of which is under wheat at any time. Fruit-growing and dairying are also carried on, and along some of the rivers irrigation also (e.g., Forbes, Dubbo, Ardlethan). Grazing (mainly sheep) is everywhere im portant. The great bulk of the holdings within the area lie between Ioo and 3,00o acres. Livestock total: sheep, 15,670,000 with the very high average density of 389 per sq.m : cattle, 416,000; horses, 197,00o; dairy cattle, 41,00o. In addition to primary production there are butter-factories, freezing works, flour and saw mills, etc., and in certain railway centres (e.g., Junee, Quirindi) are large railway engineering works. The total popu lation (1926) was 205,190 (4.7 per sq. mile). The towns (Tam worth, 9,918 in 1933 ; Dubbo, 8,344; Forbes, Parkes, 5,848; Junee, Cootamundra and Temora, 3,823) are centres for agri cultural and pastoral producing areas, adding often the functions of railway junctions, mining, and (on a small scale) industrial centres. Production (1926): wool, 114,457,000 lb.; wheat, 20, bu.; butter, 6,298,00o lb.; minerals and manufactures, f The Tablelands extend to the east of the above division and are bounded on the east almost everywhere by abrupt and often rugged and precipitous declivities. They include much level or rolling country capable of cultivation but much, especially in the south (Alps, Australian, q.v.), is too rough for anything but graz ing. The climate is also cool or cold and, though bracing, tends to be wet. (Rainfall, 24-53 in.; in the north 3o-38 in. ; in the south 19-65 in.) Mining, formerly extensive, is still important. The tin resources of the Northern Plateau (Tingah, Emmaville) are actively exploited ; silver ores of high quality are mined at Yerranderie (Burragorang Valley) ; gold is mined at various places: Bathurst, Uralla, etc. ; the iron deposits of Cadia (re serves io,000,0o0 tons) and Carcoar are utilised in the industries of Lithgow (q.v.) and smaller deposits exist at Goulburn and Queanbeyan, while the most westerly outcrops of the Sydney Basin coal deposits crop out and are worked at Lithgow. Of the total area (26,480,00o ac.=41,725 sq.m.) about 77% (20, 000,00o ac.) is occupied, but less than one-half is alienated from the Crown. The climate is, in general, too damp for wheat but such as is grown is also found mainly in the central area. Sheep grazing is carried on from north to south, though the central parts lead in this also. The highlands favour a different type of sheep from the Plains—not so robust but of exceptionally fine and dense wool. The New England wool, being reputed to be one of the best of all spinning wools, and the Southern Tablelands (e.g., Monaro district) are also noted. The area carried (1926) 10, 19,000 sheep (214.7 per sq.m.) ; 438,000 cattle; iio,000 horses, and 45,00o dairy cattle. Apart from Lithgow (q.v.) manufac turing industries are confined mainly to the larger towns (flour milling, tanning, soap-making, railway engineering, etc.), but the noted beauty of the scenery and the relative coolness of summer attract numerous visitors and in the areas within easy railway reach of Sydney and Newcastle the tourist industry is important. The total pop. (1926) was 230,000 (5.5 per sq.m.) but it is mainly concentrated in certain localities, wide areas being relatively bare. The towns and settlements are centres for pastoral, agricultural, and mining districts; many are tourist centres as well, while some are also railway-junction towns with a certain industrial activity.
In the Northern Plateau, Armidale (q.v.: 6,794 in 1933), Glen Innes (5,356) and Tenterfield are on the main northern railway (Sydney to Brisbane) and combine most of these functions, serv ing as holiday centres especially for Newcastle and the north coast towns. On the highlands west of Sydney (Blue moun tains) holiday and tourist resorts are more important—Katoomba ; Goulburn (14,851), also an agricultural centre with some industries—while further west, Bathurst (q.v., 10,415) and Orange (9,632) combine this with the other functions mentioned. Further removed, such towns as Cowra (5,056), Young (4,010 ), Mudgee (3,995), Wellington (4,320) are rather more agricul tural and pastoral (wheat and sheep) centres and belong almost as much to the Western Slopes division. Lithgow (q.v., with its iron, steel and other industries stands rather apart as an outlier of the coastal industrial areas.
Production.—In 1926 production was: wool, 79,230,000 lb.; wheat, 2,100,000 bu. ; butter, 4,136,000 lb. ; minerals, L1,322,000; manufactures, Ł2,687,000. The Federal Capital Territory falls within this area (see CANBERRA) and was formerly mainly de voted to grazing (sheep). On the edges of the southern table land (west of Yass) is the famous Burrinjuck dam, the head works of an important Riverina (q.v.) irrigation scheme.
The Coastal Lowlands, irregular, broken and detacheci patches or mere strips scattered and stretched along the eastern margins, are yet economically and in general social respects per haps the most important regional element in the State. Relatively small in extent (22,237,000 ac. =34,745 sq.m.) they contained about 1,770,00o persons (75.7% of the total pop., Per sq.m.) ; the great majority of large towns, including the capital; nearly all the coal-fields and manufacturing areas; all the sugar growing, the bulk of the dairying and maize-growing areas, be sides all the sea-ports, with the financial and commercial nerve centres of the State. The largest, and also the most important, individual areas are the Sydney and Hunter River lowlands in the centre, the Clarence-Richmond-Tweed basins in the north, and the Illawarra district in the south. These are described separately (see SYDNEY, SINGLETON, RICHMOND, WOLLONGONG) and a gen eral survey alone is given here. The climate is mild and humid, and distinctly warmer in the north (rainfall: 30-62 in.; 35-76 in. in the north, 27-61 in. in the south). Apart from river-bottoms and some coastal flats, the terrain is hilly or broken and the cul tivable area is small, and of this area less than a quarter was cultivated in 1925-26. The broken lands—tableland scarps, valleys, foothills, etc.—are valuable for mining (e.g., Clarence Valley) and the intersection and laying bare of coal-seams by river action and coastal faulting is a fact of importance. The extensive timber resources have been greatly depleted, though some is still cut in the Northern and Hunter valleys. In many parts the topography and climate offer facilities for water-power development (cf. Nymboida-Clarence scheme), while the rougher interior country is also used for cattle. Wheat and sheep are virtually excluded by the dampness of the climate, but 95% of the holdings used for dairying are in this area. All the sugar grown in the State is cultivated in the northern districts (1926: 19,400 ac.). Considerable quantities of fruit are grown—tropical fruits in the north, vines, oranges, etc., in the (north-east) Hunter valley and in the Sydney Basin—and mixed agriculture is practised (maize, lucerne, potatoes in the north and centre). Live-stock (1926) : cattle, L000,000, dairy cattle, 795,000; horses, 203,00o; sheep, 996,000. The holdings are comparatively small: 400-50o acres. The outcropping of coal in convenient positions has given rise to a coal-mining and coal-exporting industry (see BULLI, MAITLAND)—in 1928 very depressed—and more recently to grow ing manufacturing industries centred chiefly in or near Newcastle, Sydney, Port Kembla (q.v.). Here is the chief and growing industrial "hub" of the Commonwealth. Here, also, are the financial and commercial headquarters—the central banking, wool broking, railway and shipping, political and social organisations— of the State. Of ports, Sydney and Newcastle—the former good, the latter indifferent as a harbour—are the most important, but Grafton (a river port), Coff's Harbour and Byron Bay in the north have actual importance or possibilities as outlets for local trade and the same applies to Port Stephens as a possible outlet for the Lower Hunter district. Jervis Bay is the destined site for the port of the Federal Capital. Associated with the coasts are also fishing (mainly in the northern estuaries and lakes; 1926: L556,000), and the tourist and holiday-resort industries.
Of the total population of the area (v. sup.) Sydney alone ac counts for 1,235,367 (1933), and about 200,000 more inhabit the Sydney Basin (Cumberland County). The lower Hunter Valley and coasts immediately north of it (i.e., substantially the New castle [q.v.]-Maitland [q.v.] district) count a further 280,00o.