Albury

In 1809 Captain Macquarie became governor, and, during his administration, New South Wales was transformed from a penal settlement to a colony. Schools and churches had already been erected, a newspaper, the Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser, had been started, and attempts made to acclimatize the drama. Macquarie was the first governor to open up the country. He formed roads and built bridges in the districts along the coast, and commenced a track across the Blue Mountains. At tracted by the success of Captain John M'Arthur with merino sheep, more free settlers began to arrive in 1817; but not until the governorship of Sir Richard Bourke (1831-37) did they ob tain trial by jury, free press, a legislature with very limited representation, free grants of land, and religious equality. Settle ment had progressed at a rapid rate. Parramatta, Richmond, and Windsor were founded before 1798, and Newcastle, Maitland, and Morpeth early in the 19th century; but the towns of the interior, Goulburn, Bathurst, and others were not begun till about 1835. Then, again, the explorations which followed the passage of the Blue Mountains opened up a large portion of South-Eastern Australia. By 1840, owing to the formation of other colonies, New South Wales, which originally signified the mainland of Australia and the islands in the South Pacific, comprised only the three eastern states of today. Sale by auction of the public lands was now substituted for free grants ; and squatters were allowed to occupy sparse areas on payment of a small annual licence. In 1851, when Victoria became a separate colony, the population of New South Wales had risen from the 76,793 of 1837 to 187,243, and the annual exports amounted to L2,399,580. In 1851 also, gold was discovered near Bathurst by E. H. Har graves, and transportation was at last abolished.

The New Constitution Bill was passed in 1853, and two years later, approved by the British Parliament. The Bill provided for an elected assembly and a nominated council; vote by ballot was introduced; the number of members in the assembly was in creased to 8o, and the franchise was granted to every adult male after six months' residence. The census of 1857 gave the popula tion of Sydney and suburbs as 81,327. In 1859 Queensland was constituted a separate colony.

From 1861 to 1888.

After 1861 the land policy was entirely revised. Sir John Robertson, in his Land Bill, introduced the prin ciple of deferred payments for the purchase of crown lands. Residence and cultivation were considered more important than a sufficient price. After much opposition the measure was passed and the other colonies adopted similar legislation. The distinction between the descendants of convicts and the descendants of free settlers was now finally abandoned. In 1862 a large force, military and police, was despatched to Lambing Flat, in order to protect the Chinamen from ill-treatment by the miners. At this time bushranging became frequent, and only with great difficulty was stamped out.

H.R.H. the duke of Edinburgh visited the colony in 1868. An attempt was made upon his life by a man named O'Farrell, who was subsequently hanged. A census taken in 1871 showed that the population was 503,981, and the exports L11,245,032. During the governorship of Sir Hercules Robinson (1872-70 the Fiji Islands were annexed; telegraphic communication with England and mail communication with the United States were established, and a coalition between Sir Henry Parkes (premier and colonial secretary) and Sir John Robertson at length made it possible to develop some continuous policy. The census of 1880 gave the population of the colony as 751,468, of whom 411,149 were males and 340,319 females. In this year the railway to Melbourne was completed, and in 1883 valuable deposits of silver were discovered at Broken Hill. In 1885 the British Government accepted the

offer of a contingent from New South Wales to aid the imperial troops in the Sudan. The railway to Queensland was opened in 1888 by the new governor, Lord Carrington. In the same year the government prevented the landing of some Chinese passengers and passed laws practically prohibiting the immigration of China men.

Federation.

In 1889, the premier, Sir Henry Parkes, gave his support to the movement for Australasian federation, and New South Wales was represented at the first conference held in Mel bourne at the beginning of 1890 (see AUSTRALIA) . Early in 1891 the great strike, which at one time had threatened to paralyse the trade of the colony, came to an end. A board of arbitration and conciliation to hear and determine labour questions and disputes was formed, and by later legislation its powers were strengthened. (For labour legislation see AUSTRALIA.) The census of 1891 showed that the population was 1,134,207, of whom the aborigines numbered 7,705 and the Chinese 12,781. In 1893 a financial crisis resulted in the suspension of ten banks; but with two exceptions they were reconstructed, and by the following year the effects of the depression had passed away. In 1896 a conference of Australian premiers was held at Sydney to consider the ques tion of federation. The then premier, Mr. Reid, was rather lukewarm, as he considered that the free-trade policy of New South Wales would be overridden by its protectionist neighbours. But his hand was to a great extent forced by a People's Federa tion convention held at Bathurst, and, ultimately, a considerable majority in favour of federation was obtained.

From 1899 to 1932.

During the South African War 1902) New South Wales sent 314 officers and 5,796 men, more than one-third of the total number raised by Australia. In spite of the great drought of 1902, the state made progress, and during the period 1901-14 the cultivated area was almost doubled. Scien tific breeding of wheat and dry-farming were important factors in this increase. The protectionist policy of the Federal Govern ment helped the manufacturers, and the change from free trade did not appear to injure the prosperity of the country.

The influence of the Labour Party was manifested in the adoption of laws extending the arbitration system, and from 1906 "assisted immigration" became its accepted policy. In fruit growing began in the irrigation area of the Murrumbidgee. After 1918 a policy of closer settlement for ex-service men was initiated and further encouragement given to immigration from Great Britain.

The railway strike of 1917 had far-reaching effects: it raised legal and constitutional questions of importance and caused, ten years later, the downfall of the Labour Ministry. In 1925, Mr. Lang, the Labour premier, had instructed the Railway Commis sioners to reduce in rank the men who had not taken part in the strike. The arbitration court forbade the Commissioners to carry out the premier's instruction. Thereupon Mr. Lang introduced his Railway Bill to annul the decision of the court. This was passed in the assembly but rejected by the legislative council. As the council is a nominated body, Mr. Lang recommended to the gover nor that twenty-five new members (all pledged to support the bill) should be added to its number. The recommendation was, after some demur, accepted, but, when a further bill was brought forward to abolish the council, some of the new councillors refused to die for the party and the bill was rejected by 47 to 41. Following a general election in 1927, the Labour government was succeeded by a Nationalist and Country Party coalition under Mr. T. R. Bavin ; but Mr. Lang was again premier from 1930 to 1932, when he was succeeded by Mr. B. S. B. Stevens.

(H. D. N.)