South Australia

By the River Murray Agreement, Lake Victoria (in New South Wales) was allotted to South Australia as a storage reservoir (514,00o acre-feet) as well as 9 weirs and locks to be constructed within the State. Of these the Lake Victoria works are virtually complete, 5 weirs are completed and 3 more are under construc tion (1928), one of the completed weirs operating to keep Lake Bonney (in South Australia) partly filled as a reservoir. The water thus becoming available in the Lower Murray district is being applied partly to irrigation and partly to water-supply for general (farming) purposes in areas beyond the irrigation area. Irrigation is generally by pumping, but, below Morgan, the flat strips and crescents of alluvium of the originally marshy trench floor have been embanked and drained ("reclaimed lands") and here irrigation by gravity is possible. Irrigation holdings are usu ally limited to 5o acre leases, but larger blocks of "dry" land are available. Large quantities of sub-tropical fruits (including ,cur rants and raisins) are grown and exported (fresh, dried, preserved or pulped). Renmark is the oldest, largest and best-known settle ment (total area: 23,00o ac.; pop. 4,80o), and comprises large fruit-packing sheds, distilleries, etc., some of them managed co operatively. The reclaimed lands are used mainly for the pro duction of fodders (lucerne, etc.) and vegetables.

The Mallee scrub lands, long regarded as a desert, are now large wheat producers. Plentiful supplies of underground water are available at 55-300 ft. depth, and the rainfall (10-15 in.) and light soils suffice to produce, under modern methods, fairly reliable crops of 10-15 bu. per acre. Clearing is an initial difficulty, and large areas (e.g., in the Ninety Mile Desert) defy cultivation, and the rail-haul is long and expensive. But the areas thrive and progress. In 1926-27, 269,000 ac. (fallowed lands) were sown to wheat and yielded 13.1 bu. per acre; in addition, 352,000 ac. un fallowed (7.8 bu. per ac.) and mixed (sheep and wheat) farming is succeeding the pioneering wheat-growing. The newly-constructed railways spread a wide fan across the country, tap the Murray at Waikerie, Loxton, Renmark, etc., and the north-west Victorian "Mallee" by means of the Pinnaroo line. These lines converge at Tailem Bend, a growing centre on the river below Murray Bridge. Near by, at Moorlands (15 miles to the east), is a lignite deposit (8,250,000 tons), which assist the district.

Separated from the areas described by a large stretch of rather thin (limestone and occasional sandy) soils which form lightly timbered and rather poor pastoral country, the "south east," with its richer patches of arable lands, is fairly self-con tained, rather remote from Adelaide, and climatically (lower temperatures and heavier rainfall: 20-33 in.) more akin to south

west Victoria. The poorer country is devoted to cattle and sheep. Good agricultural lands exist (e.g., around Narracoorte and elsewhere) ; Mount Gambier in particular has volcanic soils, and the Millicent area rich recently-drained swamp flats. Mixed farming including dairying, is carried on.

Area, Population,

380,070 sq. miles=12.78% of area of Commonwealth, all within temperate zone; coast-line 1,540 miles. Population (census of : 580,987=1.52 per sq. mile and c. 8.76% of population of Commonwealth. Metro politan, 312,629=53.8% of total.

Production and

Total: £41, 154,000 =£72.13.0 per caput. Agricultural: £16,635,000; manu factures, £13,077,000; pastoral, £6,128,000; dairying, L1,882,000; poultry, £1,046,000; mining, £1,032,000. Agriculture (1926-27) : Area under cultivation: 6,058,380 ac. Wheat, 2.768,500 ad.; bar ley, 256,53o ac.; oats, 152,180 ac.; hay, 496,000 ac., other fod ders (lucerne, peas, etc.), 61,100 ac. ; vineyards, 50,270 ac.; orchards, 31,500 ad.; fallow, 2,100,000 ad. Production: Wheat (1921-28): 22,000,00o-35,559,00o bu. (7.69-14.29 bu. per ac.) ; barley: (ay. (1920-27) C. 4,000,000 bu. ; oats, c. 2,000,000 bu. orchards, etc., apples: (ay. last 5 yrs.) : 674,000 bu. ; oranges, bu. ; apricots, 246,000 bu. Vineyards (last 5 yrs.) : wine, 11,830,000 gal. ; currants, 105,700 cwt. ; raisins, 121,450 cwt.

Dairying,

(19 I 5-26) : 130,00o-140,00o. Butter, 13-16,000,000 lb. ; cheese, c. 3,500,000 lb. ; bacon, 5, 400,000 lb. Poultry (1921-27) : c. ii,o6o,000. Honey, c. 2,000,000 lb. Horses, c. 250,000 cattle, 350,000-400,00o; sheep 6-7,000, 000; pigs, 60,00o-90,000. Of the total sheep, 7o% are comprised in flocks of up to 5,000 head, and 20.8% in flocks of 5,000-20,000 each. The clip averages 42-50,000,000 lb. (ay. last 5 Yr. 656,000 lb.), fleeces averaging 8.2-8.5 lb. Total value of wool (last 5 yrs.): £4,878,000; (1927-28: £5,275,000).

Trade and Commerce.

Total (overseas) : Exports: : I 419,00o (wheat, barley, flour, £7,300,000-48,800,000; wool, etc., minerals (including Broken Hill concentrates): £2,900,00o—£5,200,000; hides, skins, etc.: £6 I ; wines, fruits, £400,000—i670,000; butter, 196,000—L171,000. Total exports to United Kingdom: (1925-26): 63.5%; (1926-27): 55.5%.

Imports: : (c. 56% from British countries), chiefly textiles, etc. 42,600,00o); motor vehicles (c. £2,000,000), fuel oils (£1,120,000, machinery and metal goods, c. £4,000,000.

Ports, Shipping, Railways,

trade of Adelaide: L25-26,000,000; Port Pirie: £3,600,000-45,600,000; Wallaroo: /1,700,000—L2,000,000; Port Lincoln : a1o,000-435,000. Total Shipping: (inwards: : 1,444 tons, of which c. 1,250 vessels (4,425,000 tons) are British.