QUEENSLAND AN OFF-SHOOT OF NEW SOUTH WALES.
On 6 June 1850, letters patent were issued erecting the Moreton Bay district a separate colony, under the name of Queensland, and appointing Sir George Fergu son Bowen to be captain-general and governor in-chief thereof. The boundary of the new colony was defined as a line commencing on the sea coast at Point Danger, in latitude about 28° 8' S., running westward along the Mac pherson and Dividing Ranges and the Duma resq River, to the McIntyre River, thence by the 29th parallel of S. latitude to the 141st meridian of E. longitude from the 29th to the 26th parallel, and thence the 138th meridian north to the Gulf of Carpentaria, together with all the adjacent islands, their members and ap purtenances in the Pacific Ocean. The gover nor was authorized to appoint an Executive Council to advise and assist him in the govern ment of Queensland. The Constitution of Queensland was embodied in an Order in Coun cil bearing the same date as the letters patent.
The New Order in Council provided that there should be within the colony of Queensland a Legislative Council and a Legislative Assembly, with the advice and consent of which Her Majesty should have power to make laws for the peace, welfare and good government of the colony in all cases whatsoever. In its main outlines the Constitu tion of Queensland was almost a replica of that of New South Wales. The first Parliament under the new Constitution was convened for the despatch of business on 29 May 1859.
Administration and events in Queensland became clustered around and associated with the following prominent men who held office as Premiers between 1859 and 1899: Robert G. Herbert, Arthur Mac Alister, Robert MacKenzie, Charles Lilley, Arthur Palmer, George Thorn, John Douglas, Thomas Mclllwraith, Samuel Griffith, Boyd D. Morehead, Hugh Muir Nelson, Thomas J. Byrnes and James R. Dickson.
From the date of separation Queensland began to advance with rapid strides, and it soon occupied a prominent position in the Australian group. Between 1861 and 1871, under a policy
of assisted immigration, the population largely increased and the resources of the country were developed in the direction of pastoral and agri cultural pursuits, gold and silver mining, sugar and cotton growing. Cotton growing was stim plated by bounties. The pastoral industry was promoted; railway construction was com menced; state aid to religion was withdrawn and a system of primary and secondary educa tion was initiated. Queensland was found to be particularly suitable for sugar growing and a demand for cheap labor quickly sprang up. In course of time shiploads of South Sea Islanders were introduced by the sugar planters and it was soon found necessary for the legis lature to interfere.
A financial crisis occurred in 1865, which in 1866 resulted in a change of ministry. The first MacAlister Ministry had a short term of office. Herbert was again called to the helm of affairs but in a few months he was again displaced. The second MacAlister Ministry lasted for 12 months and eight days. It secured the passing of an important measure dealing with the cultivation and occupation of Crown lands. It was followed by the MacKenzie Min istry and the Lilley Ministry. The MacKenzie Ministry of 1867 introduced and passed a Crown Land Act which gave greater facilities for set tlement. The Lilley Ministry of 1868 passed acts relating to the civil service, court proced ure, and electoral laws. The Lilley Ministry was followed by the Palmer Ministry which, lasted from 3 Jan. 1870 to 8 June 1874. In 1875 during the reign of the third MacAlister administration a State Education Act was passed which embodied the principles of free, secular and compulsory education. A complete measure of local government was passed in 1878, under the rule of the Douglas administra tion. In the same year the first act to restrict Chinese immigration into Queensland became law.