The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1889-06-20
A PENAL COLONY TURNED INTO A
LAND OF PROMISE

true, but time has wrought a marvellous
change within its borders, Doubtless
Australia would not have risen into
notice, or have been so rapidly peopled
by the subjects of Great Britain, had it
not been that, in the early days of It's
discovery, criminals were transported
thither in such large numbers, This
practice has long since been discontinue
ed, Some of the rich men of Australia
came out from England as prisoners,
and the heads of many families whose
descendants are now justly esteemed
and respected, were once ticket-of-leave
men. But it should be remembered that
persons were transported by the courts
of the mother country half a century
ago on comparatively trivial charges.
1t is believed that Australia was I'M
known to the ancients, though it is more
than probable that the Chinese naviga-
tors knew of the existence of its north.
ern coast at an early period. Until
about century since it presented pic
ture of primeval desolation; to-day the
country is bordered by noble seaports.
connected by railroads, coasting steam
ers, turnpikes, and electric telegraphs
1t is occupied by an intelligent Europ-
can population numbering nearly four
millions, and possesses such elements Of
political and social prosperity as place it
in an honorable position in the line OF
progressive nations. The first railroad
in Australia was begun in 1850, but at
the present time it has over ten thou
sand miles in successful operation,
This new home of the British race in
the South Pacific is not new geologically
speaking it is, in fact. one of the Oldest
portions of the:earth's surface. What
America was to Spain in the days ofthat
nations glory, Australia has already
been to England. The wealth poured
into the treasury of Great Britain by this
colony-or rater by these colonies, for it
is divided into separate governments as
our country is into states-far exceeds
all the riJhes which the Spauiards re-
allied from the West Indies, Mexico, land
Peru. Nature has here spread her ia
vors broadcast over land only one NTH
smaller than the whole continent in Eu
rope, affording every needed resource
wherewith to form ultimately great,
independent, and prosperous nation.
The climate is nearly perfect, and the
virgin soil is marvelOusly fertile, while
the hills, valleys, and plains abound in
mineral wealth, such as gold, silver, iron,
copper, and coal. This last product is
especially abundant, coal fields extend
ing along the coast from Brisbane, CAPT
tai of Queenland, to Sydney capital of
New South Wales. 1t is difficult to real
ize, while observing the present wealth,
power, and prosperity of the country
at large, characterized by such grand
and conspicuous elements of empire, that
it's pioneer settlers came from the over
flow of English jails.
A few statistical facts will prove IN
teresting in this connection. Five hum
bred million dollars are annually paid
by the colonists for imports, and mer-
chandise valued at like amount is sent
yearly from the county. Up to the pres
emit time Australia has realized from
her auriferous soil over three hundred
and thirty million pounds sterling. Her
territory gives grazing TO seventy hve
million sheep, not to mention her great
herds of cattle raised to furnish fresh
beef for the English market. The
amount Of wool exported to the mother
country annually is about thirty times
as much as England receives from all
Europe in the same time. The exports
and imports of Great Britain are shown
to be little over one hundred dollars
per annum for each unit of the popula
tion, In Australia the aggregate is a
trifle over two hundred dollars per head,
The four principal capitals of Australia
contain eight hunderd thousand inhabi-
tants, and, as to territory, more than
twenty kingdoms of the size of Great
d.. a T. nD,,Il hn fnrpna1
of this great island. The railroads OF
the country have already cost over two
hundred million dollars, and are being
annually extended, New South Wales
having, in proportion to its population,
greater length of railway than any
other country on the globe.
Compared with our own country Aus.
tralia is a land of contrasts. For in
stance, here the eagles are white and the
swans black; the emu, bird not unlike
the ostrich, cannot fly, but runs as swift
ly as a horse; the principal quardruped,
the kangaroo, is elsewhere unknown,
and though he has four legs he runs, or
leaps, upon two; when the days are long
est with us in America, they are shortest
in Australia. To reach the tropics Aus
tralians go north, while we go south,
With us the seed or stone of the cherry
forms the center of the fruit in Australia
the stone grows on the outside. When
it is day with us it is night with them.
Their Christmas comes in midsummer,
ours in mid winter. The deciduous trees
with US shed their leaves in the fall of
the year; with them they are evergreen,
shedding the bark in place of the leaves.
The country is divided into five prov
incial governments; namely New South
Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Aus
tralia, and West Australia. Sydney is
the capital of New South Wales, and is
the port where the traveller who has
sailed from San Francisco first lands.
The harbor, famous for its beautiful sur
roundings, merits the superlative praise
it receives on all hands. This netropo
lis, which contains population of three
hundred thousand, presents busy pic
ture in its main thoroughfare. Cabs
and private vehicles dash hither and
thither; heavily laden drays grind their
broad wheels over the rough pavements,
pedestrians crowd the sidewalks; mes
sengers boys mounted upon wiry little
horses gallop upon their several errands;
mingled with the rest are newspaper
hawkers, fruit vendors, and bearers of
huge advertising placards. Cinnamon,
with vegetables in baskets at either end
of pole borne across the shou ders, ia 8
and repass in rapid succession omnibus
es rattle over the pavements, and the
'going, gOing,-gone" OF the sham auc-
ton rooms rings upon the ear. Now and
then one meets a beggar, blind or de
crepid, but such are not numerous.
Every busy street corner has its bar
room, about whose doors congregate a
crowd of bloated faces and bleared eyes.
No part Of London is more numerously
supplied with gin palaces than are the
business centers of Sydney. The city
tramways are operated by steam, noisy,
Oke-dispensing locomotives being used
upon the thOroughfares.
The city has an admirably arranged
public garden, which coveres some forty
acres Of ground, sloping gracefully
down TO the waters of the haTbOr, beau
titled with choice flower and noble trees,
both native and imported. Flowers
bloom very month in the year out of
doors, and are seldom troubled with
frost, The town has fine art gallery
a well-established university, an excel
lent public library, which contains over
hundred thousand volumes, besides uu-
her public institutions appropri- |
ate to hourishing city of the nineteenth |
century.
Australia has an average breadth of
twenty four hundred miles, and from
north to south it measures seventeen |
hundred miles. Much of the interior
and northwestern section remains unex-
plored The populous part borders the
sea coast on the southern and eastern |
sides, where there are many large cities,
Towns and villages. That portion OF the
land devoted to sheep raising is very
sparsely inhabited. The owner Of a hun
1red thousand Sheppard there are
many such, -requlres three thousand