Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-09-01

IS engaged off NOrthwe Australia
ded ON the beach vt BrOome, North
suited in a greater number of pearls De-
ing reported.
At certain seasons of the year willy
wiIlies,' or tropical hurricanes, wreak
great havoc among the fishing fleets, and
in one memorable storm thirty luggers
went down with all hands.
East of western Australia and between
1t end the great state Of Queensland
lies the northern territory, a vast tract
of 523, $40 square miles with white
population OF less than $500. 1t lies be
tween II and 20 degrees south of the
equator and not much more is known of
it today than was known In 1870 when
south Australia built a telegraph line be-
tween Adelaide and Port Darwin, capital
Of the territory and the only town OF
any size which 1t boasts. That telegraph
line, connecting at PORT Darwin with the
cable to Java and thence to Europe. is
the real reason for the existence OF Port
Darwin.
In 1925 the British government estab-
lished military post on Melville Island,
fifteen miles north of where Darwin now
stands, but the black natives proved so
troublesome that the post was removed
to the mainland. At that time and until
1868 the state Of New South Wales, the
first Australian state, held title to North
ern Territory. Then the British govern
ment annexed the territory to the State
o. South Australia with the provision that
1t might be taken away at any time a
provision that never was enforced. In
1900, when the commonwealth of Aus
10 % 10
tarily gave up the territory and its one
north and south railway line to the fed
eral government on condition that the
debt Incurred on behalf of the territory
be taken over and the railway line he ex-
tended TO Port Darwin. Talk Of building
the line is being revived now, twenty one
years after the pledge was given. How
ever, 1t will be many years before it will
be built.
DATES BACK PRIOR
TO WHITE AUSTRALIA.
In the days when South Australia had
the territory, when each colony made its
own laws and had no ties with other
colonies, a law was passed permitting
the i'm portation OF yellow and black labor
Into the territory because Il had been
found impossible to get white men In any
great numbers to labor In the tropics.
Several hundred Chinese thus came In
and some of them are still there. But
the white Australia" policy stopped
that and today Northern Territory re-
mains a vast little known, uncharted
region with large tracts Of virgin terri
tory which never have been explOred-a
land of great distances, silent and lone.
OF its 335, 1l6sOO acres not n thousand are
under cultivation. Within its three
straight Sides 1870 miles long, are for
ests. hills and plains and rich lands wa
tered by good rivers which are eminently
suited TO pastoral purposes SO far that
is the only real industry which has been
developed and ct Port Darwin there are
freezing works which no doubt are the
fcrerunners Of many more to come In the
future. The native black boy is a good
cattle herder.
There is one struggling railway line
running 145 miles between Port Oar
win and Pine Creek where once It was
believed minerals in great quantities were
to he found. A little locomotive with
two cars drags over tho rusty rails twice
a week
Port Darwin itself is a typically sleepy
tropical town. In the Asiatic quarter
there are 600 people and an equal num-
Der are In the European quarter, of whom
100 ara women For 1900 miles on either
side OF Darwin along the coast there is
not so much rs n village. Its only callers
by sea are few trading vessels and
pearling luggers from the Torres Straits.
It is a lonely place where a few officials
and the necessary storekeepers are hold
ing on to things against the day when
Australia can put the territory to some
use.
And what is the land good for, you
may we'll ask. 1t Is good for anything
which the tropical part Of Queensland,
It's neighbor on the east. is good for
Like Northern Queensland, 1t win pro-
duce all of the fruits and yegeta bles of
the tropics 1t will grow rice and sugar
cane, rubber, cotton and tobacco. All
of these things have been tried and have
proved successful.
1t ia likely that for many years to
come Northern Territory, however. will
remain n pastoral country, a country
with vast possibilities, but which can
not be opened up until other States, al
ready well en- the way TO prosperity, ha re
had their chance at the settler first.
Next week MIR. BOyce takes his readers
south TO Adelaide, capital of the State
of South Australia. Everybody will en-
joy visiting this picturesque city of in
teresting people.