THE NORTHERN TERRITORY OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 3572, 28 June 1872, Page 3

THE NORTHERN TERRITORY OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA.

PROM a SOUTH AUSTRALIAN CORRESPONDENT. It is a great pity some more convenient and rational designation than the above, could not be found for that part of Now Hollond, a few years ago annexed to South Australia. Arnhchn’s Land would not do, for it only refers to a small portion of the territory, and North Australia embraces portions of three colonies. South Australia itself is an absurd name, even for the original territory upon which it was bestowed, ns Victoria and oven New South Wales run below the southernmost point of Edward Gibbon Wakefield’s model colony. Until, however, a more graceful nomenclature is chosen for the sub-dependency of Palmerston, we must continue to distinguish it by its present lengthy and inharmonious appellation. This territory is just now exciting a considerable amount of attention in all the colonies, and there is a growing disposition to emigrate to that part of Australia, either with a view to gold-digging, trading, pastoral pursuits, or agriculture. Without doubt the overland telegraph has had something to do in promoting this hankering after the country so long abused and neglected. The character of that portion of the continent has been made widely known by the official reports from the con-1 struction parties, and by the private letters of members of the various expeditions, so that the territory is far more familiar now to the general public in these southern possessions than it was two years ago. Already intending settlers from Queensland, New South Wales, and South Australia proper have moved towards Port Darwin, Port Essington, and the Eoper with sheep, cattle, and horses, traders hare gone thither by vessel, companies and sharebrokers are trying to secure concessions of land in that quarter, and parties of diggers are being organised to follow the pioneer band now at work under the command of Mr Westeott. As there seems some probability of this movement being on the increase, it will be well for persons desirous of seeking fresh 1 fields and pastures new to ascertain what advantages the northern territoiy (as I will, for 'brevity, distinguish South Australia’s northern possessions) offers to the emigrant. A' brief sketch of the country will be • desirable to begin with. Its northern coast line stretches from about 150 miles south-east from the Roper to a point 50 or 60 miles west of the mouth of the Victoria, that river coming from a southeasterly direction. The east and west boundaries are Queensland and Western Australia, and southward the territory runs into South Australia proper. The good land in this wide region is very patchy, but it is in very large patches. About the Upper Victoria Mr H. Gregory saw more grass land than he had ever seen before in his life; and Mr Wilson, the geologist of Mr A. Gregory’s expedition, states that there is an aggregate of 5,000,000 acres of well watered pasture land about the upper portion of that river and the heads of its tributaries. Expeditions from the South Australian settlement' have been to the Victoria, and as far as their observations extended, confirmed the reports of Mr Gregory and his party. The highest ground in the whole territory is about this quarter. There seems to be a line of country with a great proportion of good soil coming from Victoria across to Anson Bay. A fine river, with excellent land on its banks, was discovered running into Anson Bay by a party from the old settlement at Escape Cliffs. Stretching out from Port Darwin there is useful land on the one hand towards the good country at the back of Anson Bay, and on the other to the head of the Adelaide River. This land is of very varied character, however, good soil alternating with ironstone gravel, or large wastes of swamp. Mr Goyder surveyed 500,000 acres, beginning from Port Darwin, and the best accounts I have had of this land from old farmers and ■other settlers who have been in South Australia for over 30 years, are to the effect that one-fourth of the surveyed ground is good soil, one-fourth fair pasture, and the remainder almost, or perfectly useless. This land, however, was surveyed in a hurry, straight ahead, without regard to quality. Persons who selected their sections from it say they could have got much more good land outside. The first site of the settlement at Adam Bay we may dismiss in a few words. The land within 40 miles was perfectly worthless, except that some good country could be met with in a less distance going towards Port Darwin, where the the infant city of Palmerston is now fixed. Excepting Mr Finness (the first Government resident) and one or two of his men, all who stayed at or visited the Adam Bay location, condemned the place utterly. Settlers, officers of the party, visitors, M'Kinlay, Goyder, all condemned it, and the wretched expanse of mud-flats, •wamp, and scrub, without a glimpse of rising ground in any direction, is now, and has been for several years, completely abandoned. Going westward from Adam Bay, a quantity of very low land lies, and, in this part of the country, Mr M'Kinlay and his party nearly lost their lives from the floods, having selected the* wrong season for exploring. The telegraph line goes clear of this low land. The country about the Alligator River and several other streams is not, as yet, very well known; but, further westward, we come to the Roper, where a large quantity of good soil, suitable for cotton, sugar, and other tropical productions is to be found. Captain Sweet, who has visited the river on various expcditions ( brought to Adelaide samples of the soil, which, he says, extends for a hundred miles in one direction. It is a fine sandy loam, of excellent quality. Eastward of the Roper, to the Queensland boundary, are several streams with probably good land about them, but this part of the territory has yet to be carefully examined. It must be remembered that in the neighbourhood of Port Essington the country is excellent for fattening stock, and that, in the time of the old settlement there, maize and other products grew luxuriantly, matured and yielded largely. In conclusion we may refer to the line «f telegraph from Port Darwin southward,

which passes through much excellent land. There is no doubt that th em is abundance of useful soil for tillage and pasture in the Northern Territory, with large tracts of inferior land. This being granted, the question is—What opening the territory affords to settlers. Unquestionably the small farmer and man of limited means will do nothing here. Wheat will not grow in that region, and tropical products to pay must bo cultivated on a considerable scale, aud with Coolie labour of some sort. The climate is not adapted for Europeans to work in. They may put on a spurt for a few months, but cannot settle down as labourers there. The country is healthy for a tropical one, far more so than over the (.Queensland boundary, but in those latitudes white men cannot continue to work. The settlers must be men of some capital, either to establish plantations or sheep and cattle runs. There now remain to bo considered the gold discoveries. The geological formation of the country affords strong evidence of the existence of valuable auriferous deposits, and experienced Victorian diggers who have been over most of the territory are convinced that good diggings will be opened up there. Mr M’Lauchlan, a Palmerston Government surveyor, and a small party, with very imperfect tools, in a short time, took out several ounces of the precious metal from a hole about five feet iu depth. Other men have washed out gold with tin dishes and plates in different places. The officers of the telegraph construction parties are very much afraid of their hands deserting for the sake of gold prospecting, and many of these men are anxious for the completion of their present task that they may turn to gold prospecting. Ido not think the news received up to the present time warrants a rush, but startling intelligence is confidently expected, and various parties, of intending diggers, are forming in Adelaide and country towns, to proceed to the northern territory. Should a valuable goldfield be discovered there the country will go rapidly ahead, population will flow in; squatters and agriculturists and traders will follow; the various resources of the territoiy will be developed, and all the crafty schemes of railway and land companies for monopolising the land will bo finally and conclusively disposed of.