EIGHTY-FIVE YEARS AGO

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27040, 26 March 1949, Page 6

EIGHTY-FIVE YEARS AGO

FROM THE FILES OF THE ©taao Bail 1 ? ©tries DUNEDIN, MARCH 26, 1864. The gold discoveries in the Hamilton's district are rapidly extending. On Saturday splendid prospects were obtained near Fullarton’s station, about 12 miles east from Hamilton’s township. The sinking was only 13 feet, and from \oz to loz to the dish - Was obtained off the bottom of a •newly sunk shaft. In several others also nearly equally good prospects were obtained. The news created great excitement at Hamilton’s and numbers of miners left for the scene -of the new discovery. On Saturday, •Sunday and Monday an incessant stream of miners and teams passed from the township, the carters obtaining large profits.

. The following figures will convey to readers the very definite and steady progress made by the Province of Otago since its inception:—

The Customs returns increased from £824 in 1848 to £261,397 in 1863, and the population increased from 1776 in 1851 to 29,983 in 1861. 48.588 in 1862, and 60,000 in 1863.

The Hobart Town Mercury, in a leading article discussing the cornTnercial relations between Tasmania and New Zealand, expresses itself very strongly on the subject of the 'recent Proclamations closing the Australian ports for the exportation of qattle to New Zealand. Our Tasmanian contemporary says with respect to the closing of Port Albert: “There is no more pleuro-pneumonia in Gipps Land and Mornington at this moment than there is in Tasmania. Nor has there ever been any ‘contagious or infectious disease’ in that part of Victoria, any more than there has in any part of this colony. We heard indeed, many months back of tome ’cattle brought from Gipps Land or Mornington having died in the neighbourhood of Geelong of pleuropneumonia as was supposed by some, but that was utterly repudiated at the time And we have not, most certainly since heard the breath of a whisper of anything of the kind, either against Gipps Land or Mornington Whence, then, has Mr Harris his information? Not from Victoria, or we should have had something of it in one or other of the Melbourne papers- but from interested parties in Dunedin who are amenable to the charge of having practised upon him a great deception. And who are these parties?”

Imports. Exports. £ £ 1853 11,075 770 1854 .. 43,692 6.481 1855 .. 44,545 24.182 1856 60,310 25,737 1857 .. 77.833 26,266 1858 110,225 47.344 1859 243,871 83,720 1860 .. 325,162 55,526 1861 931.390 852,698 1862 .. 2.083.522 1,745,960 1863 .. 3,417,230 2,449,036