IN AUSTRALIA

Waikato Independent, Volume XXXIX, Issue 3551, 9 May 1939, Page 4

IN AUSTRALIA

CAMBRIDGE MAN'S TOUR INTERESTING IMPRESSIONS An interesting tour of Australia, which embraced the four main States has just been completed by (Mr D. E. Creed, of Cambridge, and when interviewed yesterday he had interesting comments to make on his trip. Mr Creed lived for many years in Australia and he was able to make comparisons between the country as he recently found it, and as it was a number of years ago. In. each of the States he visited, he found the people greatly interested in New Zealand politics. He said that judging by the general remarks, they were anxiously awaiting the results of the political experiments in this country. Mr Creed had nothing more to say of politics, and he went on to detail the serious position of the Australian farmers as a result of the recent long drought. In some of the areas in Western Australia there had been no rain for four years.

Another disturbing feature was the price of wheat, which had fallen, as low as 1/6 a bushel. There were many wheat farmers who were endeavouring to overcome the difficulty by engaging in mixed farming, but the matter of an adequate water supply for stock was a big obstacle in some areas.

Goldfield Activity

(Mir Creed was impressed with ithe renewed activity on practically all of the gold-fields, which had been brought about by the high value of gold in recent years. In Western Australia it had been generally recognised that the renewed activity in this industry had been of outstanding benefit to the State during the years of the depression. The yearly gold output of Western Australia reached its peak in 1903 with 1,962,360 fine ounces, but since then the industry had languished, said Mr Creed. With the passing of the years, the prosperous mining towns had dwindled to almost nothing, and the industry had appeared to be doomed. The change to be noticed after a few years' absence was amazing. With gold almost double its former price, towns had taken new leases of life and were displaying signs of great prosperity.

Australians generally, were keenly interested in New Zealand racehorses, and were eager to learn all they could of any fresh ones that were shipped across the Tasman, said Mr Creed. Horses from the Dominion had always performed well in Australia, and during Mr Creed's stay there, Defaulter, High Caste and Malagigi all won big events. He did not attend any of the meetings, however.

At Kalgoorlie Mr Creed, who formerly was an officer of the Crown Law and Audit Departments of Western Australia, visited some of the scene of his earlier activities, and travelled as far inland as Kalgoorlie, about 370 miles East of Perth. This goldcity and its environs has a population exceeding thirty thousand inhabitants, and adjoins the group of goldmines known throughout the world as the "Golden Mile." A notable feature is the water supply which is brought through a single pipe-line from Mundaring weir in Perth. In the early 'nineties when the goldfield was first discovered, a gallon, of water was a "costly commodity," but today, for a threepenny bit, one can bathe in the Olympic Swimming Pool which cost £30,000 to build.

With its electric trams and other modern conveniences, the city of Kalgoorlie offers a comfortable living to those who are associated with the mining and extraction of the precious metal. Some of the mines have been in operation for nearly fifty years, and will continue to provide employment for generations to come.

Last year's yield from the "Golden Mile" was valued at approximately £4,000,000, and a continuance of this output would mean prosperity for many.