NORTHERN AUSTRALIA

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 76, Issue 174, 26 July 1933, Page 7

NORTHERN AUSTRALIA

COLONISATION PROPOSAL FORMER MINISTER’S PLAN ;By Telegraph —Press Association—Copyright) Received July 26, 11.20 p.m. LONDON, July 20. The Morning Post gives prominence to the first of a series of articles in which Sir James Connolly, a former West Australian Minister ami AgentGeneral, outlines an ambitious plan for settlement of the Kimberleys in the northern portion of Western Australia, in conformity with the general conditions revealed recently by the Prime Minister, Mr. J. A. Lyons. This territory, having an area of 110 square miles, is described by M . Connolly as a “No Man’s Land” of infinite possibilities and equally ns habitable as the southern wheat belt. It is magnificently watered, free from ordinary tropical diseases and large tracts of it will grow fruit, vegetables, rubber, sugarcane and cotton. There are also 90,000,000 tons of pure iron ore. He suggests that an unalicnatcd area should be transferred to a national or chartered company in absolute fee simple. The present leaseholders, who are mainly pastoralists, would doubtless be willing to forego their rights for reasonable compensation. I Mr. Connolly estimates that a railj way, which is an essential preliminary, will cost £4,500,000, while the estimated cost of the whole scheme for the first two years, including the railway, will be £6,000.000. The first step must be the formation of a strong board of directors. Such a company, given a fair opportunity, should be able to develop within twelve years a scheme of colonisation capable of supporting half a million people in decent standards of comfort.