253 chapters
2 hour read
Selected Chapters
253 chapters
Stockmen and Boundary Riders.
Stockmen and Boundary Riders.
From 20s. to 35s. per week and found. Where married men are employed on sheep and cattle stations, they are allowed, in addition to their wages, a furnished house, rations, and other perquisites to the value of about £3 per week. Single men similarly employed get, besides their wages, board and lodging and other perquisites equivalent to what it would cost them for board and lodging in the township....
28 minute read
Approved Immigrants.
Approved Immigrants.
Approved immigrants can obtain a passage to any port in Queensland at the following rates:—Males, 12 years and upwards, £7; females, 12 years and upwards, £3; immigrants’ children (1 year and under 12 years), £1 10s. Maximum age: Males, married women, and widows, 45 years; single women, 35 years....
20 minute read
On What Conditions?
On What Conditions?
The sum of £1 must be deposited with the Agent-General, in addition to the prescribed fees. This sum is refunded to the immigrant on arrival. In the case of families applying for passages as assisted immigrants, one deposit only covers the whole family....
19 minute read
Assisted Passages.
Assisted Passages.
Approved females (between the ages of 18 and 35 years), prepared to accept domestic service for twelve months, may obtain passages to Queensland on payment of £1 before sailing, the balance of the fare (£2) to be paid by monthly instalments within six months after their arrival in Queensland. Passages may also be granted to farm lads (between 16 and 20 years of age) on payment of £1 before sailing, the balance of the passage money (£6) to be paid by monthly instalments within six months after th
44 minute read
Fruits.
Fruits.
Grapes, pineapples, bananas, oranges, lemons, mangoes, apples, pears, peaches, plums, apricots, cherries, figs, nectarines, quinces, strawberries, persimmons, passion fruit, almonds, blackberries, rosellas, custard apples, papaws, cocoanuts, Cape gooseberries, melons, guavas, loquats, and others....
15 minute read
Vegetables.
Vegetables.
Cabbages, cauliflowers, cucumbers, tomatoes, potatoes (English and sweet), lettuce, cress, mustard, turnips, carrots, parsnips, beetroot, asparagus, borecole, leeks, rhubarb, beans, chicory, squashes, onions, capsicums, eschalots, peas, seakale, salsify, yams, artichokes, choko, chillies, celery, and others, including herbs of all sorts....
18 minute read
Products.
Products.
Wool, leather, hides and skins, tallow, frozen meat, pork, sugar, molasses, malt, butter, cheese, flour, bran, pollard, cornflour, wine, condensed milk, jams and preserved fruits, manufactured timber, biscuits, confectionery, clothing of all kinds, mineral and aerated waters, &c....
17 minute read
Fruit.
Fruit.
Both tropical, sub-tropical, and deciduous fruits do well. Thirty years ago out of every 100 cases of oranges imported into Queensland 95 came from New South Wales. Now the citrus fruit industry has grown to such an extent that Queensland does not import 5 per cent., but has become a big exporter to Southern centres....
22 minute read
Where are Fruits Principally Grown?
Where are Fruits Principally Grown?
Deciduous fruits principally at Stanthorpe. Bananas, oranges, mangoes, citrus fruits, tomatoes, &c., in the North. Pineapples, oranges, and citrus fruit (in large quantities), peaches, bananas, passion fruit, melons, custard apples, &c., in the South. The Blackall Range and Cleveland have also become great strawberry-producing districts....
21 minute read
Where are the Crops and Products Raised?
Where are the Crops and Products Raised?
Cereals, root crops, fodder plants, tobacco, cotton, English and sub-tropical fruits in the South. Sugar-cane, bananas, coffee, tobacco, cotton, and tropical products in the North. Wool on the Darling Downs and the great grazing districts west of the Main Range....
19 minute read
What is the Mean Annual Rainfall?
What is the Mean Annual Rainfall?
It varies considerably. Along the Pacific slope it runs approximately from 48 inches at Brisbane to 150 inches in the Far North. West of the Great Dividing Range the rainfall diminishes from 30 inches to about 10 inches, according to the distance from the Main Range....
21 minute read
But is not the Heat Great in Summer?
But is not the Heat Great in Summer?
Although there are occasional hot days, the summer season is not unpleasant. The mean summer temperatures are:—South Queensland, from 66.5 to 76.7; Central, 80.5; South-western, 80.8; North, 81.2; North-western, 84.3....
15 minute read
What Sort of People are already Settled in Queensland?
What Sort of People are already Settled in Queensland?
Scotch, Irish, English, Welsh, Germans, Danes, Italians, Swedes, Russians, and other people of White nationalities. Russians, Swedes, and Danes make splendid colonists, and are warmly welcomed....
15 minute read
What Openings are there in Queensland for the Investor?
What Openings are there in Queensland for the Investor?
There are numerous avenues of investment in sheep and cattle stations, farming and dairying on a large scale, city and country properties, mines and timber, in the development of secondary industries, and in the growing of rubber....
19 minute read
What Land a Married Woman cannot select from the Crown.
What Land a Married Woman cannot select from the Crown.
A married woman is not competent to select an agricultural homestead, a grazing homestead, free homestead, perpetual lease selection, agricultural farm, or prickly-pear selection, subject to the conditions of personal residence, unless she has obtained an order for judicial separation, or an order protecting her separate property....
23 minute read
Completing the Purchase.
Completing the Purchase.
At above rate, in twenty years the farm is half paid for, and during that time the farmer has had the use of the farm for much less than a fair rental. At the end of the twenty-first year, he is expected to pay the remaining half. Taking money as worth 5 per cent., this is equivalent to selling the land at half the proclaimed price....
27 minute read
Deposit Money.
Deposit Money.
On an agricultural farm, agricultural homestead, perpetual lease selection, grazing selection, and unconditional selection —one year’s rent, and 1/5th of survey fee; on free homestead—fee of £1, and 1/5th of survey fee; on prickly-pear selection—full amount of survey fee....
17 minute read
Conditions for Agricultural Farms.
Conditions for Agricultural Farms.
Maximum area, 2,560 acres (this, however, is allowed only in remote districts); price, from 10s. per acre upwards. The land must be fenced within five years, or other improvements effected equal in value to the cost of fencing. Five years’ personal residence or occupation as the case may require; thereafter, until made freehold, the condition of occupation must be performed....
26 minute read
Agricultural Homestead Conditions.
Agricultural Homestead Conditions.
Land must be fenced within five years, or improvements made equal to value of such fence. When five years of residence have been performed and improvements effected, the selector may pay up the remaining rent, so as to make his total payments equal to 2s. 6d. per acre, and obtain deed of grant....
22 minute read
Grazing Farms—Rental, Term, Conditions, &c.
Grazing Farms—Rental, Term, Conditions, &c.
Rental from nil per acre per annum. Term up to twenty-eight years. The holding must be continuously occupied by the selector or manager or agent. Within three years the land must be fenced. In cases where no rental is charged, the land is more or less infested with prickly pear or noxious weeds....
23 minute read
Group Residence.
Group Residence.
If it is proved to the satisfaction of the Commissioner that two or more selections, each of which is at a distance not exceeding five miles from each of the others, are held by members of one family, bonâ fide in their own separate interests, the Commissioner may issue a special license enabling the conditions of personal residence or the conditions of occupation required to be performed by them in respect of their selections to be performed by their residence on one of the selections which is
40 minute read
Prickly Pear Selection.
Prickly Pear Selection.
Maximum area, 2,560 acres. This applies to land infested with prickly-pear. Term, twenty-five years, with a peppercorn rental for the first period, and an annual rent during the second period equal to the amount of the purchasing price divided by the number of years in the second period....
20 minute read
Freehold of Prickly Pear Selections.
Freehold of Prickly Pear Selections.
The freehold may be obtained at any time after the expiration of two years from the beginning of the second period by the payment of the balance of the purchase money, provided he has obtained a certificate from the Commissioner that the conditions have been fulfilled....
21 minute read
Miners’ Homestead Leases.
Miners’ Homestead Leases.
Under the provisions of “ The Miners’ Homestead Leases Act of 1913 ,” homestead leases can be acquired by application, or by tender or public auction by residents of any mining field throughout the State, in areas not exceeding 640 acres. During the first period of thirty years the annual rental on areas up to 40 acres is 1s. per acre, and 6d. for any additional acreage in excess of this area. This rental does not, of course, apply to homesteads acquired by tender or sale. After the expiration o
44 minute read
Can an Alien select Land in Queensland?
Can an Alien select Land in Queensland?
Yes, provided he obtains a certificate to the effect that he can read and write words in such language as the Minister for Lands may direct; also provided that he becomes a naturalised British subject within five years of his selecting the land, failing which he will forfeit all his right, title, and interest in the land selected....
25 minute read
How far from the Railway is the Available Land?
How far from the Railway is the Available Land?
Most of the land is not far from existing lines. The policy of the Government, however, is to build light railway lines (as feeders to the main lines) to tap agricultural districts, and to anticipate settlement....
18 minute read
What Assistance does the Government Give the Intending Settler?
What Assistance does the Government Give the Intending Settler?
The Government issues a railway ticket at half the ordinary fare to the intending settler desirous of inspecting Crown land with a view of selecting an area not exceeding 5,120 acres. If the intending settler subsequently takes up a selection, subject to personal residence conditions, not exceeding 5,120 acres in area, the half-fare paid by him is refunded, and his family, self, ordinary household furniture and effects, agricultural implements, seed, one dray, and one set of harness are carried
39 minute read
What is the Agricultural Bank?
What is the Agricultural Bank?
A Government Bank institution established, primarily, for the purpose of assisting new settlers and also agriculturists and graziers, to whom it makes advances on the security of freeholds, licenses, and leases from the Crown, for the purpose of making improvements on the land or for paying off liabilities, at 5 per cent. per annum, repayable in twenty-five years or at any time at the option of the borrower....
29 minute read
When is it Repayable?
When is it Repayable?
For the first five years only simple interest is charged at 5 per cent. per annum. After five years the borrower must begin to redeem his advance at the rate of £4 0s. 3d. half-yearly for each £100 borrowed, inclusive of interest, until the whole has been paid....
21 minute read
Can the Settler Borrow Money to Buy Stock?
Can the Settler Borrow Money to Buy Stock?
Yes. The Agricultural Bank will advance 12s. in the £1 of the total value of the land and improvements for the purpose of purchasing stock, machinery, or implements the selector desires to purchase, or for relieving the liability on the holding. Advances at the rate of 13s. 4d. in the £1 on the value of the land and improvements thereon up to £200 can also be obtained for unspecified purposes....
30 minute read
Can an Alien Obtain an Advance?
Can an Alien Obtain an Advance?
Yes, provided he obtains a certificate to the effect that he can read and write words in such language as the Minister for Lands may direct; also provided he becomes a naturalised British subject within five years of his selecting the land....
19 minute read
Workers’ Dwellings Act.
Workers’ Dwellings Act.
Under the provisions of this Act the Government make advances, on easy terms of repayment, for the purpose of enabling persons of small incomes to erect dwelling-houses as homes for themselves and their families. The applicant must show that his income does not exceed £200 per annum, and that he is not the owner of a dwelling-house in Queensland or elsewhere....
25 minute read
What is the Nature of the Soil?
What is the Nature of the Soil?
It varies with the locality. All of the Northern and Eastern scrub lands are intensely fertile with vegetable mould. The Darling Downs contains 4,000,000 acres of magnificent black soil, principally decomposed basalt. The soil in the Maranoa district is lighter and more suited to wheat-growing and vines. These descriptions apply pretty generally to the whole of Queensland, particularly the Central Districts....
27 minute read
How much Milk was Obtained in 1913?
How much Milk was Obtained in 1913?
90,545,516 gallons. Quantity utilised for making butter, 73,582,041 gallons; for cheese, 5,268,447 gallons; for condensed milk, 2,131,382 gallons; sold for domestic purposes, 4,178,758 gallons; and 5,384,888 gallons used on farms....
15 minute read
What is the Class of Dairy Herd in Queensland?
What is the Class of Dairy Herd in Queensland?
Dairy stock have been imported to Queensland from the principal herds of the world, and a splendid class of cow is now in use, comprising the following breeds:—Milking Shorthorn, Ayrshire, Holstein, Guernsey, and Jersey....
17 minute read
How many Cows does the Average Farm Carry?
How many Cows does the Average Farm Carry?
It all depends on the size of the holding. There are many large properties in Queensland milking several hundred cows daily throughout the year. The average herd is about 20, but many farmers milk from 80 to 150 daily....
18 minute read
What First Crop can be got off Scrub Land?
What First Crop can be got off Scrub Land?
The method is to fell the scrub, and, after it has dried, put a fire through it. Maize is then put in with a hoe between the stumps. Some crops up to 85 bushels per acre have been garnered in this way....
19 minute read
Are there any other State Experimental Farms?
Are there any other State Experimental Farms?
Yes. At Hermitage, near Warwick; Roma, South-western Queensland; Warren, near Rockhampton; Gindie, near Emerald; Kairi, Atherton district (North Queensland); and at Kamerunga, near Cairns (North Queensland); Sugar Experiment Station and Laboratory, Mackay (North Queensland); and experimental plots in all the principal sugar districts....
21 minute read
Where can Building Materials be Obtained?
Where can Building Materials be Obtained?
Iron and wood can be obtained in any part of Queensland. Competition among the timber merchants is so keen that timber can be procured at a small cost. A small comfortable cottage can be built for about £100 upwards....
18 minute read
Oversea Markets.
Oversea Markets.
A certain market for wool, hides, butter, cheese, frozen meat, and other products exists in Great Britain and Europe. Trade with the United States and Canada is developing. There are splendid openings for trade with Java, China, Japan, and the East generally....
18 minute read
What is the Nature of the Trade with Asia?
What is the Nature of the Trade with Asia?
Cattle, horses, bones, hoofs, leather, butter, cheese, fodder, fruits, glue pieces and sinews, barley, oats, wheat, bran, pollard, flour, hay, chaff, honey, refined animal fats, manures, bacon and hams, beef, mutton, pork, other meat, milk concentrated and preserved, potatoes, skins and hides, tallow, wool....
22 minute read
What was the Value of the Imports and Exports in 1913?
What was the Value of the Imports and Exports in 1913?
Imports (oversea only), £6,714,942; Exports (oversea only), £12,352,748; total, £19,067,690. The above figures do not, of course, include interstate transactions. It is reasonable to assume that the total value of the imports and exports would be, at least, doubled....
20 minute read
Education in Sparsely-populated Districts.
Education in Sparsely-populated Districts.
Travelling Government teachers periodically visit the more sparsely settled districts to arrange for the education of the children so circumstanced. Half-time Schools are also established on many sheep and cattle stations....
15 minute read
Timber Sawn for 1913.
Timber Sawn for 1913.
Softwoods, 98,620,299 superficial feet, valued at the mill, £778,084; cedar, 882,092 superficial feet, valued at the mill, £15,964; hardwoods, 57,131,224 superficial feet, valued at the mill, £510,967; mouldings, &c., £61,872; 1,101,271 sleepers, £92,906. In addition, at least an equal quantity was used for bridges, wharves, fencing, &c. Total value of output of sawmills only, £1,459,793. The 247 sawmills employed 4,621 hands....
26 minute read
Steamer Fares to Brisbane
Steamer Fares to Brisbane
(From America, Canada, South Africa, and India.) Union Steamship Company of New Zealand, Limited. From San Francisco to Brisbane (Single):— From Chicago to Brisbane (Single):— From New York to Brisbane (Single):— The above fares are subject to alteration without notice. Canadian-Australian Royal Mail Line. From Vancouver to Brisbane (Single):— From Chicago to Brisbane (Single):— From New York to Brisbane (Single):— From St. Louis to Brisbane (Single):— From Montreal to Brisbane (Single):— All ab
5 minute read
A Successful Mixed Farmer.
A Successful Mixed Farmer.
In the Springsure district (Central Queensland) Mr. M. T. Bourke is one of the most successful dairymen and mixed farmers. His dairy herd consists of pure-bred Shorthorns and pedigreed bulls. On an average he milks 88 cows once daily during the year, and these are fed on natural pastures. Last year he obtained 19,094 gallons of milk, and 9,339 lb. of cream produced 2,649 lb. of commercial butter. In April, 1913, 1,039 lb. of cream sent to one of the Rockhampton factories returned over 576 lb. of
52 minute read
What the Daniels Family are Doing.
What the Daniels Family are Doing.
The Daniels family, which numbers no less than eight distinct branches, are also very successful mixed farmers in the Gindie district (Central Queensland). Their opera tions comprise wheat-growing, dairying, sheep-breeding, &c. In 1913 they had about 250 acres under wheat. Mr. T. C. Daniels gives the following particulars in regard to the cultivation and harvesting of wheat:—“The first ploughing,” he says, “will cost 15s. per acre, but afterwards it will only be 5s. for the same area. Ot
1 minute read
Started with £100.
Started with £100.
In the course of an interview, Mr. J. Edminstone, of Craigend Farm, Belmont Pocket, near Rockhampton (Central Queensland), gave some information which should be invaluable to intending settlers in Queensland. Mr. Edminstone is, at the present time, one of the most prosperous dairymen in the State. “A labouring man,” Mr. Edminstone said, “could easily earn about £200 a year at farming in Queensland. I have made that myself. I had experience on a farm in the old country, but that is not absolutely
2 minute read
New Settlers’ Experiences.
New Settlers’ Experiences.
Mr. C. W. L. Bryde, who has taken up a selection in the parish of Dambulla, near Lake Barrine, Atherton, North Queensland, about two years ago, is satisfied that his new home has been pitched in “the garden of Australia.” He was born in Liverpool, England, and, adopting the sea as a profession, reached the position of chief mate. Several severe trips between Newcastle and Valparaiso with coal for the Chilian Government cooled off his ardour for the sea, and, faced with nervous breakdown, he was
2 minute read
Had a Stout Heart, Strong Pair of Hands, and Plenty of Pluck and Determination.
Had a Stout Heart, Strong Pair of Hands, and Plenty of Pluck and Determination.
Mr. J. McLellan, of Miriam Vale, in the Gladstone district (Central Queensland), stated that he started as an agriculturist sixteen years ago with a stout heart, a strong pair of hands, plenty of pluck and determination, and 6s. per day while he was working on the railway line. His frugality enabled him to save money out of his wages to buy a couple of head of cattle at a time. In his spare moments he cleared his land, and got it ready for its first crop. After a little time he devoted the whole
1 minute read
Successful Efforts from Small Beginnings.
Successful Efforts from Small Beginnings.
In the Barmoya Scrub, Rockhampton district (Central Queensland), a good percentage of the recent settlers had very small beginnings, but now they are fairly well off. Mr. J. Kersey (a carpenter) had a horse and cart and £7; Mr. A. T. Vaisey (formerly an employee in a New Zealand flax mill) had £75; Mr. F. W. A. Broszat (a bricklayer), £250; Mr. Reuben Johnson (a shift boss on Mount Morgan Mine), £100. All are well satisfied with their lot. The German settlers, of whom there are a large number, f
1 minute read
Started as a Farm Labourer.
Started as a Farm Labourer.
In the Bushley district, near Rockhampton (Central Queensland), Mr. E. Holland has a splendid farm of about 3,000 acres on Sandy Creek. He states that he started farming with little or no money. Soon after his arrival from England he found employment as a farm labourer, and accepted cattle as payment for his work. A year or so later he took up a 160-acre block at a rental of 2s. 6d. per acre, and then started dairying. As years went by he acquired further areas, and increased his operations to s
1 minute read
Had a Horse and Saddle and 3s. 6d.
Had a Horse and Saddle and 3s. 6d.
Mr. J. T. Alexander, of Glenlyon Farm, Dalma, near Rockhampton (Central Queensland), arrived in Queensland from New South Wales in 1887, with a horse and saddle and 3s. 6d. in his pocket. At first he engaged in droving, then was a stockman on a station, and later manager of several cattle runs. Seven years ago he purchased 3,000 acres of the Glenlyon Estate, which consisted of open forest country. Then he turned his attention to the breeding of dairy and beef cattle and Border-Leicester sheep. H
57 minute read
Fruit-grower Starts with £5.
Fruit-grower Starts with £5.
After paying for his freehold of 21 acres, Mr. A. Neale, of Parkhurst, North Rockhampton (Central Queensland), had only about £5 in cash, three horses, and a few agricultural implements. By dint of hard work he cleared his land of the forest, planted it with fruit trees, and in a couple of years he gathered his first crops. Later he erected his present home. To-day he is in a comfortable position, due entirely to fruit-growing. In all 5 acres are under fruits of different kinds. Citrus fruits, w
1 minute read
Had only a Few Shillings left after Paying the First Year’s Rent.
Had only a Few Shillings left after Paying the First Year’s Rent.
Quite a number of the new settlers in the Woodend and Bushley Scrubs, in the Rockhampton district (Central Queensland), started in a small way, and are now in very comfortable circumstances. The Lehfeldt Brothers were formerly employed as labourers at the Mount Morgan Mine. In 1895 they selected 160 acres, and after paying the first year’s rent (£5 15s.) had only a few shillings left. When they had finished fencing the land and clearing portion of it, they arranged to supply the Mount Morgan Min
1 minute read
Mining Engineer—Now a Successful Fruit-grower, &c.
Mining Engineer—Now a Successful Fruit-grower, &c.
Mr. J. T. Coates, of Harveston, Rockhampton (Central Queensland), was formerly a mining engineer before he took up 327 acres on the bank of the Fitzroy River. He has 10 acres under fruits—1,100 papaws, 150 citrus (including oranges, limes, lemons, cumquots), 500 grape vines, 50 custard apples, 20 mangoes, also figs, bananas, apples, pears, peaches, quinces, persimmons, pineapples, granadillas, &c. There are also 30 acres under lucerne, 11 acres of Japanese millet, and 5 acres of sweet po
1 minute read
Inexperience no Obstacle to Success.
Inexperience no Obstacle to Success.
Among the new settlers in the Stanwell district (Central Queensland) are quite a number who started with limited capital, and no previous experience in farming. Mr. T. P. Connor was a miner, and had £500. Not only is he dairying, growing crops, and raising pigs, but he is also breeding beef cattle and horses with much success. Messrs. J. Thomas (stockman) and J. Todman (miner) started with £250, and are now doing well out of general farming, dairying, pig-raising, &c. Portion of the farm
1 minute read
Had no Previous Agricultural Experience.
Had no Previous Agricultural Experience.
Mr. W. J. Barber selected 640 acres of dense vine scrub and brigalow country a few miles from Banana (Central Queensland) in 1913 at 10s. per acre. He came from Young (New South Wales), with £190, and had no previous experience of agricultural life. About 46 acres of the scrub have been cleared and planted with Rhodes grass and maize, the latter being sown with the aid of a hand planter. From 30 to 40 acres more scrub are being cleared, and will be put under cultivation when it is ready. The fir
40 minute read
Made a Start with £150.
Made a Start with £150.
Mr. Peter Jensen started in the Banana district (Central Queensland) with £150 by taking up 880 acres, a little over a year ago, at 10s. per acre. The country comprises brigalow scrub and open downs. He has cleared 50 acres, and put in Rhodes grass and maize. A further 50 acres is to be cleared, and planted with Rhodes grass and maize. Mr. Jensen’s first crop of maize of 34 acres yielded 900 bushels....
30 minute read
On the High Road to Success.
On the High Road to Success.
Mr. Charles Roderick is one of the pioneers of the agricultural industry in the Banana district, Central Queensland. He has 1,280 acres of land, for which he paid 10s. per acre. In addition to raising crops, Mr. Roderick is engaging in dairying and pig raising. Last year he obtained 840 bushels of maize from 33 acres. This year he has 27 acres under maize, and 33 acres of Rhodes grass. Mr. Roderick was previously a publican....
31 minute read
Landed in the District with £200.
Landed in the District with £200.
Mr. C. G. Young selected 136 acres at Deeford, in the Dawson Valley country, Central Queensland, in 1912. Previously he was a commercial traveller in Sydney. When he landed in the district he had £200. After clearing the dense vine scrub from his farm, he planted 24 acres with maize, Rhodes grass, and pumpkins. The price paid for the Crown land was 50s. per acre. Mr. Young estimates his first year’s expenditure at slightly over £100. Dairying and pig-raising on a small scale is carried on. This
39 minute read
Tasmanian takes up a Farm with £600.
Tasmanian takes up a Farm with £600.
Mr. E. Stevens, of Deeford, in the Dawson Valley (Central Queensland), came from Tasmania nearly two years ago, with £600. His farm consists of 174 acres, of which 65 acres have been cleared of the dense scrub, and planted with maize and Rhodes grass. He intends to give dairying some of his attention at an early date. The first year’s operations involved an expenditure of about £185....
28 minute read
Miner Starts Farming with £50.
Miner Starts Farming with £50.
Mr. C. F. Holton, who was a miner by occupation, took up 160 acres at Grantleigh, in the Gogango district (Central Queensland), seven years ago. At the time he had only £50 in his pocket. For a couple of years he undertook to cut timber for the Mount Morgan Mine, and also worked on the selections of several of his neighbours. By this means he made sufficient money to enable him to start farming on his own account. To-day he is making a profit of over £100 annually by growing lucerne, maize, pota
1 minute read
Queensland—The Finest Agricultural Country in Australia.
Queensland—The Finest Agricultural Country in Australia.
Mr. Robert Laver, a Victorian farmer, together with his nine sons, took up 13,000 acres under the group system in the Gogango Scrub (Central Queensland) five years ago. They have now 3,000 acres cleared, and 500 acres under cultivation, 400 acres being under Rhodes grass. The other crops are:—Maize, 30 acres; lucerne, 50 acres; cowpea, 5 acres; pumpkins (planted in the same area with the maize), 30 acres. Citrus fruits and grapes are also grown on a small scale. Last year 10 acres of oats and 9
2 minute read
A Well-known Grazier’s Opinion.
A Well-known Grazier’s Opinion.
The testimony of Mr. John Moffat, of Camoola Park, a well-known grazier in the Longreach district (Central Queensland), is of more than ordinary interest. Mr. Moffat says:— “There were never better opportunities than the present in Queensland for young men and women who have energy and ambition, and are not frightened of honest work. I came from Scotland when a baby with my parents (emigrants) during the fifties to Adelaide, South Australia. My father worked as a blacksmith, and afterwards as a
2 minute read
Started Cane-growing with £147.
Started Cane-growing with £147.
Mr. Robert P. Sneesby started sugar-growing on the Maroochy River, North Coast Line (South Queensland), with only £147. Four years ago he arrived from the Clarence River (N.S.W.), where he was a dairyman and maize-grower. He took up 80 acres on the Maroochy River, for which he paid £8 per acre. This he cleared and cropped, and then sold for £1,800. Then he purchased his present holding of 153 acres of dense scrub, the price paid therefor being £4 5s. per acre. Other expenditure—House, 18 ft. x 2
1 minute read
Another Successful Sugar-cane Grower.
Another Successful Sugar-cane Grower.
One of the most successful growers in the Johnstone River district (North Queensland), is Mr. David Hunter, of Goondi. Prior to starting cane-growing eight years ago, he was overseer of labour for the Colonial Sugar Refining Company at Goondi. He started with very little capital, but the terms on which the Colonial Sugar Refining Company sold him land were so reasonable that he had no difficulty in not only meeting his engagements, but also making a profit out of his labours. Good cultivation an
1 minute read
Arrived with an Empty Pocket.
Arrived with an Empty Pocket.
Mr. H. Denning, in responding to the toast of “The Pioneers,” at a banquet at Mount Tarampa, in the Lowood district (South Queensland) in 1913, said:—“It was now 35 years since he became a resident of the district. He arrived with an empty pocket, and on arrival found he was compelled to cut a road 1-1/2 miles through scrub to get to the boundary of his selection. He cleared 2 acres, and after six months harvested his first crop of maize and sweet potatoes. He hired a wagon, and took a load into
1 minute read
Arrived in Queensland with Sixpence—Now a Well-to-do Farmer.
Arrived in Queensland with Sixpence—Now a Well-to-do Farmer.
One of the best known identities in the Clifton district (Darling Downs, South Queensland) is Mr. Maas H. Hinz, J.P., typical pioneer, and one whose industry and perseverance have done so much to push on that busy farming place, Clifton. Mr. M. H. Hinz was born in Holstein, Germany, in January, 1841. After leaving school he worked as a farm labourer. Left the Fatherland for Queensland on 28th May, 1864, by the ship “La Rochelle,” and landed in Brisbane on 6th September, the same year. On landing
3 minute read
Happy and Contented Russian Settlers.
Happy and Contented Russian Settlers.
Mr. A. Mendrin, of Wycarbah, Central Queensland, under date 27th July, 1914, writes as follows:—“In 1912 I visited a large number of districts, as I intended taking up some land for agricultural purposes. I finally decided on a place near Rockhampton known as Wycarbah Scrub, close to the Wycarbah Station, on the Queensland Central Railway. I decided to start a mixed farm; the climatic and other conditions being extremely favourable for the growing and cultivating of maize, cotton, potatoes, and
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Started with only 100 Roubles (£10.)
Started with only 100 Roubles (£10.)
“Mr. Jacob Sank, in September, 1913, took over 160 acres of land at 22s. 6d. per acre, with 20 years in which to effect payment, in the district of Wycarbah, his whole capital at the time being some £10 = Rs. 100. At the present time he has about 15 acres cleared and mostly under crop, has built a house, possesses a horse, and intends buying a cow shortly; he has also various agricultural implements. All this is very much to Mr. Sank’s credit, as, having no money on hand, he frequently had to go
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Russian Naval Gunner’s Success as a Farmer.
Russian Naval Gunner’s Success as a Farmer.
“Mr. P. Hebenko, ex-torpedo-man on a battle cruiser, native of the Black Sea district of Russia, arrived in Australia towards the end of July, 1913. He took up 160 acres of land near my farm in September, 1913; it is good chocolate soil, and is under brigalow and light scrub. Shortly after having taken over his land, Mr. Hebenko got his wife and three children from Russia, and they arrived here in November, 1913; whereupon Mr. Hebenko promptly left for his farm. I last visited his farm in April,
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We Do Not Repent having Left our Native Land.
We Do Not Repent having Left our Native Land.
“In order to clearly show what a Russian’s opinion of Queensland is, I will now give a few extracts from a letter written by a Mr. Godalov, of Canungra, South Coast line, dated 24th February, 1911, and published in certain Russian newspapers:—’... and so I am to be congratulated; 160 acres of superb land, with a healthy beautiful climate, within 30 miles of the sea, at an elevation of 3,000 feet, and this for 32s. an acre and 20 years to pay it in. I consider it my duty to assure you that We do
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Mr. A. Mendrin’s Experiences.
Mr. A. Mendrin’s Experiences.
“We will say, then, that you have gone through the formalities of obtaining your land (in Queensland they are not complicated). From the first day of your arrival on your farm you will start cutting down your trees (these are mostly soft), a normally healthy agricultural peasant should fell from 2 to 2-1/2 acres of brigalow scrub in a week. In this way in a month’s time you should have about ten acres of trees felled, provided you started this during the summer months. You will want, say 2-1/2 m
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