Page:History of Adelaide and vicinity.djvu/493

 t Mr.]. C.F.Johnson ADELAIDE AND VICINITY * 467 Australian delegati(jn, attended the Fedtn-ation Conference of the Austrahan Natives' Association in Melbourne, where good work in helping to draw up the plans for the foundation of the future Commonwealth of Australia was accomplished. Mr. Johnson was also one of the committee who formed the Australian National League, an association which has ♦iince proved a power in local politics. In 1887, on the defeat of the Downer Government, Mr. Johnson became Minister of Pxlucation and Minister Controlling the Northern Territory in the second Playford Administration, which retained cjffice for over two years. At the end of the financial year of 1888, the Government was able to show a balance to credit of ^173,000 in place of the debit balance of ;{!'295,303 for 1887; and though the harvest for 1888-9 was a poor one, by economy the result for that year was a credit balance of ^33, 000. Of this satisfactory result the Post and Telegraph Department, under Mr. Johnson's administration, showed a profit of ^,'26,5 15 in 1887-8, and /,2y,oii4 in 1888-9. Although the number of free scholars had very materially increased, he succeeded in considerably reducing the expenditure on education. He also made a special trip to the Northern Territory, with the object of thoroughly enquiring into affairs there and reducing the heavy cost of that dependency. This he succeeded in doing ; leaving a balance to the good of ;^I4,756. When the Playford Ministry went out of office, Mr. Johnson, as a private member, did excellent work, and every motion he brought forward he succeeded in getting the Assembly to accept. In 1895 he obtained leave of absence from his Parliamentary duties, travelling through England and Europe, and remaining away two years, during which he visited many of the leading art galleries and museums of the old world. Whilst on this tour he purchased the painting by Charles Stuart, " Golden Autumn," which, on his return, he presented to the South Australian National Gallery. When in London, he was elected a Fellow of the Geological Society, at one of whose meetings his unique collection of Australian auriferous specimens was exhibited, and evoked much favorable comment and admiration. This collection, which took Mr. Johnson many years and much arduous labor to gather, was presented by him to the British Museum, eliciting from the Governors of that institution a special vote of thanks, and a special testimonial. A number of the richest and most ornamental specimens and nuggets were presented by him to Her late Majesty Queen Victoria through the Colonial Secretary, eliciting a very cordial letter of thanks from Her Majesty's Private Secretary, accompanied by a large, handsomely-framed portrait of the Queen. In connection with mining, Mr. Johnson was one of the founders of the Australian Institute of Mining E^ngineers, and is an honorary life member of the Australian Mine Managers' Association. He is the author of a technical book on gold-mining, entitled "Getting Gold," published by Messrs. Charles Griffin & Company, London, in 1897. Mr. Johnson previouslv published one or two books on the same or similar subjects, but these are now out of print. His stories and sketches of Australian life have been written with those true touches of human interest and sympathetic coloring which have made the Australian school of writers so j)opular, and bid fair to bring about a renaissance in Australian literature with the upcoming of the young nation. Mr. Johnson retired from Parliament in 1896, his career having been one made up of hard work, together with undoubted success.