Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1913.djvu/447

Rh Each minister has a salary of 1,000l. ; the Vice-President of the Executive Council receives 300l.

Agent-General for Queenslandin Great Britain.—Major Sir T. B. Robinson.

Secretary.—Mr. P. J. Dillon.

Provision is made for Local Government by the subdivision of the State into areas denominated respectively cities, towns and shires. These are under the management of aldermen and councillors, who are elected by the ratepayers and are charged with the control of all matters of a parochial nature, more especially the construction and maintenance of roads and bridges within their allotted areas. Shires for the most part consist of purely rural districts.

The number and area of these subdivisions, together with the receipts and expenditure for the year 1911, were : —

Area and Population.

Queensland comprises the whole north-eastern portion of the Australian continent, including the adjacent islands in the Pacific Ocean and in the Gulf of Carpentaria. Estimated area 670,500 English square miles, with a seaboard of 2,250 miles. In 1825 a branch penal settlement was made at Moreton Bay; in 1842 free settlers were admitted to the country, and during the next twenty years great progress was apparent.

The increase in the population at different periods since 1846 has been as follows:—

At the census of 1911 the population consisted of 329,506 males, and 276,307 females. The total included 6,138 male and 576 female Chinese; 1,865 male and 400 female "Polynesians"; 1,428 male and 75 female Japanese; 4,573 persons of other Asiatic, &c., races. In addition there were 5,145 male and 3,542 female full-blooded Aborigines living in a civilised manner.