Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1913.djvu/470

 348 THE BRITISH EMPIRE: — NORTHERN TERRITORY

THE NORTHERN TERRITORY OF AUSTRALIA.

Government.

The Northern Territory, after forming part of New South Wales, was annexed by Royal Letters Patent, dated July 6, 1863, to South Australia. On the establishment of Federation in 1901, the Territory entered the Commonwealth as a corporate part of the State of South Australia. The Commonwealth Constitution Act of 1900 made provision for the surrender to the Commonwealth of any territory by any State, and under this provision an agreement was entered into on December 7, 1907, by the Commonwealth and South Australia for the transfer of the Northern Territory to the former. After the necessary legislation approving this agreement had been passed by the two parliaments concerned, the Territory formally pa3!-ed under the control of the Commonwealth Government on January 1, 1911. The Commonwealth at the same time assumed responsibility for the State loans contracted by South Australia on behalf of the territory ; it took over by purchase the railway from Port Augusta to Oodnadatta ; and it undertook to construct a transcontinental railway from Pine Creek southwards to the boundary of South Australia, and to connect these two railways. The cost of these obligations to the Federal Government is stated as follows : — Public Debt of Northern Territory at June 30, 1909, 2,719,000/.; deficit, 780,000/.; cost of Port Augusta railway, 2,242,000/. ; estimated cost of transcontinental railway, 4,500,000/. ; total, 10,241,000/.

The South Australian laws remain in force until the Federal Government decrees otherwise by Ordinance. Several Ordinances were passed in 1911 and 1912.

Adlninistrator.—J)Y. J. A. Gilruth, D.V.Sc, M.R-.C.V.S., F.R.S.E.

Area and Population.

The Northern Territory is bounded by the 26t}i parallel of south latitude, and. the 129th and 138th degrees of east longitude. Its area is 523,620 square miles. The area alienated at the end of 1911 amounted to 473,232 acres absolutely ; 106,282,447 acres were held under leases and licences ; and the remainder, 228,361,121 acres, was unoccupied. The coast line exceeds 1,300 miles. The Territory possesses many fine rivers and several good harbours, the principal harbour being Port Darwin, where Darwin is situated. The greater part of the interior consists of a tableland rising gradually from the coast to a height of about 1,700 feet. On this tablelanil there are large areas of excellent pasturage. The southern part of the territory is generally sandy with a small rainfall, but it can bo watered liy means of artesian bores. The climate is tropical, but varies considerably over the whole Territory. The proximity of the sea in the north keeps it fairly equable in the coastal region, but further south the climate is of a continental type, showing a great variation between the hottest and coldest months.

Population. — The population, excluding aborigines, has varied as follows: —

Year. Europeans. Others. Totals.

1881 670 . 2,765 . 3,435

1891 1,144 . 3,754 . 4,898

1901 1,055 . 3,041 . 4,096

1911 (Census) 1,418. 1,892 . 3,310

1911 (31st Dec.) 1,729. 1,519 . 3,248