THE SUBDIVISION OF AUSTRALIA.

(MAPS 1 AND 2.)

Since the issue of Captain Arthur Phillip's Commission as Governor in 1786 there have been no less than ten successive modifications in Australian boundaries, all internal save the first, which severed Van Diemen's Land from New South Wales. Map 1 represents Australia as depicted before the time of Captain Cook. Map 2 shows the territory as divided into two parts by Governor Phillip's Commission. The continent was severed by a north-and-south line along the 135th meridian of east longitude, and all the eastern part declared to be the territory of New South Wales.

Map 1 (1770). Map 2 (1786).

VAN DIEMEN'S LAND (MAP 3).

Under an Imperial Act of 1823 a Royal Commission was issued to Governor Arthur on 14th June, 1825, erecting Van Diemen's Land into a separate colony, as shown in Map 3.

NEW SOUTH WALES—ALTERED BOUNDARY (MAP 4).

On 6th July, 1825, a Commission appointing Sir Ralph Darling Governor of New South Wales, after describing the boundary of the colony as then existing, declared that the western boundary should be extended 6 degrees further west to the 129th meridian of east longitude, including all the adjacent islands in the Pacific Ocean.

Map 3 (1825). Map 4 (1825).

WESTERN AUSTRALIA (MAP 5).

Although Western Australia had been occupied in 1826 by Major Lockyer, and a settlement had been established at Swan River in 1829, the boundaries of the colony were not definitely described until 1831, when Sir James Stirling's Commission of appointment as Governor gave him authority over all that part of the continent to the west of 129 degrees east longitude. A supplementary Commission issued in 1873 included all the adjacent islands in the Indian Ocean.

SOUTH AUSTRALIA (MAP 6).

South Australia was proclaimed a British Province by Letters Patent on the 28th December, 1836; bounded on the north by the 26th parallel of south latitude; on the south by the Southern Ocean; on the west by the 132nd meridian of east longitude; on the east by the 141st meridian.

Map 5 (1831). Map 6 (1836).

VICTORIA (MAP 7).

In 1851 the territory previously known as Port Phillip was separated from New South Wales. In July, 1851, the legal symbol of the fact was found in the issue of writs of election for members of the Legislative Council. This was done under an Act of the New South Wales Legislature, passed to give effect to the Act passed in 1850 "for the Better Government of Her Majesty's Australian Colonies." Boundaries: On the north and north-east by a straight line from Cape Howe to the nearest source of the River Murray; thence by the course of that river to the eastern boundary of South Australia; and on the south by the sea: the River Murray to remain within New South Wales.

NEW SOUTH WALES—ALTERED BOUNDARY (MAP 8).

By a later statute passed in 1855, the boundaries of New South Wales were defined as follows:—"All the territory lying between the 129th and 154th meridians of east longitude, and north of the 40th parallel of south latitude, including all islands and Lord Howe Island, except the territories comprised within the boundaries of the province of South Australia and the colony of Victoria as at present established."

Map 7 (1851). Map 8 (1855).

QUEENSLAND (MAP 9).

In 1859 Queensland was severed from New South Wales by Letters Patent issued to Sir George Bowen, the boundaries being given as follows:—"So much of the said colony of New South Wales as lies northward of a line commencing on the sea coast at Point Danger, in latitude about 28 degrees 8 minutes south, and following the range thence which divides the waters of the Tweed, Richmond, and Clarence Rivers from those of the Logan and Brisbane Rivers, westerly, to the Great Dividing Range between the waters falling to the east coast and those of the River Murray; following the Great Dividing Range southerly to the range dividing the waters of Tenterfield Creek from those of the main head of the Dumaresq River; following that range westerly to the Dumaresq River; and following that river (which is locally known as the Severn) downward to its confluence with the Macintyre River; thence following the Macintyre River (which lower down becomes the Barwan) downward to the 29th parallel of south latitude; and following that parallel westerly to the 141st meridian of east longitude, which is the eastern boundary of South Australia; together with all and every the adjacent islands, their members and appurtenances, in the Pacific Ocean; and do by these presents separate from our said colony of New South Wales and erect the said territory so described into a separate colony to be called the 'Colony of Queensland.'"

ANNEXATION TO QUEENSLAND, 1862 (MAP 10).

On 12th April, 1862, the Duke of Newcastle advised Governor Bowen that Letters Patent, of which a copy was enclosed, had been issued annexing to Queensland the following territory—namely, "so much of our colony of New South Wales as lies to the northward of the 21st parallel of south latitude, and between the 141st and 138th meridians of east longitude, together with all and every the adjacent islands, their members and appurtenances in the Gulf of Carpentaria." The area thus annexed added to Queensland about 120,000 square miles of territory, which now comprises such centres as Birdsville, Boulia, Cloncurry, Camooweal, and Burketown.

Map 9 (1859). Map 10 (1862).

ANNEXATION TO SOUTH AUSTRALIA (MAP 11).

An Imperial Act of 1861 enacted that "so much of the colony of New South Wales, being to the south of the 26th degree of south latitude, as lies between the western boundary of South Australia and 129 degrees east longitude, shall be and the same is hereby detached from the colony of New South Wales and annexed to the colony of South Australia, and shall for all purposes whatever be deemed to be part of the last-mentioned colony from the day in which the Act of Parliament is proclaimed."

THE NORTHERN TERRITORY ANNEXED TO SOUTH AUSTRALIA (MAP 12).

There still remained, nominally belonging to New South Wales though detached from that colony, the country now known as the Northern Territory and forming part of South Australia, lying northward of the 26th parallel of south latitude, and between 129 degrees and 138 degrees east longitude. That area was by Letters Patent, dated 6th July, 1863, issued under the Imperial Act of 1861, annexed to South Australia until it was "the Royal pleasure to make other disposition thereof."

Map 11 (1861-3). Map 12 (1863).