The greatest story in the world, period 3 (of 3)

by Horace G. Hutchinson

SECTION III.—THE FAR SOUTH

The far South

That vast and wonderful responsibility, the burden of Australia, was laid so lightly upon the Anglo-Saxon's shoulders that he has scarcely felt the weight of it at all. Although second to none, and equalled only by one, namely America, in its immense possibilities, it has been less costly in blood and treasure than any other. Partly this is because Australasia lies so remote that no other nation has contested its possession with Great Britain, and partly because the Australian native himself is (or was, for he has nearly disappeared) so poor a specimen of humanity that he could put up no effective fight for the home lands from which the white man was evicting him.

That is a remark, however, which by no means applies to the native people of New Zealand, the Maoris. They were and are a fine people of a very quick intelligence, very brave, and distinguished for their oratory. We need not be surprised that they are so different from the Australian natives, because, although we often think of Australia and New Zealand as near neighbours, they are, as already mentioned, twelve hundred miles apart. It is tolerably certain, from the likeness of the language and other indications, that the Maoris are of the same stock as the Samoans, in Polynesia.

It was not until the eighteenth century that the white man began to take much notice of these great lands in the South. New Zealand was the first to be proclaimed a British possession, in 1787, and the following year is the date of the beginning of the settlement of New South Wales. The founding of the next Australian colony, Queensland, was not until 1824, and five years later again began the colonisation of Western Australia. South Australia was recognised as a separate colony in 1834, and Victoria in 1851.

Australia

Of the settlement, and the claiming for the Anglo-Saxon, of these glorious and vast possessions, there is but little to say in this story, because each successive settlement was accomplished with comparatively little interference by the natives and with none whatever from any other white nation. The coast was found to have some splendid harbours, most of the interior was excellent grazing land, and later, profitable gold mines were discovered.

The chief drawback of Australia as a cattle and sheep producing country has always been its liability to long droughts when no rain falls and the grass perishes and the stock dies for lack of food and water. Much trouble arose at one time from the foolish and short-sighted action of the Government at home in transporting criminals thither. In the first instance they were sent to New South Wales and later to Queensland also. Many of these convicts escaped into the bush, and, banding themselves together, became a terror, by the name of bushrangers, to peaceful farmers. Obviously the families of the convicts could not have been brought up in circumstances likely to turn them into good citizens. It is all the more to the credit of the country that it has such a fine population to-day.

The folly and the wickedness of thus filling up a grand new country with the refuse ejected from the old was gradually realised. Transportation of criminals ceased in 1868.