bury river, 38 miles W. from Sydney. Nearest railway station, Windsor, 4 miles distant. Population, with district, 600. Pittsworth (formerly Beauaraba), Qd. A township in an agricultural and pastoral district and railway station, 137 miles W. of Brisbane, and 25 miles from Toowoomba. Good coal is found. Population 300. Pittwater, N.S.W. A name given to the bay near the mouth of the Hawkesbury by Governor Phillip in March 1788. Pittwater, Tas. The estuary of the Coal river at the head of Frederick Henry Bay, which separates Forestier's and Tasman's Peninsula from the mainland. Plantagenet, W.A. A county on the S. coast, intersected by the Southern railway from Albany towards Perth, and containing the town of Albany. Population 4163. Platinum. Traces of this metal were discovered near Bendemeer, N.S.W., on April 3rd, 1872. Platter Island, N.S.W., near Point Upright, Bateman's Bay, 160 miles S. of Sydney, is a remarkable cliff on the coast of the Pacific. Plattsburg, N.S.W. A colliery township adjoining the township of Wallsend, 85 miles N. of Sydney. Within a short distance is the Co-operative Colliery, employing 450 hands. The seam worked is known as the Wallsend, a continuation of the seam worked by the A. A. Co. at Newcastle. Platypus, or Ornithoryncus Paradoxus, is described by Sydney Smith as a "quadruped as big as a large cat, with the eyes, colour, and skin of a mole, and the bill and web foot of a duck." The description is tolerably accurate, except that the size is much exaggerated. The platypus is about 20 inches long, has very short legs, with broad webbed feet and a flat head, from which project two flat horny jaws, almost exactly resembling the bill of a duck, but not laminated, and the upper jaw has a broad membranous border. The animal is covered with thick brown fur, which is very soft and has considerable commercial value, and inhabits the banks of the rivers and lagoons of South-Eastern Australia and Tasmania. It burrows in the banks and forms a gallery, sometimes 40 or 50 feet long, at the extremity of which it builds a nest. The platypus and the spiny ant-eater are not marsupials; they have no teeth; their bones have the peculiarities characteristic of marsupials; they are viviparous and suckle their young. Plenty Ranges, Vict. Mountains N. of Melbourne, form portion of the Dividing range, from which flow a number of streams, which feed on the N. the Goulburn, on the S. the Yarra, and supply the Yan Yean, the principal reservoir of Melbourne. Plenty River, Tas. One of the tributaries of the Derwent, and falls into that river from the S. at the Salmon ponds, a few miles above New Norfolk, Plenty River, Vict. One of the tributaries of the Yarra; rises near Mount Disappointment, feeds the waters of the Yan Yean reservoir, and falls into the Yarra a little below the town of Eltham. Ploughing Matches. These rural contests take place frequently all over the Australasian colonies, and large prizes are given by the agricultural societies and by the makers of ploughs. The first ploughing matches in Australia were held at Bong Bong, N.S.W., in 1828, and they were continued annually till 1833. Point Avoid, S.A. A cape in Eyre's Peninsula and the Southern Ocean, S. of the peninsula which forms the southern headland of Coffin Bay. Point Brown, S.A. A cape in the Southern Ocean, on the E. of the Great Australian Bight, and N. of Streaky Bay. Point Danger, Qd. A cape on the Pacific coast, at the extreme S. of the colony and near the New South Wales boundary. Point Flinders. A cape on the Southern Ocean, a few miles W. of Port Phillip. Point Fowler, S.A. A cape on the Southern Ocean on the E. of the Great Australian Bight, near the last point of Fowler's Bay. Point Hibbs, Tas. A headland on the W.coast, almost due W. of Mt. Direction. Point Lonsdale, Vict. The W. entrance to Port Phillip Bay. Point Lookout, Qd. A headland on the Pacific coast S. of Moreton Bay. Point McLeay, S.A. A township near Lake Alexandrina, 63 miles S.E. of Adelaide. In the neighbourhood at Reidtown is an aboriginal station, with between 100 and 300 natives, most of whom are engaged in farming and tending sheep. In most cases the natives can read and write, and are intelligent. Nearest railway station, Milang, to which there is steamer communication. Point Nepean, Vict. The E. entrance to Port Phillip Bay; near this point is the quarantine ground and station. Point Parker, Qd. On the shores of the Gulf of Carpentaria, to the southward of the Wellesley Islands. The anchorage is between Allan Island and the mainland; is a good position for a shipping port of the wool of a large district. Point Perpendicular, N.S.W. A cape on the Pacific Coast, S. of Shoalhaven, N. of Jervis Bay. Point Skirmish, Qd. A headland on Biribie Island in Moreton Bay. Point Sturt, S.A. A township in a farming and grazing district, on the shores of Lake Alexandrina, 53 miles S.E. of Adelaide. Nearest railway station, Milang, 7 miles distant, or Queen's Town. Point Whidby, S.A. The S. headland of Coffin Bay. Police. The first police force in Australia was established at Sydney, on August 7th, 1789, when Governor Phillip established a night watch of twelve persons, who were appointed to the preservation of public and private property. The first mounted force was established in New South Wales in 1825, and consisted of 30 men. A border police recruited from the troops was subsequently formed. Every bench of magistrates had a small body of police commanded by a chief constable placed under its orders, and in cases where there was a stipendiary or police magistrate, he was the head of the police. The same system was followed in Tasmania, and in the Port Phillip and Moreton Bay districts, except that in the former a police recruited from the aborigines was organised. In South Australia a commissioner of police was appointed, and all the force, mounted and foot, in the colony were placed under him. In New Zealand the police of every province were separated. After the discovery of gold in Victoria the old system was abolished, and an efficient force established on the model of the Irish constabulary; by degrees the example of the new colony was followed in New South Wales and Otago, N.Z. The present numbers and system of the various colonies is as follows:-New South Wales: 1 inspector-general, 9 superintendents, 11 inspectors, 28 subinspectors, 51 senior sergeants, 96 sergeants, 244 senior constables, 1199 constables and 13 detectives; of the whole force 630 are mounted, and 1021 on foot, 14 mounted and 565 foot constables being stationed in the metropolitan district: total 1651. Queensland: 1 commissioner, 10 inspectors, 15 sub-inspectors, 12 senior sergeants, 55 sergeants, 130 senior constables, 550 constables, 12 detectives and 120 native trackers and troopers: total, 874.-South Australia: 1 commissioner, 5 inspectors, 2 sub-inspectors, 14 sergeants, 16 corporals, 1 saddler, 337 constables, 9 detectives, 14 native police: total, 304; and 328 horses and 28 camels. In the Northern Territory there are an inspector, 2 corporals, 20 mounted constables and 11 native trackers.-Tasmania: 1 chief inspector, 21 superintendents, 31 sub-inspectors, 8 acting sub-inspectors, 3 detectives, 24 sergeants, 190 constables and 5 special constables: total, 302; of whom 115 are territorial and under the command of the central government, while the others are under the control of the local authorities. - Victoria: 1 commissioner, 9 superintendents, 14 inspectors, 11 sub-inspectors, 1 remount officer, 120 sergeants, 150 senior constables and 1200 constables, including detectives: total, 1506. - Western Australia: 1 commissioner, 3 inspectors, 3 sub-inspectors, 1 drill instructor, 7 sergeants, 7 corporals, 4 detectives, 132 constables and 44 native trackers: total, 210.-New Zealand: 1 commissioner, 12 commissioned officers, 65 non-commissioned officers and 420 rank and file. Total for Australasia: New South Wales, 1651; Queensland, 874; South Australia, 428; Tasmania, 302; Victoria, 1506; Western Australia, 210; New Zealand 518. Grand total, 5489. Polwarth, Vict. One of the old counties in the S.W. of the colony, with an area of 1225 square miles. Is intersected by the railway from Geelong towards Warrnambool. Contains the town and lake of Colac and the Cape Otway forests. Population 8361. Ponsonby, N.Z. A western suburb of Auckland, 24 miles distant, with train communication. Pontville, Tas. A township on the Jordan river, 17 miles N. of Hobart, and 115 miles S. of Launceston. Nearest and is traversed by a railway which passes from Port Augusta are considerable, and consist of wool, wheat, flour, copper, hides, tallow, copper ore, skins, etc. The transcontinental telegraph wire branches from the Port and Adelaide wires at Stirling, a small township 5 miles distant. Population, with district, 1318. Newspaper, Port Augusta Dispatch. railway station, Brighton, 1 mile distant. A court of general sessions is held here. White freestone quarries are in the vicinity. Population 400. Poole, N.S.W. One of the new counties in the extreme N.W. of the colony, and contains the Grey Range at Mount Poole. Pooncarie, N.S.W. A village on the river Darling, 80 miles N.E. of Wentworth, and 780 miles W. of Sydney. Nearest railway station, Hay. Population. The number of inhabitants in New South Wales, excluding Norfolk Island, on Dec. 11th, 1792, was 3,500; in 1799, 5557; and in 1805-New South Wales, 7083; Van Diemen's Land, 528; Norfolk Island, 1084: employed in whaling, 123; total, 8818. Information on the growth of the various colonies will be found under their respective headings. The census returns of April 1891 give the population as under: New South Wales, 1,134,207; Victoria, 1,140,405; New Zealand, 626,658; Queensland, 393,938; South Australia, 320,431; Tasmania, 146,667; Western Australia, 94,835: total 3,812,141, in addition to 41,523 Maoris in New Zealand. The population of Australasia has increased since April 1891, and may now be set down at 3,900,000. Porangahau, N.Z. A township in a pastoral and agricultural district near the Porangahau river, 74 miles from Napier, and 15 miles from Wainui. Nearest railway station, Waipukurau, 28 miles distant, or Woodville. Population 250. Porcupine Flat, Vict. A township in a mining and agricultural district, 92 miles N.W. of Melbourne. Nearest railway station, Maldon, 24 miles distant. Population 200. Port Adelaide, S.A. The port of Adelaide, the principal shipping port of South Australia; is on an estuary about 9 miles from St. Vincent Gulf, and 7 miles from the city. Vessels drawing 26 feet of water can come up to the wharves, which are very extensive, having 12,993 feet frontage, and with 22 feet at low water. The largest steamer berthed has been the Hankow, 407 feet long, and 2332 feet registered tonnage. Larger steamers lie out in the gulf off the semaphore, which is on the W. side of a narrow tongue of land about 2 miles wide between the estuary and the gulf, through the port on its way to Adelaide. A dock with an area of 5 acres has recently been completed, a graving dock is in course of construction, and the port contains ample warehouse accommodation for the large quantities of wool, grain, etc., shipped from it. The entrance to the estuary is between two sand-banks which are well lighted, and the port is defended by two forts each of which mounts two 10-inch guns and two 68pounders. The town contains the usual public and private buildings, is lighted with gas, and is connected with the neighbouring villages and with Adelaide by rail and tram. Population 5500. Newspaper, Port Adelaide News. Port Albany, Qd. A harbour on the Pacific coast, near Cape York. Port Albert, N.Z. A settlement of Nonconformists in a farming and fruitgrowing district on the Oruawharo branch of the Great Wairoa river, 60 miles from Auckland. Communication with Auckland on the E. by steamer on the Wairoa and Kaipara Harbour to Helensville railway station. Port Albert, Vict. A seaport town in a pastoral and agricultural district at the mouth of the Yarra river, 173 miles S.E. of Melbourne, with which there is steamer communication. Nearest railway station, Sale, 50 miles distant. The entrance to Port Albert is over a mile in width between the E. point of La Trobe Island and Clonmel Island on the opposite shore. Coal of good quality has been found in the neighbourhood. Port Albert supplies the Melbourne market with fish. Population, with district, 4000. Newspaper, Standard. Port Arthur, Tas. An inlet in Tasman's Peninsula, between Cape Pillar and Cape Raoul on the S.E. of Tasmania, near the township of Carnarvon. Was for many years the principal penal settlement on the island, there being no access to the peninsula, except by a narrow isthmus between Monge and Norfolk Bay, which was carefully guarded by soldiers and bloodhounds. Port Augusta, S.A. The northernmost port in South Australia, and railway station on the E. bank of Spencer Gulf, 4 miles above Curlew Point at the head of the navigation of the Gulf, 259 miles by rail N.W. of Adelaide. The exports Port Augusta, W.A., is 190 miles S.W. of Perth, and 50 miles from Busselton. There are large forests of jarrah and other woods. Port Bowen, Qd. A port and harbour on the Pacific Coast, N. of Rockhampton, and just inside the most southerly point of the Great Barrier Reef. jugated to the district. The "rush" was, however, a failure, and much misery followed; but it attracted a large number of miners to Northern Australia-the tropic of Capricorn passes near Port Curtis-and was the means of developing the Queensland goldfields. Port Curtis, Qd. A division of Queensland, bounded by the ocean on the E., on the N. by Cape Palmerston, on the S. by the Burnett division, and on the W. by the Leichhardt division; area, 14,103 square miles. Intersected by the Central railway, watered by the Dawson, Fitzroy, Boyne, Calliope and their tributaries, and contains the towns of Rockhampton on the Fitzroy, Mount Morgan, Gladstone, St. Laurence and Yaamba. The Connors range, the highest peaks of which have Mountains, separate it from the Leich Port Broughton, S.A. A port on Spencer Gulf, in an agricultural district, 152 miles N.E. of Adelaide, and has a tramway to Mundoora, 10 miles. Popula- an altitude of 3000 feet, and the Boomer tion 150. Port Campbell (otherwise Campbell's hardt. Important goldfields have been Creek), Vict. A seaport nearly midway between Sherbrooke River and Hesse Point, 15 miles N.W. by N. from Moonlight Head, and 163 miles S.W. of Melbourne. Communication via Camperdown. The harbour is an inlet of the coast, of no great magnitude or depth of water, nor is it very easy of entrance. Population 260. Port Chalmers, N.Z. The port of Dunedin, 9 miles distant, at the entrance of Otago Harbour, and midway between Taiaroa Heads and Dunedin, and connected with the latter city by railway; is lighted with gas. The pier is 1000 feet long, and ships of 2500 tons can discharge at it; the bar has a depth of 2024 feet at low water. A graving dock 328 feet long, 41 feet at the floor, and 342 and 68 feet at the copings, and with a depth of 21 feet 6 inches at high tide, has been erected. Taiaroa Heads are fortified, and are lighted by a fixed dioptric red light visible 20 miles in clear weather. Population 2300. discovered at the Calliope river, the Boyne, Mount Morgan, the Fitzroy and other places; the district contains also copper and marble. Port Dalrymple, Tas. The name given by Bass and Flinders to the estuary of the Tamar, near Georgetown. Port Darwin Camp (Northern Territory), S.A. A township in the interior, and the centre of a gold, silver and lead district, and other metals. Coach communication with Pine creek. Port Davey, Tas. A harbour on the S.W. coast which receives the waters of the river Davey. Port Denison, Qd. A harbour in Northern Queensland, of which the town and port are Bowen. Port Douglas, Qd. A port in the centre of the coast of Trinity Bay, in an agricultural district, and the centre of cedar operations, 40 miles from Cairns, 70 miles from Cooktown, 164 miles from Townsville and 85 from Herberton, with which there is coach communication. Steamers ply to Brisbane. Population 640. Newspaper, Port Douglas Times. Port Elliot, S.A. An ocean-side township in a wheat-growing district, and railway station on Encounter Bay, 59 miles (77) by rail) S. of Adelaide. Population, with district, 1300. Port Curtis, Qd. Was discovered in 1802 by Flinders, and was visited by Oxley in 1823, by Lieut.-Colonel Burney in 1846 and by Governor Fitzroy in 1854. It was proposed to found a new colony, to be called North Australia, of which Port Curtis was to be the capital, but the scheme was abandoned. Gold was discovered at a place called Canoona, on the banks of the Fitzroy river near Port 52 miles from Hobart. Fine timber Curtis, in 1858, and 10,000 persons con-grows in the district, and it contains four Port Esperance (or Dover), Tas. A fine harbour to the S. of the island, 294 saw-mills. Near the entrance to the bay are three islands named Faith, Hope and Charity. Steamers to Hobart and other river ports. Population, with district, 600. Port Essington (Northern Territory), S.A. A fine harbour; was formerly a military and penal settlement, which was founded in 1831 by Sir Gordon Bremer, but was abandoned on account of its supposed unhealthiness. The station here is managed by Mr. Robinson, who lives among the aborigines. Leichhardt made the coast here on Dec. 17th, 1845. Port Fairy (formerly Belfast), Vict. An important shipping port and watering place of the Western district, and railway station at the mouth of the river Moyne, 186 miles W.S.W. of Melbourne, 13 miles by sea and 204 by land from Warrnambool. The town mainly depends on the farms in the back neighbourhood for its support, and has a large trade in wool, grain and general produce with the Penshurst, Hamilton and Coleraine districts. The town is lighted with gas. Tower Hill, a remarkable volcanic mountain with an extinct crater, standing in Tower Lake, is 9 miles N.N.E. of Belfast. Population, with district, 2650. Newspaper, Belfast Gazette. Port Frederick, Tas. The estuary of the Mersey, near the town of Devonport. Port Germein, S.A. A port in a wheatgrowing district on Spencer Gulf, with a jetty 5500 feet long, running out to a depth of 13 feet at low water, 172 miles N. of Adelaide. Nearest railway station, Port Pirie. Population 300. Port Jackson, N.S.W. (see also SYDNEY), is the name given to the splendid sheet of water upon which stands the city of Sydney and its suburbs; is one of the most beautiful and is certainly one of the safest harbours in the world; the opening is between two rocky promontories known as the North and South Heads; has a great length of coast-line, and 150 baysand harbours, the most important of which latter are the North, Middle and Southern, which latter is Port Jackson proper. The width of the entrance from the outer S. to the outer N. head is 24 miles, to the inner N. head 1 mile 256 yards. Inside the harbour the lowest depth of water in the eastern channel at low tide is 22 feet, but by the western channel 26 feet. Port Lincoln, S.A. A seaport township nearly at the apex of the Eyre peninsula, 210 miles W. of Adelaide. The harbour is considered one of the largest and best in the world, and admits vessels of any draught. The port includes Boston Bay, Port Lincoln and Spalding Cove. A few miles distant is the Poonindie aboriginal station, which was founded by Dr. Hale in 1850. Population 530. Port Macdonnell, S.A. The principal port of the south-east districts, 2 miles E. of Cape Northumberland, 18 miles S. of Mount Gambier; and 304 miles S.E. from Adelaide. Nearest railway station, Mount Gambier; also steamer communication. Considerable quantities of wheat, ground bark, wool, flour and dairy produce are shipped hence. Population, with district, 800. Port Macquarie, N.S.W. A town and pilot station in an agricultural and winegrowing district on the sea-coast, on a promontory at the entrance to the river Hastings, 180 miles N. of Sydney. Communication by steamer with Sydney, Nearest railway station, Hexham. Small Debts Court, District, also County and Quarter Sessions are held here. Payable gold has been found near the head of the Hastings, and on Frazer's Creek. Population, with district, 4000. Newspapers, Port Macquarie News and Port Macquarie Times. Port Melbourne (or Sandridge), Vict. The port of Melbourne, and railway station on Hobson Bay, 11⁄2 mile to the S. of the city, is lighted with gas. There are a large biscuit factory, two distilleries, glass works, etc., which employ a large number of workmen. Newspapers, Standard and Tribune. Population 13,064. Port Musgrave, Qd. A fine harbour at the mouth of the Batavia and Ducie rivers, at the extreme N. of Cape York Peninsula, on the Gulf of Carpentaria. Port Nicholson, N.Z., is the originally given to the harbour of Wellington, in Cook's Straits. name Port Pegasus, N.Z. A harbour on the S. coast of Stewart's Island. Port Phillip. (See also VICTORIA.) Port Phillip Bay, discovered by Lieut. John Murray in 1801, is over 30 geographical miles from N. to S., and 35 from E. to W. Area 700 square miles; contains three minor bays: Hobson Bay, which is the anchorage for the port of Melbourne, and the point at which the river Yarra Yarra, |