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July 1st, 1851. An attempt to form a colony in North Australia, with the capital at Port Curtis, was made in 1846, but failed, and the proposed colony remained portion of New South Wales. The first public meeting in favour of constituting Moreton Bay as a separate colony was held at Brisbane on July 8th, 1851. The despatch announcing that the Home Government had decided on separating Moreton Bay was received early in 1859, and Queensland commenced its separate existence Dec. 10th, 1859. A stretch of land between South and Western Australia, which theoretically belonged to New South Wales, but in reality was "No Man's Land," together with the northern territory of South Australia, were detached from New South Wales in 1863, and added to South Australia.

Separation and Foundation Days. New South Wales, foundation Jan. 26th, 1788; Tasmania, separation from New South Wales Feb. 16th, 1804; Western Australia, foundation June 1st, 1829; South Australia, foundation Dec. 28th, 1836; New Zealand, foundation Jan. 29th, 1840; Victoria, separation July 1st, 1851; Queensland, separation Dec. 10th, 1859.

Serle, Mount, S.A. A mountain in the Flinders range, which, commencing on the E. shore of Spencer's Gulf, extends in a northerly direction as far as Lake Blanche, with an elevation of 3000 feet.

Serpentine, W.A. A village on Serpentine River, 28 miles S. of Perth. Com munication by mail coach.

Serpentine Creek, Vict. A village in an agricultural and pastoral district, 134 miles N.W. from Melbourne. Nearest railway station, Inglewood, 15 miles distant.

Serpentine River, Tas. A small stream which is one of the tributaries of the Jordan, which falls into Macquarie Harbour on the W. coast.

Serviceton, S.A. The junction of the railway systems of Victoria and South Australia, 196 miles from Adelaide and 312 miles from Melbourne.

Settlers. The first settler in Australasia was Philip Schæffer, who came out in the first fleet as Superintendent of Agriculture, and obtained a grant of 140 acres at Parramatta on March 30th, 1791; the second were two marines, Robert Webb

and William Reid, who obtained 60 acres each in the same locality on the same date, but did not go into possession till some time later. In 1791 a number of sailors and marines obtained grants of 60 acres of land at Norfolk Island, and a convict obtained a grant of 30 acres of land opposite Philip Scheffer's. The first settler in Port Phillip was William Dutton, at Portland Bay in 1833.

Seven Emu River (Northern Territory), S.A., not far from the Queensland border, was discovered by Leichhardt and named by him from the number of emus seen in the neighbourhood; flows into the Gulf of Carpentaria.

Seven Hills, S.A. A small township in an agricultural district, 85 miles N. of Adelaide. Nearest railway station, Saddleworth. The Jesuit College is about a mile distant. Population 130.

Sevenhills, N.S.W. A small township in a timber district and railway station, 20 miles W. of Sydney. There are productive orange groves here. Population, with district, 400.

Seventeen Mile Rocks, Qd. A village in a sugar and wine-growing district on the river Brisbane, 12 miles from Brisbane. Collecting wattle bark has become an important industry. Population 150.

Seymour, Tas. A small port 151 miles from Hobart and 16 miles from St. Mary's railway station.

Seymour, Vict. A township in a grazing district and railway station on the NorthEastern line, and at the junction with the Goulburn Valley line, situate on the river Goulburn, 61 miles N. of Melbourne. It contains a steam flour-mill, saw-mills, brewery, tannery, and other important works. Population, with district, 3250. Newspaper, Seymour Express.

Shady Creek, Vict. A village in a mining district 80 miles E. from Melbourne on the main Gippsland road to Sale, 2 miles from Tanjil, 13 miles from Moe. Nearest railway stations, Bunyip and Drouin.

Sharks Bay, W.A., near the town of Carnarvon and S. of the Gascoyne river, was discovered by Dampier in 1699, and was named from the abundance of sharks found there; is now a pearl-fishing station.

Shea Oak Log, S.A. A township in a large wheat-growing district, 36 miles N. of Adelaide. Nearest railway stations,

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Sheep. The number of sheep on board the first fleet was 29. Macarthur commenced to improve the breed at Parramatta in 1793. In 1796 he imported purebred Merinos from the Cape of Good Hope, whither they had been sent by the Dutch Government, which obtained them from the pure-bred flock kept at the Escurial. In 1802 Macarthur went to England, and was examined before a committee of the Privy Council on the prosperity of the wool industry of New South

ing district near Bradford Creek, 118 miles N.W. of Melbourne. Nearest railway station, Kangaroo Flat, 8 miles distant. Population 90.

Shelford, Vict. A township in a mining and pastoral district on the road between Geelong and Portland, 68 miles W.S.W. of Melbourne. Nearest railway station, Leigh Road, on the Geelong and Ballarat line. Population, with district, 300.

Shellharbour, N.S.W. A township in a pastoral district, with a railway station 3 miles distant, 3 miles from Lake Illawarra, 5 miles from Albion Park, and

Population, with borough, 1500.

Shepparton, Vict. An important town, owing to its central position in the Goulburn Valley, in an agricultural and pastoral district, and railway station on the eastern side of the Goulburn river, 113 miles N.N.E. from Melbourne and 42 miles from Echuca. Courts of general sessions, assize and insolvency are held here. The town is lighted with gas. Population 3780. Newspapers, Shepparton Advertiser and News.

Wales. He received a grant of 10,000 66 miles S.S.W. from Sydney. Steamer acres of land at Camden, and was pre-communication direct with Sydney. sented with ten ewes and three rams from the flocks of George III. at Kew. In 1822 £300 was paid at Parramatta fair for one ram of Macarthur's breed. In 1825 Richard Jones brought from Europe 120 Saxon sheep. The flocks multiplied enormously all over Australasia. In 1838 sheep were first boiled down for tallow. The two great diseases of sheep in Australasia are catarrh and scab, but both have been nearly stamped out: Australian sheep also suffer from fluke and foot rot. The number of sheep in Australasia Jan. 1st, 1891, was-New South Wales, 55,986,431; New Zealand, 16,200,358; Queensland, 18,007,234; Victoria, 12,736,143; South Australia, 7,004,642; Western Australia, 2,524,912; Tasmania, 1,619,256: total, 114,078,977.

Sheephills, Vict. A village in an agricultural district, and railway station on the branch line from Murtoa to Warracknabeal, 206 miles N.W. of Melbourne. Population, with district, 700.

Sheffield (Kentishbury), Tas. A township in a rich agricultural district, 25 miles from Torquay, 18 miles from Latrobe, 74 miles from Launceston. Nearest railway station, Railton, on the Formby line, 7 miles distant. Gold has been found 10 miles from Sheffield. At the river Forth a rich tin lode has been opened up, and silver-lead mines are worked at Mount Claude, 7 miles distant. Important discoveries of reef gold have been made at the Middlesex goldfield, 23 miles distant. Population, with district, 2000.

Shelbourne Bay, Qd. An inlet on the Pacific Coast of Cape York Peninsula, about 1o 8. of Cape York.

Sherwood, Qd. A village in a farming district, and railway station between Brisbane and Charleville, 6 miles from Brisbane.

Ship. The first ship built in Australia -the Rosehill Packet-was launched Sept. 1789 (the first fleet arrived Jan. 19th, 1788, and the French ships Astrolabe and Boussoli, with La Perouse, on Jan. 28th, 1788); first stores ship-Lady Juliana-arrived June 3rd, 1790; first foreign trading vessel-Philadelphiafrom Philadelphia arrived Nov. 1st, 1792; the first steamer in the colony was the Surprise, which ran in the Parramatta river trade in 1831; the first steamer which sailed to Australia from England was the Sophia Jane, of 256 tons, 50 horse-power, brought out by Lieut. Biddulph, part-owner, to ply between Sydney and Newcastle, 1831. In the same year a colonially built steamer-the William the Fourth-was launched on the William river. The first war steamer which was ever seen in Australia was the Driver 4 guns, from Hong Kong in 1846. The Great Britain steamship, then the largest vessel afloat, arrived at Hobson's Bay from Liverpool Nov. 20th, 1852. The Spitfire, the first gunboat built in

Shelbourne, Vict. A village in a farm

Australia, launched at Sydney 1854. navigator; born in 1739, entered the navy The Cerebus monitor, after a most in 1755, and saw active service in Neweventful passage, arrived in Hobson's foundland, the Mediterranean, and West Bay, April 7th, 1871. The total foreign tonnage inwards and outwards to the Australasian colonies in 1890 was 17,489 ships, of an aggregate of 15,395,016 tons. Shipwright's Point, Tas. A township on the river Huon, which is navigable to this point, 35 miles S.W. of Hobart and 5 miles from Franklin; contains a jam manufactory; has a good export trade in timber. Steamer communication with Hobart.

Shoal Bay (Northern Territory), S.A. A bay E. of Port Darwin.

Shoalhaven, N.S.W. A large agricultural, dairy and mining district, 110 miles S. of Sydney, situated on the river of the same name, and connected with Sydney by steamer to Greenwell Point, or by railway, via Moa Vale or Kiama. The district contains five municipal districts-Berry and Bomaderry, Nowra, Numbo, Broughton Vale, and Central Shoalhaven; and about twenty-one towns and villages, including Boolong, Bomaderry, Berry, Broughton Vale, Burrier, Cambewarra, Greenwell Point, Huskisson, Kangaroo Valley, Jasper's Brush, Meroo, Nowra, Numbo, Coolangatta, Woodhill, Berrellan, Nowra Hill, Terrara, Toomerong, Wandandian and Woorigee. The land is fertile and well farmed, the Hay (late Berry) estate of 90,000 acres having 500 tenants. An important bridge connects the northern and southern portions of the district. Population 11,000. Newspapers: Shoalhaven News, Colonist, Broughton Creek Mail, Shoalhaven Telegraph and Broughton Creek Register.

Nowra

Shoalhaven River, N.S.W., rises in a swamp under a hill called Corrumburoo, and falls into the sea at Cooloomgatta, 35 miles S. of Woolongong, after a course of 260 miles, passing through one of the Shoalhaven gullies, which are ravines of great depth (from 500 to 1200 feet) and very romantic.

Shoalwater Bay, Qd. An inlet on the Pacific coast, between Cape Townsend and Pier Head, and a few miles N. of Port Bowen.

Shops. The first shop in Australia was opened by the captain of the ship Justinian in June 1790.

Shortland, Lieut. John, explorer and

Indies, being present at the capture of several islands; was made lieutenant in 1763; was employed in the Atlantic during the war of American Independence; in 1782 commanded the transports with the 97th Regiment intended for the relief of Gibraltar; in 1786 was appointed agent for the transports to New South Wales, and arrived at Botany Bay with the first fleet in 1788. Left six months afterwards, via Batavia, in the Friendship (abandoned Oct. 28th), Alexander Borrondale and Prince of Wales, and reached England May 29th, 1789, after a most adventurous voyage. turned to the colony in 1792, and discovered the Hunter river in 1797.

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Shortland, N.Z. A mining township incorporated with Grahamstown in one borough, on the Hope and Karaka creeks, 40 miles E. of Auckland; has a good water supply, and is lighted with gas. (See GRAHAMSTOWN, which, with this town, is known as Thames.)

Shortland's Bluff, Vict., on which Queenscliffe is built, is a projection about 2 miles N. of Point Lonsdale, and inside the harbour of Port Phillip.

Sidmouth, Cape, Qd. A point of land on the Pacific coast of Cape York Peninsula, N. of Princess Charlotte Bay.

Sidmouth, Tas. A village on the W. bank of the river Tamar, 30 miles N.W. of Launceston, with which there is daily steamer communication, 158 miles N. of Hobart, and 13 miles from George Town.

Sierras, Vict. A range of mountains which trend S. of the Grampians, in which the Wannon rises; the principal peaks are Mount Abrupt and Mount Sturgeon.

Silk. Attention was paid to the growth of silk in 1848, and revived in 1859 by Mrs. Timbrell. Mr. Charles Brady and Mrs. Bladen Neil attempted to introduce it in 1868. A sericicultural society was formed, and an export trade commenced in silkworms' eggs, owing to a disease which attacked the worm in Italy and temporarily increased their price. But no real or satisfactory progress has been made with sericiculture, owing to there being comparatively few white mulberry trees in Australia, and the absence in the country districts of the

cheap labour of women and children.
There is, however, no doubt that the
climate of most parts of Australia is well
adapted to the production of silk.

Silver. The first silver ever found in Australia was at Moruya, N.S.W., in 1862. Subsequently the metal was discovered at St. Arnaud, in Vict., and in districts of New South Wales, South Australia and Queensland. In 1883 large deposits were found near Silverton in the Broken Hills district; and in 1889 the yield in New South Wales was 9,067,500 oz.; 1014 tons of silver-lead ore, valued at £61,500, were raised in Queensland, and some ore was raised in South Australia, but the exact quantity of silver extracted was not given. Small quantities of silver have been obtained in Victoria and New Zealand from crude gold.

Silverton, N.S.W.

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township at the extreme W. of the A large mining colony, and 18 miles from the South Australian frontier, in the centre of the Barrier Ranges silver district; is 882 miles W. from Sydney and 340 from Adelaide, with which it is connected by railway, the last 36 miles belonging to a private company. The total yield of silver in the district for 1889 was valued at £1,726,397. The town contains several good buildings, public and private, and has large population in its vicinity. Singleton, N.S.W. A town of considerable importance in an agricultural and wine-growing ing district, and station on the Northern line on the railway Hunter river, 29 miles to the N. of Maitland, and 147 miles N.W. of Sydney. Two collieries of bituminous coal are being worked at Rix's Creek, 3 miles distant. The mine is connected by tramway with the Great Northern railway; copper has been found in payable quantities. It contains a Benevolent Asylum accommodating 100 inmates, and is lighted by gas. Population, with district, 7150. Newspapers, Singleton Argus and Free Press.

Sir Charles Hardy's Islands, Qd. A cluster of small rocky islands in the Pacific Ocean off Cape Grenville, about 1° S. of Cape York. seen five or six leagues off, and were They may be discovered by King.

Sir Everard Home's Islands Qd. A small group lying near Cape Grenville, and between it and Sir Charles Hardy's

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Islands. Named by King after Sir
Everard Home.

A

Sir James Smith's Islands, Qd.
Bay, between Mackay and Bowen. The
group of 12 islands situated off Repulse
principal island contains Linne Peak;
discovered by King.

on the S.W. of Spencer's Gulf, N. of
Sir Joseph Banks' Group, S.A., a group
Port Lincoln, consist of islands named
Winceby, Turnby, Parsney, Kirkley, Lusby,
Hareby, Spilsby, Stickney, Sibsy and
Langton. Discovered and named by
Flinders.

A

headland in the Southern Ocean, W. of Sir William Grant, Cape, Vict. Portland Bay, and resembling Point Dedman in Cornwall. Discovered and named by Grant.

Six Mile (Northern Territory), S.A. A small village 6 miles from Southport.

and grazing district on the Emu creek, Skipton, Vict. A village in a farming at the junction of the main Geelong and Ballarat road to Hamilton and Portland, 116 miles W. by N. of Melbourne. Nearest railway station, Scarsdale, 20 miles distant. Population 120.

point of Biribie Island in Moreton Bay,
Skirmish Point, Qd., the northernmost
was named by Flinders, after a skirmish
he had there with the natives.

S. part of Eyres Peninsula, and W. of
Spencer's Gulf.
Sleaford Bay, S.A. A large inlet at the

the E. coast of the North Island, a few
Slipper Island, N.Z. A small island on
miles off the peninsula of the Thames
and near Grahamstown.

the arrival of Europeans in 1788, a Small-pox. Almost immediately after disease resembling small-pox broke out amongst the aborigines, extended all over the continent, and swept away large numbers. Small-pox has frequently been introduced into various parts of Australia by new arrivals, and especially since the quick and rapid communication by mail ports in Asia. But, owing to the elaborate steamers which start from or touch at precautions taken, the universality of vaccination, and climatic causes, smallment, and has soon been stamped out, pox has never made a permanent lodglife, or extending into the interior on the without causing any noteworthy loss of occasions when it has been introduced. Smeaton, Vict. A small township in a

pastoral, agricultural and gold-mining to the level of the sea, and the only disdistrict, 114 miles N.W. of Melbourne. tricts in which they are unknown are

Nearest railway station, Allendale, 3 miles distant. Coaches run daily to Castlemaine and Creswick. Population, with district, 1500.

Smithfield, N.S.W. A township in an agricultural and fruit-growing district, bounded by Prospect Creek, 20 miles S. of Sydney. Nearest railway station, Fairfield, 2 miles distant. The Sherwood brick-and-tile works and a large tannery are in the neighbourhood. Population 500.

Smithfield, S.A. A township in a wheatgrowing district, and railway station, on the N. bank of Smith's Creek, 19 miles N. of Adelaide. Population 119.

Smithtown. N.S.W. A township in an agricultural district on the Macleay river, 318 miles N. of Sydney. Communication by steamers. Population 300. Smoky Bay, S.A. An indentation in the coast near Nuyt's Archipelago, and at the E. point of the Great Australian Bight.

Smoky Cape, N.S.W., on the Pacific coast between Trial Bay and Korogoro Point, near the township of Arakoon

and the mouth of the Macleay river, was discovered by Cook, and named by him in consequence of the number of native fires seen in the neighbourhood.

Smyth, Mount, Vict. A mountain in the Great Dividing range, between the Murray and Gippsland, with an elevation of 4000 feet.

plains through which flows no river. They particularly affect the long grass near rivers, forests and scrubs. The number of species is still undetermined, but it is believed that there are at least ten. The largest are usually from 4 to 5 feet long, and they occasionally attain a length of 6 feet. The greater number are much smaller, and they are very various in colour; amongst them are the black, the brown, the tiger, the diamond. Many lives are lost every year from snake-bite. An antidote to the bite has not yet been found; coffee and spirits are sometimes useful, and injections of ammonia by the hypodermic syringe were at one time believed to be unfailing, but an antidote to the bite of a healthy and vigorous black snake has yet to be discovered. Next to man the hawks and laughing jackasses are their most powerful and persevering enemies. Lady Franklin offered a reward of a shilling a head for every snake killed, and in one year she paid £700 for 14,000 snakes destroyed in Tasmania alone. A black snake, 22 feet

long, was killed in the lower branch of the Hawkesbury by a settler named Fleming in 1826.

Snodgrass, Colonel Kenneth, C.B., was born in Scotland about the year 1874, entered the army at an early age, led the forlorn hope at San Sebastian; was twice wounded in the Peninsula, for which he received a pension. Was comSmythesdale, Vict. A township in a mander of the forces in Australia; made gold-mining district, and railway station member of Legislative Council 1833, adthe Ballarat and Scarsdale line, ministered the government of Tasmania situated in a valley in which flows from Oct. 31st, 1836, to Jan. 5th, 1837, Smythe's Creek, 14 miles from Ballarat, and of New South Wales from Sept. and 89 miles from Melbourne. County 1837 to Feb. 1838. Died at the Hunter court, warden's court, and court of river, Oct. 1853, leaving sons and mines are held here. Population 421. daughters. Lady Clarke, of Rupertswood, Newspaper, Grenville Advocate.

on

Snake Island, Vict. An island off Corner Inlet and Port Albert.

Snake Valley, Vict. A village in a gold and quartz-mining district on Baillie's Creek, 124 miles N.W. of Melbourne. Nearest railway station, Smythesdale, 6 miles distant.

Snakes. Several species are found in Australia and Tasmania; all of them are venomous, and the bite of some of them is mortal. They inhabit all localities, from the summits of the loftiest mountains

Vict., is the daughter of his eldest son.
Snow. This lies on the mountain tops
for part of the year, and is occasionally
seen at towns like Ballarat, Goulburn,
Kyneton, etc., which are more than 1500
feet above the level of the sea.
are, however, only two occasions when it
has been seen in Sydney or Melbourne,
in the former city in 1836 and 1837, and
in Melbourne in 1840 and 1879.

There

Snowtown, S.A. A township in a farming and grazing district, and the terminus of the Wallaroo and Snowtown line, 29

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