Queensland - Our First Half-Century

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GOVERNMENT HOUSE

JUBILEE MEMORIAL VOLUME

Our First Half-Century

A REVIEW OF QUEENSLAND PROGRESS

BASED UPON OFFICIAL INFORMATION

BY AUTHORITY OF THE GOVERNMENT OF QUEENSLAND

BRISBANE

PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY ANTHONY J. CUMMING, GOVERNMENT PRINTER

1909.

PREFACE.

The object of this work, as the title implies, is to furnish the reader with a succinct review of the salient facts of Queensland progress, first as an autonomous British colony of the Australian group, and second as a State of the Commonwealth of Australia, retaining all constitutional rights unimpaired save in so far as they may be qualified by the provisions of "The Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act of 1900." In treating of federation as thus accomplished the object has been to set forth dispassionately, yet clearly, the general results of the change upon the well-being of the State, and the reasonable anticipations of its future when the objects of federal union have been more completely attained.

This is not a volume of statistics, yet in a fifty-year review it would be impossible entirely to avoid the use of figures. These, however, have been availed of sparingly; and, to avoid encumbering the text, tables compiled by the Government Statistician contrasting the progress made, by presenting the figures for the first, middle, and last (available) years of the fifty-year period, have been included as appendices. Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, and to embody in the volume all the information possible without overloading it with detail.

For the series of diagrams illustrative of the subdivision of Australia into separate colonies between 1787 and 1863 acknowledgment is due to the Under Secretary for Lands of New South Wales, under whose authority they were compiled from data in the Public Library, Sydney.

TABLE OF CONTENTS.

PAGES

PART I.OUR NATAL YEAR.

THE BIRTH OF QUEENSLAND.

Issue of Letters Patent and Order in Council.Appointment of Sir George Ferguson Bowen as First Governor.Continuity of Colonial Office Policy. Instructions to Governor.Munificent Gift of all Waste Lands of the Crown.Temporary Limitation of Electoral Suffrage.Responsible Government Unqualified by Restrictions or Reservations.Governor-General of New South Wales Initiates Elections

INITIATION OF RESPONSIBLE GOVERNMENT.

Arrival of Sir George Bowen in Brisbane.The First Responsible Ministry.Injunctions to Governor by Secretary of State in regard to Choice of Ministers. Ex-members of New South Wales Legislature take Umbrage. The Governor on the Characteristics of Various Classes of Colonists.The Governor a Dictator.The Microscopic Treasury Balance.Gladstone as Site of Capital. Mr. Herbert as a Parliamentary Leader

DIFFICULTIES OF EARLY ADMINISTRATIONS.

Meeting of First Parliament .Amendment on Address in Reply defeated by Speaker's Casting Vote.Adoption of Address in Reply.Compromise between Parties Indispensable.Successful Inauguration of Responsible Government.The Governor's Egotism.Mr. Herbert's Retirement.Mr. Macalister Succeeds.Financial and Political Crisis.Proposed Inconvertible Paper Money.Governor Undeservedly Blamed

THE FIRST SESSION OF PARLIAMENT.

Work of the First Session .Four Land Acts Passed.Summary of Land "Code."Pastoral Leases. Upset Price of Land 1 per acre.Agricultural Reserves.Land Orders to Immigrants.Cotton Bonus. Lands for Mining Purposes.Renewal of Existing Leases. Governor's Laudation of "Code."Praises Parliament. Abolition of State Aid to Religion.Primary and Secondary Education.Wool Liens.First Estimates and Appropriation Act

QUEENSLAND IN 1860.

Rush of Population .High Prices for Stock for occupying New Country.Sparse Population.Rockhampton most Northerly Port of Entry.Navigation inside Barrier Reef Unknown.Tropical Queensland Unexplored.Ignorance of Climate, Resources, and Conditions.Primary Industries in 1860.Primitive Means of Communication.Public Revenue, Bank Deposits, and Institutions

PART II.FROM NATAL YEAR TO JUBILEE.

THE LEGISLATURE.

The Governor .His Functions: Political and Social. His Emoluments.Administrations that have held Office.Number of Members of Council and Assembly. Emoluments of Assembly Members.Good Results of Responsible Government in Queensland

PUBLIC FINANCE (1859-1884).

Importance of Sound Finance .A Great Colony Starts upon a Bank Overdraft.First Year's Revenue.Land Sales as Revenue.Deficits in First Decade.Transfer of Loan Moneys to Revenue to Balance Accounts.Heavy Public Works Expenditure.Crisis of 1866.Inconvertible Paper Currency Proposals.Flotation of Treasury Bills. Higher Customs Duties.Wiping Out a Deficit by Issue of Debentures.Transfer of Surplus to Surplus Revenue Account to Recoup Loan Fund.Incidental Protection. Railway Land Reserves.Proceeds Used as Ordinary Revenue.Three-million Loan.Condition of Affairs at Close of First Quarter-Century.Phenomenal Progress; Prospects Bright

PUBLIC FINANCE (1884-1893).

The Ten-million Loan .Ministers Practically Granted Control of Five Years' Loan Money.Vigorous Railway Policy.Effect of Over-spending.Inflation of Values.Increased Taxation.Succession of Deficits. Second McIlwraith Ministry.A Protectionist Tariff. Temporary Increase of Revenue.Heavy Contraction in 1890.Another Big Loan; Failure of Flotation. The First Underwritten Australian Loan.Amended Audit Act Limiting Spending Power of Government

PUBLIC FINANCE (1893-1898).

Sir Hugh Nelson at the Treasury.Credit of Colony Restored.Assistance to Financial Institutions and Primary Industries.Savings Bank Stock Act.Public Debt Reduction Fund.Treasurer's Cautious and Prudent Administration.Money Obtained in London at a Record Price

PUBLIC FINANCE (1898-1903).

The Philp Ministry .Large Surplus.Loan Acts for Seven and a-half Millions Sterling.Drought Disasters and Sacrifices for Federation.Accumulated Revenue Deficits of over 1,000,000.Rebuff on London Stock Exchange.Resignation of Philp Ministry

PUBLIC FINANCE (1903-1909).

The Morgan-Kidston Ministry .Economy in Revenue Expenditure.Great Reduction in Loan Outlay.Equilibrium Established at the Treasury.Retrenchment and Taxation.Improvement of Finances.A Record Surplus for Queensland.Land Sales Proceeds Act.Abstention from Borrowing.First Loan Floated since 1903.Sound Position of Queensland. Value of State Securities.Reproductiveness of Railways Built out of Loan Money.Public Estate Improvement Fund.How Recourse to Money Market has been Avoided

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