Appendix A
DEFENCE
The Australian Squadron, maintained by Australasia, for Protection of Floating Trade in Australasian Waters.
[N.B.—Exclusive of H.M. Ships of the British Navy on the Australian Station.]
Boomerang, twin screw torpedo gunboat, first class, 2 guns, 735 tons, i.h,p. 2,500 n.d. (in reserve).
Karrakatta, twin screw torpedo gunboat, first class, 2 guns, 735 tons, i.h.p. 2,500 n.d. Lieut, and Commander, Richard M. Harbord.
Katoomba, twin screw cruiser, third class, 8 guns, 2,575 tons, i.h.p. 4,000 n.d. Captain, Herbert W. S. Gibson.
Mildura, twin screw cruiser, third class, 8 guns, 2,575 tons, i.h.p. 4,000 n.d. Captain, Henry Leah.
Ringarooma, twin screw cruiser, third class, guns, 2,575 tons, i.h.p. 4,000 n.d. (in reserve).
Tauranga, twin screw cruiser, third class, 8 guns, 2,575 tons, i.h.p. 4,000 n.d. Captain, W. L. H. Browne.
Wallaroo, twin screw cruiser, third class, 8 guns, 2,575 tons, i.h.p. 4,000 n.d. Captain, George N. A. Pollard.
Memorandum of Agreement between Great Britain and Australian Colonies.
1. There shall be a force of sea-going ships of war to be provided, equipped, manned, and maintained at joint cost. 2. Officers and men to be changed triennially. 3. The vessels to be under the control of the Commander-in-Chief on the Australian Station, and are not to be taken from Australian waters without the consent of the Colonies. 4. By reason of the new agreement, no reduction is to take place in the Imperial Squadron on the Station. 5. The vessels shall consist of five fast cruisers and two torpedo gunboats; of these, three cruisers and one gunboat are to be always kept in commission, and the remainder in reserve. 6. (a) The first cost of vessels is to be paid out of Imperial Funds, (b) The Colonies are to pay the Imperial Government interest at 5 per cent, on the prime cost, such interest not to exceed £35,000. (c) The annual charge for maintenance is to be borne by the Colonies, but this is not to exceed £91,000. 7. Imperial Government to replace any vessels lost. 8. Agreement to last for ten years. 9. In time of peace two vessels of the Squadron to be in New Zealand waters.
Note.—This agreement was extended by the Premiers in Conference at Melbourne early this year (1899) until after Federation, when the matter will of course be dealt with by the Commonwealth.
COLONIAL SHIPS OF WAR FOR HARBOUR DEFENCE, ETC.
Victoria.
Cerberus, double screw, iron armour-plated turret ship, 4 18-ton M.L. guns, 4 Nordenfeldts, 3,480 tons, 1,660 h.p.
Nelson, training ship, 22 guns, 1 Gatling, 2,730 tons, 500 h.p. Commander, R. M. Collins.
Albert, steel gunboat, 4 guns, 2 Nordenfeldts, 350 tons, 400 h.p.
Also, 3 armed steamers, carrying 6 guns, 2 Catlings, and 4 Nordenfeldts; 3 torpedo boats, and 3 torpedo launches, carrying 14 Whitehead torpedoes, 2 Hotchkiss guns, 1 Nordenfeldt, and fitted with spar torpedoes.
South Australia.
Protector, cruiser, 6 guns, 920 tons, 1,641 h.p.
Queensland.
Gayundah, double screw steel ship, 2 guns, 360 tons, 400 h.p.
Otter, steel gunboat, i gun, 220 tons, 460 h.p.
Paluma, double screw iron ship, 2 guns, 450 tons, 400 h.p.
New South Wales.
Two small torpedo boats.
Tasmania.
One torpedo boat.
New Zealand.
Eight torpedo boats.
Total Marine Forces of Australasia.
2437 men (of whom 1004 New Zealand).
MILITARY FORCES
1,484 paid.
10,984 partly paid.
13,043 unpaid.
Total, 25,511 men. Of whom 4,000 are artillery, 700 engineers, 1,000 cavalry, 2,800 mounted rifles (the real national arm), and nearly 16,000 infantry. Twenty thousand men could be mobilised in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, or South Australia. There were 700,000 men of the soldier's age (20-40) in Australasia in 1891.
The 6 colonies expend altogether about half a million annually (say 2s. 9d. a head of the population) on defence, and have sunk a total of about 2½ millions sterling in defence works.
Appendix B
GAUGES OF AUSTRALIAN RAILWAYS
Victoria, 5ft. 3in.; South Australia, 5ft. 3in. and 3ft. 6in.; New South Wales, 4ft. 8½in, except Moama to Deniliquin (connecting with Victorian line), 5ft. 3in.; Queensland, 3ft. 6in.; Western Australia, 3ft. 6in.; Tasmania, 3ft. 6in.; New Zealand, 4ft. 8½in. and 3ft. 6in. In England and Scotland the gauge is 4ft. 8½in.; in Ireland, 5ft. 3in.; in India, 5ft. 6in.
Appendix C
AUSTRALIAN FEDERATION
On the occasion of the presentation of the address by both Houses of Parliament of Victoria to the Queen, praying that the draft Bill to constitute a Commonwealth of Australia be passed into law by the Imperial Parliament, Lord Brassey spoke as follows: "Departing from formal precedent, I shall venture on this historic occasion to say a few words not officially inspired, but which will, perhaps, the better give utterance to the feelings of the hour. The address which you ask me in your name to transmit, marks a turning point in your national history. It closes an era in which great things have been done. In no other country, not in the most advanced of the communities of the old world, are law and order more assured, public tranquillity less disturbed, the standard of living for the whole people higher, provision for education more liberal; in none is self-government, the distinctive gift of our race, more admirably illustrated. Statesmanship, eloquence, sound common sense, lofty patriotism, have never been wanting even in the smallest of the Australian Parliaments; and now, looking forward to the future, and remembering all you have done in the past under difficult circumstances and the rivalry of separation, who shall measure the achievements which may be accomplished by your united efforts? You will be greatly strengthened for defence, your trade will grow by leaps and bounds, common credit will sensibly lighten the public charge, all petty jealousies will disappear. Time would fail me were I to attempt to enumerate the advantages certain to accrue in the near future from federation. I rejoice that the closing stage of my public life has been associated with a movement which, as far as in me lay, I have earnestly strived to help forward. It has had from Lady Brassey and myself the heartiest good wishes. Unless it had been so, I should have been no fitting representative of the Queen and her people in the United Kingdom. All your hopes for the future are fully shared in your old Motherland, and as in coming years you become in an increasing degree a powerful and prosperous State, the possession of a happy and contented people, supreme in these Southern Seas, there will be no envious feelings. Your own greatness will reflect glory on the home of your fathers, and there, as here, it will be said now and for all time and with a full heart, 'Advance Australia!'"
Compare with the above the following, extracted from a typical anti-federal lecture, delivered at Perth, Western Australia, June 29, 1899. The speaker, a man of the would-be professional politician class from New South Wales, and probably an agent of the anti-federal party there, alleged that "the strings of the movement were being pulled by Imperial Statesmen. It was easier to govern these colonies by one Governor and one Premier than through many Governors and Premiers. One head of all the defence forces would make insurrection or revolution more difficult, and independence, with a republican flag, practically impossible, and it would find another billet for a British aristocrat. Lord Brassey was of opinion that we should get a specimen of the royal blood imported, and he mentioned the Marquis of Lorne and the Duke of Fife, who have the good fortune to be married to British princesses, as likely for the post. This might add a glare of splendour to the Commonwealth capital, but would it especially benefit the people? One thing was certain, such a Government would render reforms in the direction of land nationalisation, socialism, the equality of women as voters with men, and the establishment of an independent nation under its own flag infinitely more remote and difficult than under existing conditions. It would be far more arduous to move the Federation Parliament, with its senate of rich Conservatives, than to stir the local Parliaments in the direction of progress." The last sentence, and indeed the whole utterance, is encouraging; to all except political experimentalists.
On July 7, the same speaker ridiculed the statement of Mr G. H. Reid, the Premier of New South Wales, that the other States as a Commonwealth would defend Western Australia from foreign invasion with their last shilling and their last man. It was the British Empire, he said, upon which they would have to rely in such circumstances. These are the methods of the paid agitator.
Appendix C
OLD-AGE PENSIONS IN PRACTICE IN NEW ZEALAND
From a Report presented in the Statement for the Year ended 31st March 1899.
The Registrar, Old-age Pensions, to the Hon. the Colonial Treasurer.
Old-age Pensions Office,
Wellington, 19th June 1899.
"I have the honour to make the following report for your information.
"The Act came into force on the first day of November 1898. In the same month a Registrar was appointed, and in December old-age pension districts were constituted, deputy registrars were appointed, and notices were issued throughout the colony that forms of claim were obtainable at all post-offices.
"The number of pensions granted during January 1899, in respect of which payments were made up to the 31st day of March 1899, inclusive, was 2,133, and the amount paid in respect thereof was £3,124, 1s. 8d. The amount paid in respect of other than pensions up to the 31st day of March 1899, inclusive, was £510, 8s. 1d.
"The total number of pensions granted up to the 31st day of March 1899, inclusive, was 7,487, representing a yearly payment of £128,082; the average pension being about £17, 2s.
"The amount of absolutely forfeited instalments up to the 31st day of March 1899, inclusive, was £12, 5s.
"The number of pensioners who died before the 31st day of March 1899, inclusive, was thirty-eight, and the number of pensions cancelled up to that date was six, representing altogether a yearly payment of £763.
"The number of pension certificates transferred from one old-age pension district to another, up to the 31st day of March 1899, inclusive, was twenty-three.
"It is scarcely to be expected that the administration of a new measure will be altogether smooth at first. It is, therefore, a matter for congratulation that few difficulties have presented themselves, and that an entirely new experience had been generally anticipated in the detailed provisions of the Act and regulations.
"Under the existing Act no provision is made for any payment to the representatives of a deceased pensioner. It seems reasonable that the portion of an instalment accrued up to the date of the pensioner's death should be paid to the person who has defrayed the expenses of burial. It seems desirable also that near relatives from whom a pensioner may legally claim maintenance should not be relieved by the Old-age Pensions Act of such responsibility. I recommend also that the Colonial Treasurer should be empowered to pay an instalment of pension which has been forfeited through non-delivery of the pension certificate or other cause, not being the fault or neglect of the pensioner.
"Sub-section (3) of section 13, relating to the method of calculating the joint income of husband and wife, has not been uniformly interpreted. It might be well to remove all doubt as to the intention of this provision.
"The claims of some persons, who are otherwise qualified, have been rejected on the ground that they have not been naturalised subjects for five years, as prescribed by section 64 of the Act. I suggest some modification of this disability," etc. (The remainder is unimportant, except following.)
Return showing Cost of Administration of "The Old-age Pensions Act, 1898," for the Financial Year ended 31st March 1899.
| Salaries— | £ | s. | d. | £ | s. | d. | ||
| Registrar | 100 | 1 | 1 | |||||
| Deputy Registrars | 40 | 3 | 10 | |||||
| 140 | 4 | 11 | ||||||
| Other Expenses— | ||||||||
| Advertising and printing | 16 | 6 | 0 | |||||
| Clerical assistance | 247 | 18 | 0 | |||||
| Interpreting | 7 | 9 | 3 | |||||
| Shorthand-writer | 19 | 0 | 0 | |||||
| Travelling allowance and expenses | 76 | 2 | 2 | |||||
| Sundries | 3 | 7 | 9 | |||||
| 370 | 3 | 2 | ||||||
| Total | £510 | 8 | 1 | |||||
| The Treasury, 23rd June 1899. | ||||||||
Appendix E
OLD AGE PENSIONS IN NEW SOUTH WALES
In the Report on Old-age Pensions, etc., in England and on the Continent of Europe [by Lieut.-Col. J. C. Neild, New South Wales Commissioner: By Authority, Sydney, 1898J Col. Neild recommends the payment of a minimum pension of 7s. 6d. weekly (in case of "unmerited misfortune," 11s. 3d.) to persons over fifty-five; "necessity to be a condition precedent to pension." The Report is a large 8vo of 450 pages, and is worth perusal.
§ 786 is particularly interesting, giving a range of examples from (i) "Individuals with no personal income, or personal income not exceeding 10s. per week, weekly pension 7s. 6d."; to (30) "Married couples, having two children, with weekly personal income of 30s., weekly pension 2s. 6d."; and (yet further) to the maximum pension payable to the victims of "unmerited misfortune"—"Married couples, with two children, per week, 26s. 3d."
"It will be seen," says the Report, § 788, "that these proposals offer considerable inducement towards thrift"; how, is not over clear.
"The source from which the pensions are to be provided" is admitted to be "of paramount importance."
A tax on tea is recommended as likely to be sufficient (§ 795).
But, if the Federal Government takes the tea tax, "probably an impost upon flour would be an alternative." (§ 796).
§ 797. "It is quite possible that this suggestion will be made the subject of thoughtless objection, as a tax of any kind on bread is necessarily unpopular, but I submit that there is an immense, and an essential, distinction between a tax on bread for ordinary purposes of Government, and a tax on bread to provide bread for the aged, the helpless, and the indigent."
"Such an objection, too, would be sentimental rather than practical, for wharfage dues upon breadstuffs are universal … while lands occupied with wheat are largely the subject of taxation."
A royalty upon mining profits is further recommended (§ 800), on the ground, apparently, that it would be paid chiefly by London companies.
Appendix F
RETURNS OF IMPORTS AND EXPORTS, QUEENSLAND, 1899
Shewing the Rate per Head of the Population.
| 1897. | 1898. | |
| Population on December 31st | 478,440 | 492,602 |
| Imports | £5,429,191 | £6,007,266 |
| Imports per head of population | £11, 6s. 11½d. | £12, 3s. 11d. |
| Classification of Articles, &c. | 1897. | 1898. |
| £ | £ | |
| Gold, in Dust and Bars | 2,568,702 | 2,855,781 |
| Specie (Coin) | 60,254 | 218,547 |
| Silver Lead Bullion and Silver Gold Bullion, and Silver Precipitates | 55,785 | 41,951 |
| Silver Ore and Gold Ore Slag | 10,863 | 23,037 |
| Copper—Ore, Regulus, Smelted and Matté | 21,388 | 6,430 |
| Tin—Ore, Slag, and Smelted | 36,670 | 31,871 |
| Drapery, Apparel, Silks, &c. | 14,835 | 12,006 |
| Shell Fish (Oysters) and Bêche-de-mer | 24,265 | 16,069 |
| Fruit—Green | 87,450 | 96,313 |
| Grain, Pulse, &c. | 17,887 | 5,222 |
| Hides and Skins | 438,211 | 466,265 |
| Live Stock by Sea | 7,980 | 16,487 |
| Live Stock Overland (Horses, Cattle and Sheep) | 821,526 | 798,949 |
| Pearl Shell and Tortoise Shell | 130,053 | 111,975 |
| Preserved Meat (Salt Meat, &c.) | 365,045 | 482,676 |
| Frozen Meat | 662,994 | 676,698 |
| Rum (Colonial) | 1,900 | 2,081 |
| Sugar (Colonial) | 681,038 | 1,329,876 |
| Tallow | 272,528 | 328,531 |
| Timber | 7,791 | 8,254 |
| Wool | 2,509,342 | 3,018,098 |
| All Other | 295,050 | 309,010 |
| Totals | £9,091,557 | £10,856,127 |
| £ s. d. | £ s. d. | |
| Exports per head of Population | 19 0 0½ | 22 0 9 |
Return showing the Total Value of Imports into and Exports from the various Ports of Queensland, also Borderwise, during the year ended 31st December 1898.
| Ports. | Imports. | Exports. | Total Trade. |
| Estimated Mean Population, 492,602 | |||
| £ | £ | £ | |
| Brisbane | 3,333,740 | 2,490,001 | 5,823,741 |
| Ipswich | 69,725 | — | 69,725 |
| Maryborough | 164,194 | 98,200 | 262,394 |
| Bundaberg | 93,754 | 466,123 | 559,877 |
| Gladstone | 10,737 | 127,365 | 138,102 |
| Rockhampton | 622,061 | 2,434,287 | 3,056,348 |
| St Lawrence | 740 | 28,791 | 29,531 |
| Mackay | 107,533 | 382,878 | 490,411 |
| Bowen | 24,091 | 230,906 | 254,997 |
| Townsville | 875,175 | 2,616,511 | 3,491,686 |
| Dungeness | 21,004 | 171,757 | 192,761 |
| Geraldton | 11,429 | 119,019 | 130,448 |
| Cairns | 91,333 | 193,210 | 284,543 |
| Port Douglas | 7,597 | 35,423 | 43,020 |
| Cookton | 53,648 | 85,534 | 139,182 |
| Thursday Island | 60,342 | 128,047 | 188,389 |
| Normanton | 38,244 | 154,566 | 192,810 |
| Burketown | 3,205 | 17,518 | 20,723 |
| Total Seaward | 5,588,552 | 9,780,136 | 15,368,688 |
| Across the Border (including Live Stock) | 418,714 | 1,075,991 | 1,494,705 |
| £6,007,266 | £10,856,127 | £16,863,393 | |
| Imports, Exports, and Total | |||
| Imports. | Exports. | Total. | |
| Trade per head | £12, 3s. 11d. | £22, 0s. 9d. | £34, 4s. 8d. |
| J. C. KENT, for Collector of Customs. | |||
| Customs, Brisbane, 23rd May 1899. | |||
Appendix G
NEW ZEALAND GOLD OUTPUT 1899
| ozs. | Value. | |
| January | 33,049 | £130,207 |
| February | 21,729 | 81,984 |
| March | 36,843 | 143,821 |
| April | 33,343 | £130,509 |
| May | 25,962 | 100,161 |
| June | 41,547 | 161,924 |
Appendix H
POPULATION OF AUSTRALASIA
The Australasian Colonies as a whole contained a population on the 31st December 1898 estimated at 4,476,985 persons, with an average total annual increase of merely 1½ per cent.
Australasian Colonies.
| Colony. | Population on 31st December 1898. |
Rate of Increase during 1898. | ||||
| Males. | Females. | Total. | Males. | Females. | Total. | |
| No. | No. | No. | per cent. | per cent. | per cent. | |
| New South Wales | 721,335 | 624,905 | 1,346,240 | 1·69 | 1·76 | 1·72 |
| Victoria | 593,446 | 582,0441 | 1,175,490 | —0·33 | 0·21 | —0·06 |
| Queensland | 279,670 | 218,853 | 498,523 | 3·06 | 2·59 | 2·85 |
| South Australia (including Northern Territory) | 191,745 | 176,055 | 367,800 | 1·81 | 0·77 | 1·31 |
| Western Australia | 112,054 | 56,075 | 168,129 | 1·54 | 8·75 | 3·83 |
| Tasmania | 95,632 | 81,709 | 177,341 | 4·39 | 1·99 | 3·27 |
| New Zealand (exclusive of 39,854 Maoris) | 392,124 | 351,339 | 743,463 | 1·93 | 2·03 | 1·98 |
| Australasia | 2,386,006 | 2,090,980 | 4,476,986 | 1·48 | 1·55 | 1·52 |
Emigration from United Kingdom to Australasia.
| 1893 | 11,412 |
| 1894 | 11,151 |
| 1895 | 10,809 |
| 1896 | 10,710 |
| 1897 | 12,396 |
A statement is added giving the arrivals and departures for each of the Australasian Colonies during the year 1898. The figures are Mr Coghlan's, and the result is shown to be a net gain of 7,670 persons:—
| Colony. | Arrivals. | Departures. | Excess of Arrivals over departures. | ||||||
| Males. | Females. | Total. | Males. | Females. | Total. | Males. | Females. | Total. | |
| No. | No. | No. | No. | No. | No. | No. | No. | No. | |
| New South Wales | 89,495 | 49,613 | 139,108 | 86,590 | 49,285 | 135,875 | 2,905 | 328 | 3,233 |
| Victoria | 64,026 | 30,410 | 94,436 | 70,914 | 35,784 | 106,698 | —6,888 | —5,374 | —12,262 |
| Queensland | 23,999 | 10,244 | 34,423 | 19,103 | 9,097 | 28,110 | 4,986 | 1,147 | 6,133 |
| South Australia | 64,245 | 30,452 | 94,697 | 62,783 | 31,396 | 94,179 | 1,462 | —944 | 518 |
| Western Australia | 22,683 | 10,026 | 32,709 | 21,769 | 6,987 | 28,756 | 914 | 3,039 | 3,953 |
| Tasmanisa | 16,270 | 7,804 | 24,074 | 13,340 | 7,335 | 20,675 | 2,930 | 469 | 3,399 |
| New Zealand | 12,524 | 6,331 | 18,855 | 10,438 | 5,721 | 16,159 | 2,086 | 610 | 2,696 |
| Australasia | 293,242 | 144,880 | 438,122 | 284,847 | 145,605 | 430,452 | 8,395 | —725 | 7,670 |
Appendix I
WESTERN AUSTRALIA
Return showing Gold Produce of Colony entered for Export; also Amount received at Royal Mint, Perth.
| MONTH. | 1894. | 1897. | 1898. | 1899. | ||||
| Quantity. | Value. | Quantity. | Value. | Quantity. | Value. | Quantity. | Value. | |
| ozs. dwts. grs. | £ s. d. | ozs. dwts. grs. | £ s. d. | ozs. dwts. grs. | £ s. d. | ozs. dwts. grs. | £ s. d. | |
| January February March |
35,367 18 13 | 134,398 2 5 | 40,386 14 3 32,526 0 0 40,296 7 12 |
153,469 9 8 123,598 16 0 153,126 4 6 |
93,395 8 19 53,739 3 14 75,380 0 21 |
354,902 13 5 204,208 17 8 286,444 3 4 |
110,090 0 19 100,565 1 19 106,098 12 19 |
418,342 3 0 382,147 6 10 403,174 16 7 |
| 35,367 18 13 | 134,398 2 5 | 113,209 1 15 | 430,194 10 2 | 222,514 13 6 | 845,555 14 5 | 316,753 15 9 | 1,203,664 6 5 | |
| April May June |
40,450 0 5 | 153,710 0 10 | 39,660 7 12 59,111 15 3 53,348 14 20 |
150,709 8 6 224,624 13 6 202,725 4 4 |
84,082 12 16 83,346 18 18 80.749 12 20 |
319,514 0 2 316,718 7 3 306,848 12 9 |
116,466 7 7 109,676 6 8 149,979 3 16 |
442,572 3 8 416,770 0 1 569,920 17 11 |
| 75,817 18 18 | 288,108 3 3 | 265,329 19 2 | 1,008,253 16 6 | 470,693 17 12 | 1,788,636 14 7 | 692,875 12 16 | 2,632,927 8 1 | |
| July August September |
62,846 6 16 | 238,816 1 4 | 48,811 4 17 65,129 3 10 71,776 11 6 |
185,482 13 10 247,490 17 0 272,570 18 9 |
76,980 15 9 89,395 9 10 89,179 4 4 |
292,596 18 5 339,702 15 9 338,880 19 10 |
||
| 138,664 5 10 | 526,924 4 7 | 451,046 18 11 | 1,713,978 6 1 | 726,249 6 11 | 2,759,747 8 7 | |||
| October November December |
17,453 6 20 23,628 7 5 27,385 6 19 |
66,322 14 0 89,787 15 5 104,064 5 10 |
75,690 3 15 75,845 0 15 72,411 14 9 |
287,622 13 10 288,211 2 5 275,164 10 7 |
116,824 12 5 111,793 2 9 95,316 10 22 |
443,933 10 5 424,813 17 0 362,202 17 6 |
||
| Total | 207,131 6 6 | 787,098 19 10 | 674,993 17 2 | 2,564,976 12 11 | 1,050,183 11 23 | 3,990,697 13 6 | ||
Appendix J
TRADE PER HEAD OF THE POPULATION IN 1897
| Colony. | Mean Population. | Imports. | Exports. | Total Trade. |
| £ s. d. | £ s. d. | £ s. d. | ||
| Queensland | 478,440 | 11 6 11 | 19 0 1 | 30 7 0 |
| New South Wales | 1,310,550 | 16 11 10 | 18 2 6 | 34 14 4 |
| Victoria | 1,172,790 | 13 3 7 | 14 5 6 | 27 9 1 |
| South Australia | 353,518 | 20 3 2 | 19 11 11 | 39 15 1 |
| Western Australia | 155,749 | 41 4 2 | 25 5 11 | 66 10 1 |
| Tasmania | 168,916 | 8 1 11 | 10 6 6 | 18 8 5 |
| New Zealand (exclusive of Maoris) | 721,609 | 11 3 3 | 13 7 8 | 25 0 11 |
But the values of the exports of the Australian Colonies, more especially New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia, are largely increased by the inclusion of articles the produce or manufacture of other colonies and countries.
The value of home productions or manufactures exported from each colony in 1897, and the rate per head of mean population, were as follows:—
| Colony. | Home Produce exported. | Per Head of Population. |
| Queensland | £8,831,450 | £18 9 2 |
| New South Wales | 17,057,543 | 13 0 4 |
| Victoria | 12,829,394 | 10 18 9 |
| South Australia | 2,484,140 | 7 0 6 |
| Western Australia | 3,218,569 | 20 13 4 |
| Tasmania | 1,721,959 | 10 3 11 |
| New Zealand | 9,596,267 | 13 6 0 |
The next table sets forth the amount of the trade of each of the above-named colonies with the United Kingdom in 1897:—
| Colony. | Imports from the United Kingdom. | Exports to the united Kingdom. | Total Trade with the United Kingdom. |
| £ | £ | £ | |
| Queensland | 2,501,952 | 3,322,703 | 5,824,655 |
| New South Wales | 7,557,069 | 8,728,828 | 16,285,897 |
| Victoria | 6,004,798 | 9,559,249 | 15,564,047 |
| South Australia | 2,057,567 | 2,182,946 | 4,240,513 |
| Western Australia | 2,624,086 | 1,736,205 | 4,360,291 |
| Tasmania | 397,510 | 274,497 | 672,007 |
| New Zealand | 5,392,738 | 8,168,123 | 13,560,861 |
| £ | |
| British India and Ceylon | 31,103,596 |
| Germany | 22,244,405 |
| Australasia | 21,888,292 |
| U.S.A. | 20,424,225 |
| France | 14,151,512 |
| South Africa | 13.821,357 |
| Holland | 8,333.935 |
| Belgium | 7,816,152 |
| Other countries—less than £700,000 in each case. |
The Australasian Colonies, with a population of 4½ millions, thus take third place as consumers of our produce, the exports thereto being more that two-thirds the value of those to British India, with 290 million inhabitants.