is 15.0 inches, and for the seven winter months, 11.25. The wettest year in this area was also 1889, with 25.35 inches, and the driest 1888, with 9.21 inches, of which 7.93 fell during the growing period. In 1902, the year's total was 10.70 inches, and that for April—October 6.60 inches.
It will thus be seen that even in the worst years the rainfall over the inland areas considered is sufficient when aided by modern agricultural methods to insure at least moderate yields of cereals from extensive inland areas. That an occasional drought is not an wholly unmixed evil is seen in the unusually abundant crops harvested in the first good season, owing probably to an improved condition of the soil. The most serious effects of prolonged drought are the losses of stock, due to an almost entire dependence upon natural grasses. That these are easily preventable will, no doubt, be proved by future experience.
X(a).—RAINFALL IN THE WEST AUSTRALIAN GOLD-FIELDS.
In the dry region of Western Australia—for the most part with a rainfall of less than 10 inches per year—are three important centres of settlement. In the north is the Pilbara Gold-field, in the centre the Murchison Gold-field, and in the south the Coolgardie Gold-field. Kalgoorlie has a population of over 17,000 inhabitants, while some £112,000,000 have been won by miners from the gold-fields of Western Australia.
A special study of the rainfall of this area is justified by its economic importance and by its interest as a region which has been settled in defiance of physical control.
Frequency of Rain Storms.
An analysis has been made of the conditions governing the rainfall in the inland portion of Western Australia during the period July, 1909—July, 1912.
The rain storms are classified in three groups—
- Coolgardie (Southern Gold-field).
- Peak Hill (Central Gold-field).
- Pilbara (North-west Gold-field).
In most cases Coolgardie participated in rains from the north which affected the other two, but the contrary is by no means true—rains moving from the south rarely reaching Peak Hill and never Pilbara.
The number of rain storms affecting the fields in this period is shown in the following table (for three years):—
| — | Summer. | Autumn. | Winter. | Spring. | Total. |
| December, January, February. |
March, April, May. |
June, July, August. |
September, October, November. | ||
| Pilbara | 10 | 9 | 7 | 1 | 27 |
| Peak Hill | 13 | 9 | 18 | 8 | 48 |
| Coolgardie | 12 | 17 | 35 | 18 | 82 |
| Individual Storms[1] | 21 | 24 | 39 | 26 | .. |
- ↑ N.B.—Many of these "Individual Storms" affected two centres.
