Page:The Art of Living in Australia.djvu/27

PREFACE. xiii In 1805 the exportation of wool from Australia was "nil." In 1811 it reached to the modest amount of 167 lbs., while Spain exported 6,895,525 lbs. In 1861 the exportation of wool from Australia increased to 68,428,000 lbs., whilst from Spain it fell to 1,268,617 lbs. And lastly, in 1891 the amount of wool exported from Australia reached the majestic figures of 593,830,153 lbs., representing a value of ^20,569,093. If New Zealand be included, the total export attains to 710,392,909 lbs., having a value of .;^24,698,779. It must be borne in mind that these figures represent only the wool actually exported, and do not include that kept back for Australian require- ments. As I have pointed out in the beginning of the chapter on Australian wine, if the latter industry had increased in similar proportion, Australia's pros- perity would be second to none in the world. There are some other striking figures which are well worth referring to. The city of Paris alone requires nearly 300,000 gallons of wine daily. Now, the total yearly wine production of the whole of Australia is but a little over three million gallons. It will follow from the preceding, then, that the single city of Paris itself would consume in 12 days all the wine which the whole of Australia takes 12 months to make. The future prosperity of Australia, at least to a very great extent, is wrapped up in her wine in- dustry ; for its development means much more than