The Commercial Year Book

The registered shipping in 1896 consisted of 259 sailing vessels, of 41,568 tons, and 151 steamers, of 54,192 tons; total, 410 vessels, of 95,760 tons.

The shipping inward and outward has been as follows:

A branch of the Royal Mint was opened at Melbourne on June 12, 1872. Up to December 31, 1896, 17,998,016 ounces of gold, valued at £71,713,761, were received at the mint, and gold coin and bullion issued of the value of £71,710,801. No silver or bronze coin is struck at the Melbourne Mint.

In 1896, there were 378 post-office and 37 general-savings banks. At the end of the year there were 345.474 depositors, with a total balance of £7,519,325.

During the first quarter of 1896, Victoria had 11 banks of issue, with about 420 branches and agencies, with notes in circulation £979,460, deposits £29,970,299, the total liabilities being £32,681,831 gold and silver, coined and 'in bars, £8,710,573; landed property, £1,913,007; advances, etc., £39,187,739 total assets, £49,130,925. Total paid-up capital, £19,119,625.

QUEENSLAND.

The territory is of an estimated area of 668,497 square miles, and includes the adjacent islands. The population has increased as follows: 1846, 2,257; 1856, 18,544; 1861, 34,367; 1871, 125,146; 1881, 213,525; 1891, 393,718. The estimated population in 1897 was 478,440.

Immigration and emigration are shown as follows:

The following table shows the revenue and expenditure during each of the years ending June 30:

Public debt on June 30, 1898, was made up as follows: Funded debt (debentures, £11.534,380, and inscribed stock, £22,064,034), £33,598,414, and unfunded debt (savings-bank stock, £1,001,000, and Treasury bills, £1,000), £1,002,000; total, £34,600,414. Of this total, £2,660,628 was unexpended.

The principal grain crop is maize, of which 115,715 acres yielded 3,065,333 bushels in 1896; 35,831 acres under wheat, yielding 601,254 bushels; sugar, 83,096 acres, of which 66,040 yielded 100,774 tons of

sugar.

There were 371,390 tons of coal mined in 1896, valued at £154,987. The production of gold in 1896 was 640,385 ounces; and from 1858 to the end of 1896, 11,196,605 ounces, valued at £39,188,117. Tin was mined in 1896 to the amount of 1,554 tons, value £49,018.

The total values of the imports and exports are given below:

The trade of Queensland is mostly with other Australasian colonies and Great Britain.

1897. £5,429,191 9,091,557

Railroads, Post-Office, Telegraphs. (See Index.)

Banking.

There are 11 banks, the statistical position at the end of 1896 being as follows: Notes in circulation, £361,085, of which £354,128 are Treasury notes issued by the Government through the banks; deposits, £10,879,640; total liabilities, £11,346,303; coin and bullion, £1,919,478; advances, £15,481,960; landed property, £724,712; total assets, £18,850,945. There is a Government savings-bank with 126branches. On January 1, 1897, there were 58,226 depositors, with £2,329,381 to their credit.

SOUTH AUSTRALIA.

The total area is calculated at 903,690 square miles.

The population at various census periods has been: 1844, 17,366; 1855, 85,821; 1866, 163,452; 1871, 185,626; 1881, 279,865; 1891, 320,431. In 1894, there were 179,442 males and 168,278 females. Population per square mile is 3. The last three census enumerations contain the aborigines, stated to be 3,134.

The following are the statistics of immigrants and emigrants by sea only:

The revenue and expenditure for the years ending June 30 have been:

The revenue for 1897-98 is estimated at £2,628,044; expenditure, £2,626,236. The public debt on December 31, 1896, was £23,337,200, three-fourths of which has been spent on railways, water works, and telegraphs. Real property was valued at £49,271,260 and personal, £27,267,128.

There were 2,584,395 acres under cultivation in 1896-97, of which 1,693,045 acres were under wheat. 339,257 under hay, 11,746 under orchards, 18,133 vineyards, and 512,561 fallow. The gross produce of wheat in 1879-80 was 14,260,964 bushels; in 1884-85, 14,621,755 bushels; in 1892-93, 9,240,108 bushels, and in 1803-94, 13,618,062 bushels; in 1896, 2,804,493 bushels. The live stock in 1896 numbered-horses, 177,078; cattle, 337,235; sheep, 6,323,993. In 1896, of the total area, 175,273 square miles were held under pastoral leases, and the number of leases was 699.

In 1896, there were 756 factories in the colony, employing 12,464 people. There were 35 iron and brass furnaces, employing 2,387 people, and 67 manufacturers of agricultural implements to 337 people.

Foreign Commerce.

The total imports and exports, including bullion and specie, were as follows:

There are 8 banking associations. In 1896 their total liabilities were £7,797,520; assets, £7,754,673. Average note circulation was £399,787; deposits, £7,332,709.

The Savings-Bank is managed by a board of trustees appointed by the Government, and has 131 branches. On June 30, 1897, there were 93,669 depositors, with a total balance of £3,011,157.

THE COMMERCIAL YEAR BOOK.

WESTERN AUSTRALIA.

The estimated area of the colony is 375,876 square miles, including islands. In 1850, there were not more than 6,000 inhabitants. follows: 1859, 14,837; 1867, 21,713; 1870, 25,353; 1881, 29,709; 1891, 49,782. Estimated population on December 31, 1895, was 101,000. The population at census periods was as

The total revenue and expenditure have been:

1892. £543,889 550,616

1893.

£570,651

640,801

1894. £863,680

755,564

1895.
£1,438,717
1,212,314

1896. £2,440,390 2,362,003

The public debt at the end of 1896 was $4,732,554; annual charge for debt, £194,623. The sinking fund amounted to £175,033.

1895.

At the end of 1895 there were 2,248,976 sheep.

In 1896 there were 281,266 ounces of gold produced, valued at £1,068,810, against 293,491 ounces in

The imports and exports, including bullion and specie, have been as follows:

Imports.
Exports..

1890. £874,447

671,813

The chief exports in 1896 were: Gold, £1,068,808; pearls, £20,000; pearl shell, £30,213; sandalwood, £65,800; timber, £116,420; wool, £267,506; skins, £18,111.

Railroads, Post-Office, Telegraphs. (See Index.;

There are six banks besides the Post-Office Savings-Bank. On September 30, 1897, their condition was stated as follows: Capital paid up, £11,085,049; notes in circulation, £377,670; deposits, £3,928,301; total average liabilities, £4,431,164; total average assets, £5,995,285; reserved profits, £3,228,011. The Government Savings-Bank during the year ending June 30, 1896, received deposits of the value of £520,016, and interest £10,524 was allowed. £294,744, leaving a balance of £460,610 on deposit on June 30, 1896. The amount withdrawn during the year was 1897, deposits to the value of £1,068,322 were made, and interest £17,334 was allowed, £690,183 was withdrawn, leaving a balance of £856,084. During the year ending June 30,

TASMANIA.

Its area, with Macquarie (170 square miles), is estimated at 26,385 square miles. The progress of population by census returns is shown as follows: 1841, 50,216; 1851, 70,130; 1861, 89,977; 1871, 99,328; 1881, 115,705; 1891, 146,667. The estimated population on December 31, 1894, was

The revenue for 1897 is estimated at £768,790, and expenditure £743,655. The public debt amounted to £8,251,778 on December 31, 1896; the debt, except £3,699,300 at 3% per cent., consists principally of 4 per per cent, debentures, redeemable from 1896 to 1940, and the whole was raised for construction of public works.

The total imports and exports, including bullion and specie, were as follows:

The values of the chief exports for the years named were as follows:

The chief imports in 1896 were: Textile fabrics and dress, £391,849; art and mechanical productions, £294,399; food and drinks, £263,954.

For RAILROADS, POST-OFFICE, TELEGRAPHS, see Index.

NEW ZEALAND.

The area of New Zealand is estimated at 104,471 square miles, and comprises North and MiddleIslands, South or Stewart's Island, and small outlying islands.

The population in 1896, according to census returns, exclusive of aborigines, was: Males, 371,415; females, 331,945; total, 703,360.

The chief sources of revenue and the total ordinary revenue (exclusive of receipts from sales and rents of land) have been as follows, for years ending March 31:

1895. 1896.

1897..

1895. 1896.

1897..