Railway

[1907]  Messrs. Blacker, Ritchie, McDonald, and Heggaton also interviewed the Commissioner regarding the proposed light line of railway from Kingscote, to open up Kangaroo Island from end to end. They submitted the views of a recent public meeting held on the island, in which three proposed routes each found supporters: presented a plan drawn up by the Kingscote District Council; and requested that an officer should be dispatched to Kangaroo Island to inspect and report. The latter course was promised.

KANGAROO ISLAND RAILWAY.

The new lands which are being opened up on Kangaroo Island promise to settle a large population of prosperous farmers, but if the best use is to be made of them they must be rendered more easily accessible. There are good roads in the cultivated portion of the island, but in the areas acquired by the Government, and which are about to be surveyed into hundreds for the purposes of settlement, only rough tracks exist. A proposal is now being made that the tablelands, which are the backbone of the island, and which form the watershed whence the streams flow to the ocean on either side, should be bisected by a light and cheap line or railway, somewhat similar in character to those at Pinnaroo and Port Lincoln. The railway, it is suggested, should have its eastern terminus, either at Kingscote or some other port on the coast of Nepean Bay— Western Cove, for instance. The line, if its gulf terminus were at Western Cove, would run almost due west for a distance of 50 or 60 miles in the direction of Cape Borda, at the northwestern extremity of the island, which, indeed, could be reached in 65 miles from Kingscote. Should the railway start from Kingscote, as appears to be most likely, its direction to begin with would be south-westerly for about six miles, through the hundred of Menzies, and the Cygnet River would have to be crossed before the northern part of the hundred of MacGillivray is reached. At that point it would strike the telegraph line to Cape Borda, and follow its course westwards. If Western Cove were the terminus, and that would depend on the depth of water at that place, the direction right from the start would be westward, and the line would pass through the northern part of MacGillivray to the south of the Cygnet River. At present settlers in the vicinity of the coast at this point ship their wheat at Western Cove, but ketches are used for that purpose which do not draw much water. The line would probably go up the valley of the Cygnet, and then through the centre of the country recently resumed by the Government. It would then run right on the top of the island, and would serve an area roughly estimated at 450,000 acres, containing 70,000 acres of arable land available in the recently surveyed hundred of MacGillivray. This land would also include the 61,000 acres still held by the original lessees, which is scattered in patches over the centre of the island from Nepean Bay on the east, Stokes Bay on the north, to Hanson Bay, on the south. 

A large proportion of this country, say, about 286,000 acres, inclusive of 61,000 acres held by the lessees, is fit for the growth of cereals, and it should prove sufficient for the settlement of a large farming population — some hundreds of families. The blocks will average from 1,000 acres to 1,500 acres in extent. There is a good rainfall all over the island, while the farmer who combines grazing with agriculture will have the satisfaction of knowing that there are no vermin — no rabbits to eat his crops and no wild dogs to worry his flocks. The climate is most genial, and the place would therefore be a very desirable place of residence, quite unlike the hot and dusty mallee or the bleak plains of some of the northern hundreds. Water can be obtained without difficulty. In many of the valleys of the different streams there is rich garden soil, on which fruit trees or any other growth desired can be cultivated. It has been stated, indeed, by officers of the Lands Department who have an intimate acquaintance with some of these specially fertile areas of the country referred to, that they would be particularly suitable to the cultivation of the best class of apples. Potatoes also could be largely grown, so that the railway, if constructed, would have a very important influence on the prosperity of the newly-opened lands. Kingscote and the other seaside resorts on Kangaroo Island are steadily becomlng more popular, but the people they draw are but visitors for a season. The settlers who will be attracted to the island by the opening up of the new lands and the construction of the proposed railway will be permanent factors in its prosperity. 

[1908] In accordance with a promise made to Parliament the Government is making full enquiries into the question of constructing a railway on Kangaroo Island from Kingscote about 40 or 50 miles to the westward. A complete examination of the country has been made by Mr. J. G. Stewart, a surveyor of the Engineer-in-Chief's Department. Mr. Graham Stewart, the superintending surveyor, returned from the island on Monday, having paid it a visit on business connected with the railway. He will advise the Government on the question of the route when the subject is under consideration.

KANGAROO ISLAND RAILWAY.

[1908]  DEPUTATION TO THE GOVERNMENT.

The residents of Kangaroo Island have been much encouraged by the action of the Government in sending over surveyors to examine the country which would be traversed by the light line of railway which the Government propose to construct there if the capabilities of the soil and other circumstances warrant it. They are anxious that the Government should not allow the work to remain in abeyance long, and on Friday morning a deputation, composed of the member, for the district, Messrs. W. J. Blacker, G. Ritchie, A. McDonald, and P. Heggaton, and several residents of the island, interviewed the Acting-Commissioner of Public Works (Hon. L. O'Loughlin) on the subject.

Mr. Blacker introduced the deputation, and pointed out that the success of the closer settlement policy on the island depended on the facilities which were provided for the "conveyance of the produce raised to the only good port of shipment, Kingscote. The roads were unmade, and it would cost an enormous sum to make a road through the heart of the island as far west as the closer settlement extended. A light railway of an inexpensive nature would meet the requirements, and there seemed to be no doubt whatever that the train would yield a good return.

Mr. A. Daw (chairman of the Kingscote District Council) said it was out of the question that the council should make the roads passable, because they had not funds to do the work. The roads were in a fearful state at present, and when the wet weather came traffic over them with heavy loads would be absolutely impossible. If the Government desired to see the land which had been recently surveyed turned to the best account they must provide facilities for the conveyance of the harvest yields to Kingscote, and a light railway would result in the development of the island to an extent which was impossible without such an advantage.

Mr. J. Dewar said it was absurd to expect people to engage in closer settlement beyond the hundred of MacGillivray without railway conveniences. Already the new settlers had spent thousands of pounds improving their holdings, and many of them had been unable to get their wheat to market, first, because they could not cart it over the roads, and second, because, owing to the rough weather, the ketches which were to have taken it away could not get into the harbors. In such circumstances it would be useless for farmers to go on cultivating their land, because it was no good raising wheat, barley, or oats if they could not get the produce to market.

Mr. F. W. Winch explained that apart from the agricultural industry, the mining interests of the island warranted the construction of a light railway. With the exception of Kingscote, there was no outlet from the island which was available at all times, and if the mining, agricultural, and pastoral interests had to depend on reaching that port by road there was little chance of the industries developing.

Mr. F. Ayliffe hoped the Government were in earnest in the matter. It would be absurd to let the work end with the survey. He had country 50 miles from the town, and had spent nearly £3,000 on it without getting any return, and. in the absence of a railway, he saw little hope of making any profit. The railway would mean all the difference between tweeds and failure in the case of all the settlers who had taken up land a long distance from Kingscote, because they could not get their produce to market over the roads.

Mr. A. C. Burgess said he had grown crops which produced 35 bushels of barley and 25 bushels of wheat in the hundred of MacGillivray, on land which would be served by the railway. With the aid of superphosphates they could grow magnificent crops on most of the island land, but, it was no good raising stacks of wheat if they could not get it carted to a port of shipment owing to the bad state of the roads. Splen-did timber also was to be found in the country which would be crossed by the railway, and as an asset at present it was of little value, because they could not get it carted to port.

Messrs. W. T. Hamilton, V. R. F. Cook. C. Parsons, Ritchie, McDonald, and Heggaton supported the request.

The Commissioner of Crown Lands said the country which would be served by the railway had not been sufficiently tested to warrant the Government praying for certain that, the line would be constructed. The hundred of MacGillivray had been thrown open, and the hundred of Seddon would soon be available, but these hundreds, were not too far from Kingscote to permit of carting being done profitably. (McRitchie -"Not if the roads were in good order." He had had to cart his wheat 30 miles in the north, and the island settlers would have to go only 20 miles. (Mr. Cook"Yes. but you have good roads in the north, but' ours are absolutely impass-able.") The capabilities of the country ought to be known before a railway should be built. The Government had already had a report on the question of building the railway, and instructions had been given that the new jetty, which was about to be built at Kingscote, was to be made strong enough for railway purposes. He did not know what to think about a lot of the country. Some of it was good and some bad, and it must be tested before the Government could ask the House to build a railway. If the practical testing of the soil gave a satisfactory result the Government would have no hesitation in recommending Parliament to build an inexpensive line. Unless the land was really good the traffic which would come to the railway would not be sufficient to support it.

Mr. McDonald Will you plant some experimental plots? 

The Commissioner of Crown Lands Yea, indeed, I have already ordered that that shall be done.

Mr. Ritchie Can you give any idea when the new jetty will be begun?

The Commissioner of Crown Lands No, I cannot at present.

The Proposed Kangaroo Island Railway.

SOME MAINLAND OPINIONS.

[1908]  Under the heading of ' Notes and Comments' the following appeared in the Chronicle of March 14 :— " The deputation from Kangaroo Island which recently awaited upon the Commissioner of Crown Lands, to voice the needs of that progressive district in the matter of a railway, did not meet with as gratifying a reception as they themselves and the project at issue deserved. They were given to understand that the matter would have to stand over until the agricultural value of the land had been proved. By what? By a series of practical experiments. This sounds solid common sense, but the prospective experiments are to be hampered with the prefix of departmental. In some instances such a handicap has an intolerable odour of procrastination about it. 

Why have no practical experiments been undertaken during the past two years by the Crown Lands office, if it still labors with doubt over the agricultural possibilities of the land ? 

Why have the surveyors been busily cutting up the hundreds of McGillivray and Seddon for agricultural purposes, if that doubt still exists? Is the evidence of men who have grown good crops in the past in several of the more dubious inland flats (such as the Sandy Flat, opposite Mrs Florence's station) to count for nothing? Is it possible that a Government which can go to much trouble and expense to spy out the possibilities of Darke's Peake, far inland on the West Coast, as an outlet for railway enterprise for developing unproved agricultural land, can be really filled with alarm at the prospect of creating proper means of communication on an island built by nature for the reception of a railway backbone?  Judging by the reply to the island deputation, it is. 

It is possible, also, that a Government that has railway designs upon a dry district like Loxton's Hut can put the claims of this place, too, ahead of Kangaroo Island ? Apparently it is. 

That roads have to be made, and that the cost of making them will be particularly heavy, should count strongly in favor of light railway construction. The prospect of waiting until the Government has proved the value of the soil appeals to nobody on the wrong side of forty. Deeds, however, speak more emphatically than words, and now that the islanders know what is expected of them, they must give the Department of Agriculture no peace until the tableland is honey-combed with experimental plots. If this work necessitates in increase of the staff in that department, so much the better. It stands in sad need of it. 

If a certain individual who, with the assistance of others, holds a direct interest in 13,000 acres of land at Pinnaroo, had a similar sort of stake in the island, possibly the cause of the island railway would be pleaded with eloquence." 

In a recent issue of the Advertiser ' Fair Play' writes :— ' To the Editor. Sir, — It was my good fortune to spend a very enjoyable time recently on Kangaroo Island. I covered a good deal of country, and inspected the blocks of land recently taken up in the hundred of McGillivray, also the land now in the surveyor's hands (hundred of Seddon), to be allotted early. Being light scrub covered country, it is not difficult to clear, and is generally desirable land, improving as you go south. Creeks, lagoons and small rivers are all wet with, and granted a reasonable time— a few years— a great return should be obtained. Fruit, oats and barley all do well at Mount Pleasant, Harriet River and Karatta, but the drawback is plainly the want of proper roads, or a light line of railway. Notwithstanding the Commissioner of Crown Lands' statement, carting cannot be done on the present track. Practical men know what it is like, and what can be done. I was, therefore, greatly surprised to read in your issue of the 17th inst., the remark of the Commissioner, who, I take it, has never been 'out back,' but attempts to damp the ardor of a number of splendid settlers who are entitled to some thing of a more substantial and encouraging character. Why continue to repurchase estates and disburse tens of thousand of pounds, when this country can be acquired by the Government for cost of survey. The proposition of the Commissioner to experiment with trial plots was not adopted in the case of Pinnaroo, and I learn the railway has made this district. Formerly it was well known to me, and was not to be compared with the land on the island, which is fortunately clear of all vermin — no dogs, no rabbits, hares, or foxes infest it, and it is blessed with a splendid rainfall. I would suggest to the islanders that they impress the members for the district with their earnestness and urge them to use their influence with the members of the Government who desire to help those who are battling to develop the island. Port Lincoln and Pinnaroo have been catered for; Angaston will be. If the islanders are united and put their shoulders to the wheel, they must succeed and obtain a line of railway, which will enable the mining, grazing and agricultural interests to flourish as they should do."

Sir,— I would like to endorse the remarks of Mainlander and W. W. Cook in directing attention to the unjust treatment of the settlers of K.I. by those in power in the S.A. Government. The long promised jetties are instances which afford an example of what we must expect if they are content to wait till the land has been tested to the satisfaction of the Commissioner. We want a railway to develop our resources. The railway is not the end we seek ; it is but a means to an end and that is the settlement of Kangaroo Island with a farming population. There is enough proof of the quality of the soil and enough men willing to back their belief with cash and hard work, and this only right and fair these men should be given the same chances as those of Pinharoo and Pt. Lincoln. I can conclude by saying with Mainlander ' Wake up ! Islanders.' The right is yours. Fight for it and perseverance will bring its just reward. - I am, etc. FAIR PLAY.

AN IMPORTANT PUBLIC MEETING.

The attention of our readers is directed to an advt. calling a public meeting to be held in the Kingscote Council Hall on Monday, April 13, at 10.30 a.m. for the purpose of discussing the Kangaroo Island Railway question. All interested in the welfare of the Island should make a point of attending this meeting.

The Proposed Kangaroo Island Railway.

Meeting in the Kingscote Council Hall.

AN INVITATION FOR A PARLIAMENTARY PARTY.

There was a thoroughly representative gathering of Island residents in the Council Hall, Kingscote, on Mon day last, in response to a notice by the Trades and Progress Association (in co-operation with the District Council) convening a meeting for the discussion of that important subject, the question of the proposed K.I. Railway. The chairman of the District Council (Cr Daw) presided. 

The chairman briefly outlined the objects of the meeting. The Government had seen fit to reclaim a large portion of Kangaroo Island land and, from what he could understand, more new hundreds were to be surveyed and thrown open for settlement. From his point of view it was simply a waste of public money to survey more country unless a railway through this country was decided upon. There were hundreds and hundreds of acres on this virgin land where, although heavy crops of wheat may not be grown the first year, there were heavy crops of yaccas, the gum from which by means of a train to run it through to the seaboard, would ' pan out' for the settler (with the price holding well) at a rate equal in value to 25 bushels per acre of wheat. (Hear, hear). There was not the least doubt that the railway was absolutely necessary for the proper development of Seddon and the other new hundreds that were to follow. The railway practically meant the life-blood of the Island. It was only fitting that, he should say that great credit was due to the Trades and Progress Association for the manner in which they had taken the matter up and he felt sure that the District Council would fall in line with the movement. It was, he felt, the duty of every individual on the Island to do his level best to advocate the con struction of the railway. (Hear, hear). 

Cr Burgess remarked that he was a member of the deputation which waited on the Acting Commissioner of Public Works during Show week. The reply they received was not what they, under the circumstances, had expected. The Commissioner, however, had only just returned from a long eight ride in the Melbourne express and, as he was particularly busy and had a number of deputations to receive, he probably did not give the important subject of the proposed K.I. Railway that consideration and attention which, under more favorable circumstances, he might have felt disposed to do. It was his belief that if the Commissioner's memory was refreshed and he was given a clear insight into the facts of the case he would, do doubt, give the subject of the railway more favorable consideration. The sooner there was a railway on the Island the better, as it was impossible to do anything with the back country without the aid of the iron horse. (Hear, hear). Apart from any other aspect of the question he felt convinced that many thousands of people would travel up and down the railway for the sake of viewing the magnificent scenery of the South Coast alone. It appeared to him that there was a very hazy idea prevalent in connection with the great resources of the Island and the sooner this idea was dispelled the better. Now that we had got steam up in connection with the proposed railway he hoped hat the fire would be kept going. (Hear, hear). 

Cr Carter voiced his opinion on the matter. If the Government had no intention of constructing the railway they might just as well stop surveying more land. There was any amount of yacca gum, timber, etc., to justify the introduction of the iron horse and to keep a train going until the grain was ready for shipment to the seaboard. The railway had been proved to be a success in the Pinnaroo district. It had made Pinnaroo and the construction of the proposed light line here would make the Island. (Hear, hear.)

Mr C. G. Palmer (secretary of the Kingscote branch of the Farmers' and Producers' Political Union) said that the members of the branch were unanimously of opinion that a light line of railway was absolutely necessary for the proper development of the Island. He had great faith in the capabilities of Kangaroo Island and hoped that one and all would put their shoulders to the wheel and do their best in their own way to make the railway an accomplished fact. 

Mr V. H. F. Cook (secretary of the Kingscote branch of the Agricultural Bureau) said that the question of the proposed railway was a matter he always had at heart. He had been on the Island for 14 years and thought he knew something of its great possi bilities. When he came here first and started cultivating a bit of land some of the old hands laughed at him and remarked ' Why, you don't ex pect to grow anything there.' How ever, he went his own way, and the first cauliflower he grew weighed 18lbs. (Applause.) With the aid of superphosphates Kangaroo Island could be made into a second Tasmania. Without a railway the people in the back country would not be able to get their manures on the land in the winter time owing to the bad state of the roads. As for wheat well, he had seen some grown by a Mr Lloyd on what had been termed 'useless limestone rubble country,' and he could assure those present that he had never seen grain of a better quality. On behalf of the Kingscote branch of the Agricultural Bureau he could safely say that it was the wish of the branch that the railway should be constructed. 

Mr A. von Wiadrowski, as a producer, stated that he had been about three years on Kangaroo Island. The general conditions on the Island were favorable to closer settlement, and to have closer settlement thoroughly and profitably carried out he considered that the construction of a light line of railway through the Island was necessary. Most of the land was well watered and there were many places where fruit and vegetables could be grown in profusion and reared to perfection. He was certainly in sympathy with the movement for the suggested railway. 

Mr W. H. Hamilton junr.. a well known Island farmer, considered that the railway was absolutely necessary. The Victorian Government was considering the advisability of constructing a line into the dense mallee lands — in fact, of throwing out the line before the people were there, thus emulating the example of those progressive people the Americans, for where the line went the people would follow. Here, of course, the people were simply asking for a railway to develop the now hundreds which were being thrown open. As they all knew there was yacca gum in abundance in the back lands and there would be an enormous quantity exported if the line went through and, in the sending of this to the seaboard there would be plenty of traffic over the rails while, at the same time, the new settlers would be getting ' grist to the mill' until such time as they started to load bags of grain on the trucks. Since his return from the trip to Adelaide when he, with others, waited on the Commissioner with reference to the railway he had been out through the back country and had seen a large quantity of land there equal if not superior to that which the Government had reclaimed from the Murray flats at enormous cost. (Hear, hear and applause.) 

Mr K. Nash, another Island farmer, considered that a railway was necessary for the development of the Island country. 

Mr R. L. Barrett (President of the Trades and Progress Association) stated that it was fully recognised by the Association as a body that it was time the construction of the railway project assumed some definite shape. The Commissioner had waved the question aside for the time being, but the necessity for the railway was so obvious that it could not be lost sight of for any great length of time. The construction of a railway for the Pinnaroo district had been fully justified by subsequent developments and why should not Kangaroo Island show the same good results in the event of a railway being constructed here ? The Pinnaroo line had started with two trains per week and now there were six trains running weekly. An instance of how that part of the world had developed was shown at Lameroo where the proprietor of the one hotel there had recently gone out of business and leased it for £5 per week. A settler of his (the speaker's) acquaintance at Stokes Bay, K.I., had a brother at Pinnaroo whoso crops had not been nearly as good as the crops at Stokes Bay grown by the settler in question. Yet now that the railway had been constructed for that district the brother was quite satisfied. He did not wish to draw any invidious distinctions between the Kangaroo Island land and that at Pinnaroo. He was simply (with others) anxious for fair play all round. The speaker then read a letter from the members for the district (Messrs Blacker, Ritchie, McDonald and Heggaton) expressing their regret at not being able to attend the meeting owing to other engagements ; they were, however, in full sympathy with the movement and trusted that there would be a good meeting and that full particulars of same might be for warded on to them. Continuing, Mr Barrett remarked that the Association of which he was President had not been formed for the purpose of sending the Island back, therefore that body intended straining every effort for the railway. To secure the much desired iron horse they must all pull together. (Hear, hear.) 

Mr J. Davidge, as a business man of the town, fell into line with the remarks of previous speakers. They must have the railway and it was only by persistent effort that they could hope to get it. The Island was a wonderfully resourceful place — rich in minerals and general productive capabilities. When he had visited the Koh-i-noor Mine he could not help thinking of the excellent land going to waste in its vicinity — land which would grow peaches, apples &c. of prime quality. The Island abounded in gullies of rich, black loamy soil and river flats equal to anything, and it seemed a shame that they were not profitably utilised. To develop such places there must be a railway or good roads, and there was every reason to believe that the railway would be the cheapest in the long run. The possibilities of a railway running along the Cygnet River flat alone were great. If a settler were offered 2,000 acres or so in the back country he would not care to lake it on unless he had a means of transporting his grain cheaply to the sea board — and the seaboard meant Kingscote, so many miles away. The railway would be a benefit all round and this benefit would be felt by the District Council as well as other bodies. Mr Davidge concluded by urging on all present the necessity of persistent agitation. 

Mr F. C. Addison remarked that all present appeared to be in accord as to the necessity for a railway but no suggestion bad been made as to where the railway should terminate. In his opinion the line should terminate in good country. Now there was a fine tract of good land at Rocky River, and if that was resumed there would be a large settlement in that part of the Island. It seemed to him that the members of the Government had satisfied themselves that the land was worthy of settlement. They had virtually admitted that by cutting the land up and throwing it open to settlers. Having done this they must also admit that the construction of a railway was a necessity to the settlers who would develop that land ; this was self evident to those who looked into the matter. He would say to the Government 'Give us a light line of railway through the new hundreds, a line which will terminate in good country such as that at Rocky River where a large settlement would most assuredly take place.' This request being granted, success would be a certainty. (Hear, hear). 

Mr A. K. Campbell, as a member of a Kingscote business firm, agreed with the previous speakers as to the urgent necessity for the railway. The line had been heartily advocated but as yet, nothing definite had resulted and they were 'as they were.' As a previous speaker had remarked the railway had made Pinnaroo and it was only ordinary fair play that Kangaroo Island should receive the same attention as Pinnaroo. As they all knew there was nothing more convincing than figures. He would move that an executive committee consisting of the Chairman of the District Council (Cr Daw), the Chairman of the Trades and Progress Association (Mr E. L. Barrett), the secretary of the Kingscote Branch of the Agricultural Bureau (Mr V. H. F. Cook) and the Secretary of the Trades and Progress Association (Mr M. Smith), be appointed to obtain the live stock and agricultural statistics of the Island for presentation to the Government through the members for the district. Seconded by Cr Carter and carried. 

Mr H. E. Partridge, in speaking on the subject of the railway, remarked that in the construction of some of the railways which were used in the development of scrub country the procedure had been to utilise the first payments for the land taken up in wiping off the interest for the railway. This might be done in the case of the proposed K.I. railway and, if urged in the present case, might be another step towards getting the railway. 

Mr C. J. May (a veteran Islander who knows the back country to be served by the railway as probably few others do) considered that the Government having surveyed the land and having the intention of still further surveying it and throwing it open for settlement should complete the work they had undertaken by constructing a light line of railway which would serve that country. There was a lot of land at the back which, if properly worked would yield good returns, but there was no means of getting to it. He thought no time should be lost in bringing the matter to a head. If the Government did not intend to construct the railway then it would be as well to stop surveying right away as further survey work would only mean useless expenditure of public money. (Hear, hear). A voice: What about Rocky River ? Mr May : Rocky River can speak for itself . (Applause) . 

Mr V. H. F. Cook moved ' That a member for the district be asked to move directly Parliament opens ' That in the opinion of this House a light line of railway for Kangaroo Island is deemed necessary to open up the country.' This course, Mr Cook continued, had successfully followed in the case of the Hog Bay jetty. Seconded by Mr Campbell and carried. 

Mr E. L. Barrett moved 'That this representative gathering of residents of Kangaroo Island request that the Government, having opened up new hundreds should, in the interests of Kangaroo Island, construct a railway through such portion of the said Island as they may deem advisable at as early a date as possible.' Seconded by Mr Palmer and carried. 

It was then decided that the Parliamentary party which is leaving for the West Coast in a few weeks to inspect the country there be invited to pay a visit to Kangaroo Island on their way either to or from the West Coast and that they be driven over the country which the railway would serve in conveyances to be supplied at the expense of the residents. For the purpose of ''striking the iron while hot" Mr F. C. Addison "set the ball rolling" and, his example being quickly followed, in a short space of time £15 10/ was promised towards hire of vehicles for the expected visitors, and there is no doubt that that sum will be considerably augmented. In answer to a question Mr George Turner was informed that the railway and jetty questions practically hinged on one another. 

A most enthusiastic meeting terminated with a vote of thanks to the chairman.

[1908] Mr. BLACKER moved "That it is desirable to construct a line of railway of 3 ft. 6 in. gauge through the centre of Kangaroo Island." The fringe of the island was splendid, but the farmers in the central districts could not get on without a railway to carry their produce to market. It was better to build light railways than to make roads. (Hear, hear.) The last Parliamentary trip was so framed that it was impossible to see the country, while Professor Angus was only absent for three days when he chose the position of the experimental plots, so that she could not have seen much. There were a large number of settlers in the hundred of MacGillivray and there was plenty of room there for many more. In spite of the many difficulties of transport for produce there were over 2,000 acres under crop and over 10,000 acres under fallow in the island. While the State had such land as that at Loxton, on the Peninsula, and at Kangaroo Island the Government had no right to repurchase land at high prices for the purposes of closer settlement. (Hear hear.) The people would not take up land without a railway. That was the experience at Pinnaroo and he hoped the railway on Kangaroo Island would be constructed before long. (Hear, hear.) On the motion of Mr. Peake, the debate was adjourned till Wednesday, October 21.

KANGAROO ISLAND.  DEVELOPMENT.

[1909]  Among the questions which engaged the attention of the House of Assembly last year was the proposal to facilitate the development of Kangaroo Island by means of a light railway line running through the centre of the island. The wish of the Government was stated to be to ascertain, by means of experimental farming blocks the productive capacity of the land. It was decided to refer the whole question to a Royal Commission, which was appointed on January 13, of the following members of both Houses:— The Hons. A. H. Peake (chairman), J. H. Howe, and A. R. Addi-son, Messrs. H. Jackson, D. James, F. J. T. Pflaum and J. Verran. The following progress report was forwarded to his Excellency the Governor on Tuesday: — 

'We have held 19 meetings, and have examined 41 witnesses. We have also visited Kangaroo Island, and inspected the country which the proposed railway is in tended to serve. The evidence taken on the island was almost entirely in favor of the construction of the railway; but as we had some doubt about the fertility of the ironstone country, which comprises the greater part of the island, and were not satisfied that this land had been thoroughly tested by the few farmers who gave evidence as to its productiveness, we suggested to the Government that a series of experiments on the ironstone country be carried out by the Department of Agriculture, and that in the meantime no fresh land on the island be surveyed. The suggested experiments are being carried out this year, and as soon as the results are known we will be in a position to form an opinion as to whether the land is worth opening up by a railway or not. 'In conjunction with the members of the Eyre Peninsula and Murray Lands Railways Commission, we have obtained some useful information in Queensland and Victoria respecting narrow-gauge and light railways which will be of value when the Commission is in a position to consider its final, report. We hope to present this to your Excellency, together with the minutes of evidence, early next year.'

Chronicle (Adelaide, SA : 1895 - 1954), Saturday 24 July 1909, page 45

[1909] DEVELOPING KANGAROO ISLAND.

The report of the commission appointed to deal with the demands for new railways says that the line on Kangaroo Island ought not to be constructed until the results of the agricultural experimental plots there were known. The members for Alexandra are naturally anxious, in view of this decision, that every care shall be taken by the Agricultural Department to see that these experimental plots are conducted on sound and careful lines. Replying to Messrs. Ritchie and Blacker in the Assembly, the Commissioner of Crown Lands stated that an officer who had just inspected the plots had given a favourable report. Mr. Blacker asked if the Government did not think it could be cheaper and more satisfactory to establish an experimental farm of 500 or 600 acres to test the lands of Kangaroo Island rather than making a test of small blocks. The Minister said that the experiments were being carried out satisfactorily.

KANGAROO ISLAND COMMISSION.

A meeting of the Kangaroo Island Railway Commission was held at Parliament House On Tuesday morning, when the Hon. A. H. Peake presided. Professor Angus, who had been engaged by the Commission to report on the dif ference between the soils of Kangaroo Island and of Victoria, stated that the samples of the soils he had secured had been analysed, with the result that the Victorian soils compared more than favor ably with those of Kangaroo Island. The Kangaroo Island average soil was consider ably inferior to those soils examined at Stawell, Victoria, which possessed more than double the amount of phos-phoric acid and nearly double the amount of potash and nitrogen. The Chairman — Dr. Cherry (the Victorian Director of Agriculture), when asked what time he thought would be necessary for the experimental plots to be worked before arriving at a definite conclusion, expressed the opinion that they would have to be continued for about six years. What is your oninion?

Professor Angus — It would he necessary to continue the experiments for several years before any conclusive results could be obtained. The Chairman— In your opinion are those blocks suitable for experimental purposes, or should a farm be established?— In many ways a farm would be desirable. Continuing, Professor Angus stated that grazing and depasturing could not be en-gaged in on a plot to the extent that it could be on a farm. He was of the opinion that there was room for more exhaustive experimental work. The cost of the work carried on last year was £351. In the northern and southern portions of Kangaroo Island there was considerable ac-tivity, but in the central areas very little was being done. The country could only be made fair grazing land by clearing and stocking it. If a farm was established on the island a period of 14 years would be quite sufficient to test the capacity of the country for grazing. From 200 to 300 acres would be sufficient for effective ex-perimental work. He could not without deliberation give an idea of the probable annual upkeep of the farm, but would pre pare an estimate. Mr. W. Gill, the Conservator of Forests, who has been engaged in the cultivation of timber for 25 years, stated he had been about 200 and 300 miles on Kangaroo Island and had not been favorably impressed with the capacity of the soil for growing timber, as it was of an inferior character. He thought it would be more suitable for the cultiva-tion of gums than pines. His observations extended to the limestone country also. The latter was similar to that with which they had to deal at Port Lincoln. It was tough, in the summer and water-logged in the winter. The lack of shipping facilities, due to the swell from the Southern Ocean, made it inadvisable to endeavor to engage in timber cultivation there when there was plenty of land available on the mainland. Pines would grow in an inferior soil, but not where there was a lack of drainage facilities. The beautiful scenery of the island would, no doubt, attract many tourists if it was more widely known, and better facilities were provided for reaching the island. His opinion would not be changed by another visit to those parts of the island he had already inspected, but further results might be obtained by a more extensive tour. The Commission adjourned sine die.

[1911] KANGAROO ISLAND RAILWAY.

The Royal Commissioners appointed to enquire into the case for a railway through Kangaroo Island have presented their report to the Governor. It concludes:— 

"Having carefully considered the evidence, we are of opinion— (1) That, although Kangaroo Island has many valuable qualities and attractions as a health and summer resort, it cannot be highly rated as a field for agricultural settlement, except in isolated places, and in the Hundred of Dudley; (2) that there are large areas of land available for settlement on the mainland, where effort and work would meet with much better reward than on the island. For these reasons we do not see our way to recommend that a railway be constructed at the present time. We would suggest, however, (1) That the experiments of the Department of Agriculture be continued for the purpose of thoroughly testing the ironstone country; (2) that arrangements be made for experiments in forestry.''

Improved Transport Facilities for the New Hundreds.

[1912]  Under the heading of " Kangaroo Island Railway" the report of the deputation which recently waited on the Commissioner of Crown Lands and requested better transport facilities, appeared in the Adelaide dailies, which is a misleading description of the request. Recognising, as we have been perhaps unwillingly compelled to do, that the prospect of a full-blown railway on Kangaroo Island, in the near future was scarcely a remote possibility, our demand has been substantially modified, and is now simply a request for better transit facilities in the cheapest known form, viz. tramline or mono-rail. Also recognising that the much debated ironstone country has not yet been thoroughly demonstrated as suitable for agriculture, the route now suggested for a line runs through the best country in the Hundreds of MacGillivray and Seddon, about which there is no doubt as to its suitability for the production of cereals, and some of it, viz. Messrs Wheaton and Co's farm is, on past production, the best wheat-growing land in the district, and there are thousands of acres on other holdings, which should, with like cultivation, produce equal results as have been obtained on that property. 

The proposition to construct a tram line or mono-railway through the Hds. of MacGillivray and Seddon, from Kingscote to Vivonne Bay, is of entirely different color to the original scheme of a narrow gauge line along the backbone of the Island, as all the established farms in those hundreds would be almost as distant from that route as they are at present from the seaboard either on the North or South Coasts, which would mean that their owners would not benefit by the construction of the line, and it would not have the guarantee of their patronage. The alteration of the route and the great re duction in the initial cost, changes the financial aspect of the case from that of problematical to assured success. 

A mono-railway running closely past, White Lagoon, Messrs Williams, Nicholls, W. G. Burgess and the K.I. Oil Co's holdings, Pulcara Farm, Badlands, Hawks Nest, Lake Ada, Kaiwarra, Vivonne Park, and the Harriet River, would be assured of all the traffic which results from the transport of the products of those places, and the supply of their farming requisites, and would prove an inestimable boon to the present settlers and enable them to develop their holdings to an extent which is now an impossibility. The reduction in the cost of carriage of goods and also passengers would be reflected in every department of farming, even in the price of wages, and at the same time facilitating the engagement of labour, not one of the least difficulties with which the out-back farmer has to contend. 

Given the means of transporting its produce to the sea port at a cost approximating that of railway carriage over a similar distance in other parts of the State, there can be no possible doubt that large areas of land in the newly surveyed hundreds now undeveloped would be brought under cultivation, and return good livings to its settlers. The idea that a railway would prove a profitable concern, has been scouted by even some of the Island residents, but it is more than possible that they have been allowing wrong impressions of the whole proposal to affect their judgement. The construction of a railway on the same scale that is most familiar to us, viz. the up-to-date passenger line, conveys an idea of expensive outlay totally out of all proportion to the cost of a scheme which we now are urging. Whether this project would pay should the proposal become an accomplished fact is dependent on two main points which are, (1) The cost of construction and (2) Carriage of sufficient quantity of goods over the line to provide interest and working expenses on the cost. The latter is almost wholly dependent on the former, so we may consider the cost as the principal item for consideration. A mono railway can be laid for an absurdly small amount, and on figures quoted by well-known makers £400 at 4 per cent. would pay the annual interest on the cost of a line from Kingscote to Vivonne Bay. This would only represent the carriage of 800 tons at 10/ per ton, and if any person would maintain that, given the facility of getting their goods transported for the modest sum of 10/ per ton, the present settlers themselves would not be able to pay the interest on the undertaking, he would court ridicule.