The Cyclopedia of Western Australia.

 THE   GEOGRAPHY   Of   WESTERN   AUSTRALIA.  

 T}  

 (now   the   State)   of   Western   Australia  

 was   defined   in   the   instructions   issued   by  

 William   TV.   to   Captain   Stirling   as   “extend  

 ing   from   Cape   Londonderry   in   latitude   13°  

 44   south   to   West   Cape   Howe   in   latitude  

 35°   S'   south,   and   from   Hartog   Island,   on   the  

 western   coast,   in   longitude   112°   52'   to   129°   of   east  

 longitude,   reckoning   from   the   meridian   of   Greenwich,  

 including   all   the   islands   adjacent   in   the   Indian   and  

 Southern   Oceans   within   the   latitudes   aforesaid   of  

 13°   44'   south   and   35°   8'   south,   and   within   the   longi  

 tudes   aforesaid   of   112°   52'   and   129°   east   from   the   said  

 meridian   of   Greenwich.”  

 This   was   altered   in   some   slight   measure   bv   the  

 Commission   of   Her   Late   Majesty   Queen   Victoria,   dated  

 July   10,   1873,   which   extended   the   northern   boundary  

 from   13°   44'   southern   latitude   to   13°   30'   southern  

 latitude.   Briefly,   therefore,   Western   Australia   con  

 sists   of   all   that   part   of   Australia,   with   adjacent  

 islands,   tying   west   of   129°   east   longitude,   and   is  

 bounded   on   the   west   and   north   by   the   Indian   Ocean  

 %/  

 and   on   the   south   by   the   Great   Southern   Ocean.  

 Though   the   official   designation   from   the   date   of  

 colonization   has   been   “Western   Australia,”   the   fact  

 that   the   first   settlement   (excluding   the   penal   station   at  

 King   George   Sound)   and,   of   course,   the   seat   of   gov  

 ernment   were   in   the   neighbourhood   of   the   Swan   caused  

 the   new   colony   to   be   identified   with   the   name   of   that  

 river,   and   it   was   for   some   years   known,   colloquially   at  

 any   rate,   as   the   Swan   River   colony   or   the   Swan   River  

 J   *  

 settlement.  

 The   coastline   seems   to   fall   into   two   divisions,   run  

 ning   north   and   south   of   the   18th   parallel   of   latitude.  

 As   we   go   northward   from   that   point   we   find   that   it   is  

 deeply   indented   by   gulfs,   bays,   and   smaller   inlets,   while  

 a   glance   at   the   map   will   show   the   portion   to   the   south  

 stretching   out   in   long   lines,   almost   unbroken   by   in  

 dentations   of   any   kind.   The   general   appearance,   too,  

 of   the   coast   seems   to   change   at   about   the   same   parallel,  

 and   while   we   go   north   we   see   rugged   and   almost   moun  

 tainous   bluffs;   to   the   south   our   eyes   meet   as   a   rule,  

 B  

 except   along   the   south-west   round   the   Leeuwin,   long  

 low-lying   stretches   of   sandy   shore   raised   but   little   above  

 sea-level.   The   total   length   of   coastline,   taking   into  

 calculation   the   numerous   bays   and   inlets   mentioned,   is  

 approximately   5,200   miles.  

 The   greatest   length   of   the   territory   is   that   mea  

 sured   from   Cape   Londonderry   to   Peak   Head,   amount  

 ing   to   1,480   miles,   while   at   its   broadest   part,   from  

 Dirk   Hartog   Island   to   the   boundary   of   South   Aus  

 tralia,   it   stretches   for   about   1,000   miles.   The   area   of  

 the   whole   State   is   set   down   as   975,920   square   miles,   or  

 624,588,800   acres.  

 Until   a   few   years   ago   the   only   part   of   the   State  

 that   could   be   termed   occupied   consisted   of   a   narrow  

 strip   of   about   150   miles   in   width   stretching   from   Albany  

 to   Wyndharn,   and   the   greater   part   of   that   could   boast  

 only   of   isolated   townships   here   and   there   along   the  

 coast.   The   large   expansion   following   upon   the   dis  

 covery   of   gold   has,   however,   made   a   great   difference  

 during   the   past   decade   or   two,   and   now   there   are  

 settled   communities,   so   far   as   any   mining   community  

 may   be   called   settled,   some   400   or   500   miles   inland.  

 The   general   contour   of   the   territory   north   of   the  

 19th   parallel   of   latitude   is   of   a   mountainous   character,  

 consisting   of   alternating   high   and   low   plateaux,   prin  

 cipally   sandstone   in   formation,   changing,   as   we   go   far  

 ther   north   into   the   Kimberley   and   Gascoyne   country,  

 to   a   series   of   rugged   mountains   which   are   to   a   large  

 extent   granitic   in   character.  

 South   of   that   parallel   the   structure   is   practically  

 a   vast   plateau   of   Archaean   rocks,   giving   evidence   that  

 this   part   of   the   State   must   have   been   submerged  

 to  

 until   the   most   recent   geological   epoch.   With   a   fairly  

 steep   western   face,   coming   in   places   to   within   20   or  

 30   miles   of   the   coast,   this   plateau   continues   eastward  

 across   the   South   Australian   border   at   a   height   varying  

 from   1,000   to   2,000   ft.   above   sea-level.   Its   most  

 southerly   point   is   right   on   the   coast   at   Point   d’Entre  

 casteaux,   from   which   it   sweeps   inward,   being   separated  

 from   the   sea   along   the   southern   shore   by   a   belt   of   low  

 iyi   ng   sandy   country,   and   by   the   limestone   Nullabor