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The Pamphlet Collection of Sir Robert Stout: Volume 69

Wealth of the Colony

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Wealth of the Colony.

The Property Tax Department supplied the following information concerning the assets and liabilities of the colony, made up to 31st March, 1886, the last census period:—

ASSETS. £ Real property .. .. .. .. 116,376,659 Personal property .. .. .. .. 82,540,315 Railways .. .. .. £13,453,363 Telegraphs .. .. .. 523,727 Lighthouses .. .. .. 150,895 Buildings .. .. .. 2,250,000 Harbours .. .. .. 2,500,000 Water Supply, Goldfields .. 500,000 19,377,059 Total .. .. .. .. ..£218,294,955 LIABILITIES. Debt of the colony, deducting sinking fund £31,688,349 Debts of local bodies .. 5,616,273 Mortgages .. .. .. 31,821,109 Indebtedness exclusive of mortgages .. 20,365,593 89,491,324 Surplus .. .. .. .. .. £128,803,635 European population, March, 1886, 578,482; surplus per head, £223. The real property was thus made up:— Crown Lands .. .. .. .. .. 13,675,516 Native lands within five miles of a road, suitable for horse traffic .. 5,847,105 Education, Church, Municipal and other reserves .. .. .. 7,252,273 Taxable real estate .. .. .. 47,277,142 Non taxable real estate .. .. .. 42,324,623 Total .. .. .. .. .. £116,376,659

It must be borne in mind that in this estimate of the wealth of the colony the unalienated lands, (after deducting 9,000,000 acres which are held to be worthless, as being "barren mountain tops, lakes, and worthless country"), are only computed as being worth some 10s an acre, whereas in New South Wales the unalienated Crown lands are computed as being worth 13s 3d in the estimate of the public wealth in "The Wealth and Progress of New South Wales," published under the Government auspices, and compiled by the Government Statistician.

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