Centenary of Western Australia by Hon. J.W. Kirwan, M.L.C. CENTENARY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA LETTERS TO "THE TIMES" 11 APRIL 1929 AND ARTICLES WRITTEN BY THE HON. J.W. KIRWAN M.L.C. AND PUBLISHED IN "UNITED EMPIRE" AND "OVERSEAS" ON THE CENTENARY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA IN JUNE 1929 \VESTERN A·USTRALIA. A HUNDRED YEARS OF GR01VTH. ATTRACTIONS FOR VISITORS. TO THE EDITOR OF THE THiES. Sir,-Practically no notice has been taken!l outside of Western Australia of the centenary of its settlement and foundation as a Colony. A hundred years ago practically no notice also was taken of the sailing from Spithead on February 6 of a vessel named the Parmelia, of 449 tons register, with a batch of settlers for what was then generally known as New Holland. Yet that was the modest beginning of what is now the progressive and prosperous state of Western Australia, a state that covers one-third of the Australian continent and a vast territory that before the arrival of the Parrnelia did not contain a single white inhabitant. Both events separated by 100 years indicate the unos­ tent.at.ious growth of Britain's Colonial Empire. It should be remembered that "Vestern Aus­ tralia's colonization was quite distinct from that of the rest of Aust.ralia. Before the com- ' pletion of the Trans-Australian railway in 1916, Western Australia was separated by more than \ 1,000 miles of territory that had been traversed by only a few daring explorers. It was as isolated from the other Australian Colonies as if it were an island. In fact" it was in its isolation in much the'same relative position to them as New Zealand. The Parmelia reached her destination on June 1. The settlers landed on Garden Island, Iand it was not until about a fortnight later that : they transferred to the mainland and laid the i foundations of Frernantle and Perth. They were but a handful of free, brave men who were determined to make homes for themselves and their families in the land of their choice. They had a long and severe struggle, especially during the first 20 years, At times they almost gave up hope and there was talk of abandoning the 'settlement., ' To-day 'Western Australia has a population of over 400,000, some 98-per cent. of whom are British. There are. few parts of the world, if any, that per inhabitant produce as much wealth in the form of wheat, wool, gold, timber, fruit, and other primary products. The ulti­ mate triumph of the settlers, far removed as they were from outside aid, is an achievement of which their race may well be proud. In Western Australia a programme of local centenary celebrations has been arranged. It extends over the whole of this year. Australian sports championships of various h-inds will be contested in the state, and there will be many official and other social functions. There will be pageants representing historic events, in­ cluding Vlaming's landing on Cottesloe beach in 1697, and his discovery of the Swan River, the visit of the French ships Geographeand Naturaliste in 1801, the annexation by the British in 1829. and Captain Frernantle hoisting ! the flag at Fremantle and the foundation of Perth. Unfortunately a great many persons visiting ! Australia only call at Fremantle on their way , to the eastern states. At. any time there is much of considerable interest to be Eleen in , Western Austrulia, but this year a. visit should prove exceptionally interesting; In addition to centenary commemorations. they will see. a part of the Empire with inexhaustible resources, a temperate climate, and magnificent, scenery, and capable of supporting in affluence a popula­ tion vastly greater than that of the British Isles.' Yours faithfully, JOHN W. KIRWAN, President of the Legislative Council of Western Australia. Empire Pnrtia.rrr-ntnrv Roorns, Westminster Hall, Parliament Houses. 'Western Australia has the particular claim Western Australia. on the regard of Great Britain that no State has surpassed it in the steady welcome it has given MR. JOHN KIRWAN'S letter calls attention to­ to British immigrants. The spirit of eager ~3 day to th'e fact that tills year is being kept experiment which has been so strongly marked the hundredth birthday of Western Australia, in Western Australian history has been par- whose Governor, SIR VVILLLAj\I CAJ.'ll'ION, leaves I ticularly active in reoent years in devising these shores to-day. The centenary cele­ means by which a vast territory may become brations are going on throughout the increasingly productive. A generation ago there year, They began in January with a were many Western Australians who turned to gath~r. skifi race, an all-Australian Boy Soout wheat and wool and timber because it rio longer ina and the Australasian Chess Championship, paid them to look for gold. But to-day these and they include every kind of sport, oompeti­ , great farming industries have, established them­ tion," and pageant, culminating in the Royal selves as the best and most inexhaustible gold , Showan.I 'Western Australian Industries Exhibi­ mine of the State. Last year eclipsed al! records tion in October, There is something appropri­ alike in trade and in the harvest. The sheep ate in this wide range of activities and in the increased by nearly 1,000,000 head in 1928 ; the long period they will cover, Noone date ~an, be .duirying industry is growing very rapidly. fixed beyond controversy for the real begwnmg Immense deposits await the infant coal of the Colony, and, when the first colonists had industry. Western Australia is thus justified in finally established themselves, the succeeding entering upon its second century in a spirit of years brought an extreme variety of experiences, optimism. That optimism, which is vigorous as MR. KrnWAN himself has related afresh and ar-ticulate, is the more infectious because ~t in the ourrent issue of the Nineteenth is tempered by experience. In the great busi­ Century. The most important event was the ness of bringing in' new settlers no State has discovery of "gold, and it is to gold more pursued a steadier policy, shared alike by both than to anything else that the Colony owes its political parties, of State management for present population of 400,000. Forty years ago, immigration. The State Governments through­ at the time when responsible government was out Australia tend, at least in times of Labour granted,therewere fewer than 50,000 inhabitants administrations, to be lukewarm towards in 3 State which is in area one-third of the schemes of immigration as attempts to force [I whole Australian continent. The gold industry pace which will depress the standard of life. fell on less prosperous days soon after the turn Yet Western Australia, which suffers like the rest of the century, but it had by then brought into of the oountry from having too high a propor­ the Colony a large number of active and . tion of its citizens in one town, has gone to pioneering colonists. Great numbers of them I, great expense in the last few years in its bold came from the other States of Australia, and ~ attempt to find a new method of settlement it was their presence that determined Western Lwhich would enable whole families to be settled Australia in ,favour_of entering the Common­ i near together on virgin land. The Group wealth in 1900. At that time no trans­ Settlement Scheme has, been found In Australian railway ran between Perth and 'ten years to be too expensive for the Adelaide, and it needed great faith in the future resources of the State, but the experience, for Western Australia to enter into a permanent' though costly, is still an asset of great value. partnership with States several days' sailing If the last ten years have not yielded the results away, knowing that it oould never hope to be hoped for there isplenty to put to the credit side anything but a minority. There has been a of the ledger. Access to the lands of the South­ certain amount of dissatisfaction sinoe then, W~st has been opened up. under tl:m. impetus of and a natural feeling .that the primary a large St~te soheme, -a~dth;;~nderfulinitia-\ producers of Western Australia have been tive of the Kingsley Fairbridge Farm Sohools heavily taxed through the tariff for the has shown how English ohildren, drawn from ~ benefit of the eastern towns. N evert.he­ the poorest quarters of our great cities, may be less. the. conviction was general that on the oonverted betimes into healthy young Aus­ w hole the Colony did right to make sacrifices tralians" Organized settlement under' modern . for. the sake of a United- Australia and the conditions is a new branch of statesmanship, advantages of a central government. A large which can only proceed by 'experiment, and part 'of the centenary programme is appropri- Western Australia is in the vanguard of this d ,a..teoI.7l ,...•.evo.te.d. to .aU-Austraiian., contests and to pew learning. A hundred years ago Hrs annual' fixtures of Australian bodies which are MAJESTY'S Government, while anxious for to he held this year'inPerth as a oompliment tJ colonization, was adamant in refusing financial I. the Western State in its centenary year. , . ~ help. Not the least of the many contrasts a centenary year suggests is that between the old d~tached attitude of Government. towards the ·1 pioneer settler and the many offers of help .' which it holds out to him to-day. Extract from «)IJ~ ~itt~t~ LONDON Date.