alta. This
road was built by a private company, but was soon after its completion
purchased by the colonial government, and was in 1869 extended to
Goulbourn. In 1875 the colony had only 436 miles of road in operation.
The mountains, however, which separated the wide plains of the interior
from the coast had been surmounted, and the government commenced to push
the construction of new roads with great vigor. At the end of the year
1886 New South Wales had no less than 1,888 miles of road in operation,
for which the colony had expended $113,000,000. The net revenue during
that year was 2.9 per cent. on the capital invested. The total number of
miles of railroad in this colony was 2,247 in 1889.

Victoria, the smallest of the colonies, has made by far the greatest
progress in railroad building. The first road in the colony, and, in
fact, the first road upon the Australian continent, was built in 1854
between the city of Melbourne and its port, a distance of two and
one-half miles. Within the next five years four other lines were
constructed, connecting Melbourne with Williamstown, St. Kilda,
Brighton and Echuca, respectively. In 1870 there were in the colony 275
miles of railroad, which had increased to 1,198 miles in 1880, and to
2,283 miles in 1889. Several of the roads were originally owned by
private companies, but all of them were in time acquired by the colonial
government, the last one in 1878. The total capital invested in 1887 was
$125,000,000, which yielded a net revenue of $5,800,000. All lines are
under the control of a board so constituted as to be entirely removed
from political influence.

In South Australia a short line was built in 1856 from the city of
Adelaide to Port Adelaide. Another line was constructed in 1857 from
Adelaide to Salisbury, which three years later was extended to Kapunda.
The colony had then forty miles of road. The increase during the next
decade was only ninety-three miles. Since then the development has been
much more rapid, the whole system of railroads comprising 1,752 miles in
1889. All the roads save a few suburban lines are owned and operated by
the colony. Their total cost is not far from $60,000,000, and their net
annual revenue is about two and one-half per cent. of the capital
invested.

The colony of Queensland has only a system of narrow-gauge roads, with
the construction of which it commenced in 1865. Up to September, 1887,
the colonial government had constructed 1,64