New south wales

New Sooth Wales (N.S.W.) is the oldest state in S.E. Australia. Its area is 309,433 sq. miles with population about 6 million, 56,000 aborigines. More population lives in NSW than in another state. The capital of NSW is Sydney. Captain Cook discovered the area in 1770. In 1788 Captain Phillip landed with a group of convicts and soldiers. They founded the first white settlement in Australia.

A narrow coastal plain borders the Great Dividing Range. The highest peak is Mount Kosciusko, 2,228-m. Vast central plains stretch to the Murray River basin. The Blue Mountains are covered with forests of blue-coloured eucalyptus trees. The air above the forest contains millions of microscopic drops of eucalyptus oil. NSW has a mild climate, +10°C in July and +34°C in January. NSW is an agricultural region of sheep, beef and dairy cattle, wheat and other cereals, potatoes, timber, citrus fruit, bananas. NSW has rich resources of coal, silver, lead, zinc, some titanium, sulphur, copper, gold and hydroelectric power. The main industries of NSW are agricultural processing, metal refining and products, iron and steel, chemicals, clothing, paper and printing.

Queensland

Queensland is a state comprising the north-eastern part of Australia. Its area is 66,700 sq. miles with-population over 1,600,000. It is the second largest state in Australia. The capital is Brisbane. Gold Coast is the second largest city. James Cook explored this land in 1770 and called it New South Wales. The first settlement (1824) was a prison. In 1859 it became a separate colony.

The Great Dividing Range separates the wet coastal plain from the Great Australian Basin in the south. The highest peak is Mount Battle Frere (1,611 ml.). The northern half is tropical. The Great Barrier Reef on the coast of Queensland is a garden under the sea. There are 1,400 kinds of fish and 300 kinds of coral.

Temperature in July is +18°C and +32°C in January. Tropical fruit and flowers grow on the beautiful islands. Many holidaymakers come to Queensland every year.

It is an agricultural region of sugarcane, wheat, maize, sorghum, vegetables, fruits, dairy and meat cattle, sheep and pig farming. The state raises a third of Australia's cattle.

Queensland has rich resources of timber, coal, copper, uranium, gild, silver, lead, zinc and oil. The main industries of Queensland are agricultural processing, timber mills, engineering, copper refining, rubber and clothing. Primary education is free and compulsory.

Victoria

Victoria is state at the southeast tip of Australia. Its area is 87,884 sq. miles with population over 4 million. The capital of Victoria is Melbourne. Victoria is the smallest and chiefly farming region. The coast was discovered in 1797. It became a separate colony in 1851. After the Gold Rush many miners became farmers. The state was named after Queen Victoria.

The Great Dividing Range occupies the east and centre. The northwest is semiarid. Victoria is an agricultural region of wheat, oats, barley, hay, potatoes, fruit and vines, sheep and cattle farming and dairying. Victoria has rich resources of timber, lignite, antimony, silver, tin, and hydroelectric power. The main industries include food processing, agricultural machinery, textiles, chemicals, iron and steel.

University of Melbourne opened in 1855 and University of Monash in 1961.