LORD JERSEY AT BROKEN HILL; OPENING OF TOWN HALL - Broken Hill - NSW -Australia - News Article Locations on Waymarking.com

LORD JERSEY AT BROKEN HILL OPENING OF TOWN HALL
[By Telegraph.]
Broken Hill, August 6.
This morning about 2,000 school children assembled in the centre of the town, and were reviewed and addressed by Lady Jersey. Afterwards Her Ladyship visited the hospital. In the afternoon the ceremony of opening the splendid new Town Hall was performed. The arrangements were very bad. Hundreds of people congregated thinking that the ceremony would take place outside, as is usual. To their surprise, however, it was conducted inside, and those present were mostly women and children. Three-fourths of the people were forced to stand in the street, being unable to enter the hall. Lord Jersey was presented with an address of welcome to the town.
HIS EXCELLENCY expressed his intense surprise at the vast extent of the town and mines. He had been prepared for a surprise, but what he saw had far exceeded what he had imagined. There should be no question of intercolonial jealousy about the Barrier. New South Wales possessed it, but Victoria had an enormous monetary interest in it, whilst South Australia had its trade. He could see that there must be railway communi- sation with Sydney. It was quite apparent that the increased railway facility meant in- creased trade for Broken Hill, and that would be brought about by communication with Sydney. Everything be saw— the substantial stone structures, the broad streets and the richest silver mines in the world— pointed to the fact that the city was bound to be permanent. It was already tbe second city in New Sooth Wales. In conclusion he would say that be thought the Council had done right in erecting such a fine building at he was opening that day. The EARL OF KINTONE, after referring in the warmest terms to the privilege of being guests on that happy and important occasion, said — 1 know I shall have your sympathy if, before I say another word, availing myself of the first public occasion in this colony which has pre- sented itself, I ask leave to offer to my old friend, Lord Jersey, my warm congratulations on receiving the dignity which, as Governor of New South Wales, he enjoys. To represent our Queen in the parent colony of Australia is among the highest of positions open to one of her subjects; to be given thereby countless ways of forwarding the best interests of Aus- tralia, of New South Wales, and of New South Welshmen is a splendid and rare opportunity ; while the knowledge that Lord Jersey is assisted, in availing himself of it, by a wife as gifted as she is amiable is a solid guarantee that such opportunity will be put to its noblest uses. Mr. Mayor, I am proud to say that I am no stranger to Broken Hill. The recollections of the visit which Lady Kintore and I paid you two years ago— all too short though that visit was— are recollections of such kindness and goodwill as will ever remain fresh in our memory. Those courtesies and attentions were offered and accepted— then as now— not because we chanced to be two peeple who were deeply interested in Australia, and who were desirous of seeing the phenomenal growth of your town and something of its cause, but be- cause mine was and is the honour and respon- sibility of representing the Queen in a great colony over your border (only forty miles away)— a colony with which you are very closely allied, and a colony whose obligation to you is immense. (Applause.) But, Sir, were it the case that like Lord and Lady Jersey I was now paying a first visit to Broken Hill, it would be impossible to feel a stranger amongst you, for an there not very many here who not long since were residents of South Australia, and who continue to render her yeoman service by labouring in this pro- ductive locality— a locality which during the last five or six years has yielded wealth so conspicuously beneficial to the people of my colony, every one of whom has cause to re- joice as the marvellous success you have achieved? The impetus which the discovery of silver and the opening of your mines gave to our trade at a time when it was sorely needed, and the revival of the hopes of South Australians which it encouraged, will not soon be forgotten. 'Your proximity to our border and the fact that the railway facilities to our seaboard supply more ready and less expensive means for the shipment of your produce than can be offered to any port in New South Wales give to South Australia nearly all the advan- tages it would have enjoyed if this district had been actually within our territory. So South Australia has indeed good cause to bless the discovery of Broken Hill. Is it not a curious though happy fact that those times in the past when the wants of the people stood most in need of help were precisely the times when to their alleviation came the discovery of great mineral deposits? Certainly no industries have proved more valuable to Australia from time to time than those which have followed on its mineral developments, and from them each separate State has received more or less benefit — your own colony of New South Wales from the mineral wealth of almost every description with which its vast territory abounds; Victoria from its gold; Queensland from its gold and other minerals besides; South Australia from its large output of copper yielded during the last forty-five years by the Kapunda, Burra, Moonta, and Wallaroo Mines; and now we hear of valuable discoveries of gold in Western Australia and of silver in Tasmania. But all mineral dis- coveries appear dim beside the marvellous pro- ductiveness of the Barrier district in general and of one of its silver mines in particular. The results of that mine's operations for the year ending May 31 last and the abundance of its output show its vast industrial importance. Its grow returns amounted to more than £2,000,000 sterling, its net. profits to over £1,140,000, and of this the large sum of £1,104,000 was divided amongst its fortunate shareholders, the majority of whom are South Australians. And, Sir, there is one respect in which this industry is of peculiar value to Australia which is worth remembering. Like other young countries we require to borrow money from time to time though the less the better— for the construction of necessary public works, and therefore, inasmuch as mining products consist of articles of export, these exports furnish, a good and ready means of discharging your obligations thence arising. We should remember too that while those who are engaged in mining are profitably employed— the Proprietary Mine alone employs. I think, some 2,500 men— they are consuming the corn and other produce of the farmer and the sheep and cattle of the pastoralist, they are giving employment in a hundred ways to the community at large, and they are contributing in a marked degree to the general prosperity. Eight years ago the presence of minerals in this district was unknown. Most of the mineral discoveries in Australia have been made within the memory of men now living. Our knowledge of the con- tents of tbe vast interior is very limited. What then may we not find as time rolls on? Alas! time itself passes too quickly to allow me to attempt to draw the happy anticipations I entertain for the future of Australia. I must come back to the present time and the present occasion. Mr. Mayor, as a guest of the Muni- cipality of Broken Hill and as a citizen of Adelaide, the mother Municipality of Austral- asia, which recently celebrated her municipal jubilee, and whose Mayor I am glad to recog- nise amongst your guests, I ask leave to offer you my felicitations on the opening of your new Town Hall. The extraordinary, rapidity with which the town is extending and the rate at which the population is increasing make the duties of municipal life heavy and their responsibility great and so it became essential that a building adequate to their proper discharge should be erected. That has now been done, and of it I will only further say, while thanking you for your patient courtesy, that I pray that this hall may con- tinue to be the municipal home of a body of gentlemen ever ready to give of their time and abilities to tbe service of their town as cheer- fully as you, Sir, and those associated with you endeavour to do to-day. (Cheers.) Afterwards Lord Jersey held a levee, as also did Lady Jersey. Both were largely attended. This evening a ball was held in honour of the visitors. To-morrow they leave for Adelaide, where the New South Wales Governor will stay for a few days to recover from the fatigue of his trip.

Type of publication: Newspaper When was the article reported?: 08/07/1891 Publication: The South Australian Register Article Url: [Web Link] Is Registration Required?: no How widespread was the article reported?: regional News Category: Politics

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