In 1881, a new forest department under a French forest officer was started, which has grown until now its consists of one Conservator (D. E. Hutchins), 22 Assistant Conservators, 84 European foresters, and a few native guards. In 1888, the needed legislation was had for regulating the working of the nearly half million acres of forest area, which, in 1902, was declared inalienable government property. Since the wood imports amount to over two million and a quarter dollars annually, the need of conservative use is appreciated especially as climatic conditions are unfavorable to reproduction. Some 24,000 acres have been planted during 22 years, at a cost of $1,500,000, the first plantations beginning to yield a substantial revenue, and it is believed that another 40,000 acres of such plantations would supply all the timber needed in the Colony. Treeplanting by private land owners and municipalities is encouraged by furnishing advice gratis and plant material at low cost, and to municipalities in addition government aid is extended to the extent of half the cost of planting. * * * * * The seven _Australian_ colonies are very variously situated regarding timber supplies, three of them, Queensland, Western and South Australia being poorly wooded, the others more or less heavily forested, especially Tasmania with 65 per cent., and New Zealand with 31 per cent. Generally speaking the forest areas are confined to the coast in narrower and wider belts, the interior being forestless or with scrubby growth. This portion is large enough to reduce the total forest per cent. to less than 6.5. The mountains and hill ranges facing the Eastern, Southern and Western coasts are especially heavily wooded with magnificent Eucalypts, Jarrah and Karri while the Kauri pine is the most valuable tree in New Zealand. The one successful attempt at a forest policy was made by the almost forestless colony of _South Australia_, which in 1882 reserved its scanty forest area of 217,000 acres and started to plant, (now 13,000 acres planted), employing a Conservator and six Foresters. In the other colonies at various times unsuccessful beginnings were made, and there exist in Queensland, New South Wales, and Victoria so-called Forest Branches or departments, but mostly without power or equipment, and no intelligent conception of forest policy seems practically to exist. In _Queensland_, since 1897, the Governor in Council may reserve forest lands and regulate the cutting by diameter limit. One and a half million acres have been reserved, but no staff for administration exists. In _New South Wales_ six million acres were withdrawn from settlement, but it is mostly used for pasture, and withdrawal may be revoked at any time. No effective system of control exists.