Queensland, the Rich but Sparsely Peopled Country, a Paradise for Willing Workers — John Shaqi
Queensland, the Rich but Sparsely Peopled Country, a Paradise for Willing WorkersQueensland Government Intelligence and Tourist Bureau
History
Queensland, the Rich but Sparsely Peopled Country, a Paradise for Willing Workers
Queensland Government Intelligence and Tourist Bureau
Queensland -- Economic conditions
“As previously stated, the above are extracts from Mr. Godalov’s
open letter, he is well-known by the farmers of his district. Other
characteristic cases are those of Messrs. Danilchenko and Ilyin, in
North Queensland.
“I satisfy myself with mentioning just these few cases, but, of
course, there are a good many other similar cases amongst the Russian
colony in Queensland. I have taken the above cases at random, and
think that they clearly illustrate that a good, honest, and energetic
Russian agriculturist cannot find a country with more favourable
conditions than those offered him by Queensland for applying his
knowledge and labour to.
“In view of my having received a large number of inquiries as to the
shortest space of time in which profit can be obtained from land still
to be cleared, I, in the interests of intending emigrants, would like
to give the following facts, which are based on my own experiences:—
Mr. A. Mendrin’s Experiences.
“We will say, then, that you have gone through the formalities of
obtaining your land (in Queensland they are not complicated). From the
first day of your arrival on your farm you will start cutting down
your trees (these are mostly soft), a normally healthy agricultural
peasant should fell from 2 to 2-1/2 acres of brigalow scrub in a week.
In this way in a month’s time you should have about ten acres of
trees felled, provided you started this during the summer months. You
will want, say 2-1/2 months, for the fallen timber to dry before you
burn it. Having burnt it, you promptly start sowing maize between the
stumps, and while this is taking root you continue felling or putting
up your fence, as the case may be. It will take about 105 days for
your maize to grow. You then pull the cobs, and prepare them for
drying and threshing, which should take about two weeks, at the end
of which time you will be in a position to realise your first crop.
Virgin soil in the district I am speaking of (Wycarbah) will yield
about 60 bushels of maize to the acre; that is, from 10 acres you will
get 600 bushels; the average price is 3s. per bushel, or £90 for the
10 acres you have cleared. In this way seven months have gone by since
the day on which you started work, and you have £90 in your pocket,
less from £10 to £12 for various expenses, such as packing, delivery,
&c. I would like to make it quite clear that I have taken only the
average price of maize above. Lately this article has been quoted at
Rockhampton at from 4s. to 4s. 3d. per bushel.
“Knowing how popular pig and poultry breeding and farming is amongst
Russian peasantry, I can say, with conviction, that these two yield a
very good source of income, as do all other branches of pastoral and
agricultural enterprise, all of which I cannot give details of here in
view of the space such information would take up.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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