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should not, for the reasons which are very clearly put forward, be called upon to build the lighthouse and station at the sole expense of the Colony. If I may take the liberty of assuming that you will support the other alternative, the Imperial Govern- ment may at all events instruct the Governor of Western Australia to promote an extension of the main line system of telegraph from Albany to a fixed point at the Leeuwin, and, if so, I have no doubt that the Governor will, without difficulty, obtain the consent of the Finance Committee for such a small expenditure. This might very well be deemed by the Conference as a fair contribution on the part of Western Australia. I would call your attention to the fact that, as regards the position of the Leeuwin, the trade of Western Australia is chiefly local. The vessels employed in her foreign trade, so to speak, seek Fremantle, which is a port some two hundred miles to the north of the Leeuwin. Her trade with the other Australian Colonies is carried on by ships which, for the purposes of such navigation, may be deemed "coasting vessels,” and, as a rule, such ships keep the coast line well in sight.
2. It may assist a full consideration of the subject if I point out that the signal station which it is proposed to erect is almost certain to become self-supporting, and without any Imperial aid. If "Lloyd's" will pay a subsidy, the respective Chambers of Commerce at Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney, and Tasmania would be obliged to become subscribers. There will still be left the payments by the general public, from telegrams, and so forth. Western Australia and South Australia will benefit to the extent that the present' telegraph system will receive further contributions from the telegrams to pass to, and over, the South Australian portions of the overland system; but, indeed, this observation applies equally to Victoria and New South Wales.
3. As regards the site of the lighthouse and signal station, the commanders of the respective steamship companies should be consulted, for I have been informed that several hours may, in certain cases, be saved to all the Colonies in the delivery of the mails.
The Right Hon.
I have, &c.,
(Signed) HENRY T. WRENFORDSLEY.
Sir Henry Holland, Bart., M.P.,
Secretary of State for Colonies,
Chairman of Conference.
The "ARGUS," Tuesday, February 8, 1887. THE CAPE LEEUWIN LIGHT.
The following correspondence has passed between Sir Henry Wrenfordsley, Admiral Tryon, and others, with regard to the proposal to erect a lighthouse at Cape Leeuwin, Western Australia :-
SIR,
SIR HENRY WRENFORDSLEY to ADMIRAL TRYON.
Hobart, Tasmania, December 20, 1886.
I HAVE just received from Victoria further papers (No. 81) on the subject of naval defences, and I observe that by an extract, reference is made to the proceedings which took place at the Intercolonial Conference held at Sydney in 1881, and to which Conference I was a delegate from the Crown Colony of Western Australia.
In support of several suggestions made by you, I regret to see that the present Government of Western Australia does not appear to have adopted a proposal I had the honour to submit to the Conference, and which appears on page 21 of the minute 3 of the proceedings.
The following is the resolution to which I refer :-
"That, in the opinion of this Conference, a lighthouse is urgently required at Cape Leeuwin, in Western Australia; and, having regard to the general interests of navi- gation and the increasing trade of all the Australian Colonies, the several representa- tives are prepared to recommend that the expense of building and maintaining such an establishment should be jointly undertaken and provided for by their respective Governments."
I brought forward this proposal by the express direction of Sir William Robinson, who was at the time Governor of Western Australia.
The matter was fully discussed, and Sir Graham Berry, who then represented Victoria as Premier, admitted the importance of the proposal, and the motion was
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only withdrawn on the understanding that I should obtain and give further informa- tion on the subject to the respective Colonies (page 21).
Subsequently I administered for a short time the Government of Western Australia, and I prepared questions, which in due course were submitted to the representatives of the leading steamship companies connected with Australia, as also to Lloyd's Association of London. The result was that I obtained the strongest evidence in favour of the proposal to build a lighthouse and signal station at Cape Leeuwin.
The only doubt raised was as to the exact position or site to be selected, but that was only a matter of detail.
At the Conference I had urged the proposal as a matter closely connected with the general subject of naval defence for these Colonies, and more particularly with regard to the increased protection which, in the event of war, would be offered to merchant ships; I ventured to press the subject as one of the first importance to all the Australian Colonies, and particularly to South Australia, Victoria, and New South Wales, and I urged what was afterwards supported by the replies to the questions which I had caused to be distributed, that with such assistance inward-bound ships could make the land with greater safety, while in many cases much loss of time would be avoided.
The reply which was received from Lloyd's Association fully confirmed all my state- ment, for if my recollection serves me correctly, the answer returned included a proposal to the effect that the association was prepared to pay a subsidy, provided that a telegraph station was established from the lighthouse, and that the association could bave communication with the main line telegraph system.
It would, in
I was very much impressed at the time with the value of the offer. effect, constitute the Leeuwin a port of call, and I need hardly point out the great benefit which the shipping interests of Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney, and Tasmania would derive from such a convenience.
I believe that since the Conference was held (1881), and probably as a result, a telegraph station has been established at King George's Sound, but that station is within a few miles of the shore at Albany, and at a considerable distance from Cape Leeuwin. In case of war, I venture to submit for your consideration that such a station—if it be a station-would be almost useless except for the immediate protection of Albany, and the probable supply of munitions of war which that harbour, as a port of refuge, would probably contain.
I apprehend that a hostile ship inward-bound from any part of the Indian Occan would be almost compelled to make land at the Leeuwin; and then, having made suro of her position, and knowing, as doubtless she would know, that a signal station was at or near Albany, she would try and keep clear of all communication with the land, and that she would be just seen or heard of either at Capo Borda or to the south of Kangaroo Island. Indeed, by keeping an outside course she would run the best part of the way to Tasmania without being discovered. It appears to me, with all respect, that in time of war or otherwise the value of such a station, fully 1,300 miles from South Australia, is worthy of your best support. It is because the minutes of the proceedings of the Sydney Conference (1881) do not disclose these facts, and becauso it has just been decided not to hold a meeting of the Federal Council at Hobart, that I take the liberty of calling your attention to the subject.
When leaving the Government of Western Australia I left the papers for considera- tion, and no doubt the subject has received the attention which the offer from Lloyd's unquestionably deserved. I have no doubt that the Government of Western Australia has acted advisedly. Be that as it may, I now address you not with reference to the special interests of the Crown Colony, but in furtherance of those larger interests which belong to the Australian Colonies, and which, from your own experience, you have so ably described in the papers before me. Let me quote your own words: "It is certainly wise to take every precaution lest, as in days gone by, a squadron "should escape notice, and suddenly appear off a distant shore" (page 72). Again:
However superior our force may be, however skilled ments, however vigilant our admirals, history may repeat itself. An enemy may may be the strategic arrange- escape touch, he may escape notice, and it may be some time before his destination is known and his designs penetrated."
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It only remains for me to observe that, even supposing Western Australia to remain neutral, there is nothing to prevent the responsible Government Colonies from enter- taining the offer so made by Lloyd's; and I have no doubt that Sir Graham Berry, if so instructed by his Government, and particularly if aided by your opinion, will very soon induce Lloyd's Association to renew or reconsider the offer of subsidy; and in Z z 4