Australia: Industrial Giant Of

The South Pacific

Well-recognised as a major farming nation, Australia today is acquiring anew reputation —a fast developing industrial giant of the South Pacific.

IT is said that few countries in the world have experienced a more rapid and diversified industrial ex pansion within a period of 16 years than Australia since the end of World War 11.

The change in the emphasis from primary to manufacturing industry that has given Australia anew in dustrial stature is best illustrated by the diversity and high quality of products which flow from its 54,000 factories.

Since 1945, when industrial de velopment gained real impetus, exist ing industries have been expanded and modernised and a vast range of completely new industries has come into being.

The varied production of Austra lian factories today includes jet en gines and airframes, motor vehicles and parts, tinplate, electronic equip ment, petro-chemicals, tractors and agricultural implements, synthetic fibres, communications equipment and other highly-specialised items.

Ten years ago, the net value of production of all manufacturing in dustries was slightly less than that of all primary industries, but the present value of industrial produc tion greatly exceeds that of rural output.

Huge Increase

In 1958-59, the gross value of goods produced by Australia’s fac tories had reached a total of more than £4,500 million a year—a pro duction volume nearly three times that of 1939.

Production figures for steel, ce ment and electricity also indicate the speed of Australia’s industrial growth Steel output has almost trebled in 10 years to 31 million tons a year with consumption of steel per head of population now close to that of the great and traditional industrial countries of the United Kingdom and Western Germany.

The measure of Australia’s expan sion can be gauged from the huge increase in production of basic com modities. For instance, between 1950

and 1960, cement production rose by one million tons to a total of 2.7 million tons a year. Electricity output of 23,000 million kilowatts is more than double that of 10 years ago.

Much of the increase has been achieved through the vast Snowy Mountains hydro-electric and irriga tion project which, at a cost of £4OO million when completed, is one of the world’s great engineering feats.

In 1950, Australia’s oil refineries could provide only 16 per cent, of the country’s needs. But now seven large refineries with a total capacity of 11.4 million tons a year, are sup plying all but 10 per cent, of Aus tralia’s requirements of petroleum products—and this despite the fact that Australia ranks as the world’s fourth most motorised nation.

The increase in mineral production has also been spectacular. In 10 years, it has risen by more than 50 per cent, with sharp increases in the

output of lead, zinc, silver, coppe coal and uranium.

Recent major discoveries in tb tropical north—including uraniuc bauxite, lead, zinc, copper and iro ore—have placed an entirely ne complexion on Australia’s miner resources.

In the public works sector, a larj number of big development projec are being carried out across tH length and breadth of the countr They include hydro-electric an thermal power stations, railway roads, bridges, harbours, airport water conservation and irrigation.

Primary industry, for long Au tralia’s main source of income, hi paced in expansion the developme of other industries. In the past : years, rural production has increase by more than one-third and the wot clip by over 50 per cent.

Sugar, one of Australia’s majj exports to the Pacific Islands, hi also achieved a notable products boost, with yields up 12 per cent. TF same success has been evident in t: production of wheat, rice, tobaco dairy produce and dried and fre; fruits and vegetables.

Because of its soundly-bas* economy, freedom of capital and fro dom of trade, Australia has attractl large sums of money from oversea investors anxious to take part in t: country’s growth.

Big Investments

Australians, too, are helping finance the development of thu country. In 1958-59 this amounted about 90 per cent, of all investm© in Australia.

Consumer markets are rising uno the stimulus of high living standarr Australians are conscious both the future and of the part they ho to take in it.

Equally, they are aware of the ii portance of this continuing expansit to the peoples of the Pacific Islam —countries which, because of tbr geographical proximity, must star to gain by the high industrialisatii of a near and friendly neighbour.