A Plan For Tackling The Grim

Problem Of Australia's Nor

Here is one of the most exciting books that has bee published in Australia in many years. Its title is Australia Open North.

ITS appearance does not suggest reader value—it has over 500 pages, it is crammed with maps and diagrams, and it is written by an Emeritus Professor of Geography, J.

Macdonald Holmes, of University of Sydney. But it is eminently readable and stimulating.

Have you ever asked yourself, seriously, what is the biggest and most urgent problem—political, social and economic—in the South Pacific?

If you have, and you are honest about it, you will reply: The future of the northern half of Australia.

The nation that the British have built here Hies complacent in the southern half of Australia, south of Capricorn. Casual observers say that by far the greater part of the Aus tralian area north of Capricorn is un suitable for “settlement”. They are dodging the issue, either through ig norance, or sheer inability to think.

Cooler, More Fertile The Europeans naturally settled south of Capricorn because there they found the cooler and more fer tile regions. They have seen in the vast “deserts” of North Australia only a comforting barrier against the swarming millions of Asia—now close to the point of “population ex plosion”, when they will spill over into whatever empty lands are within reach. Australian governments have refused to face the facts. Their Nor thern Territory Administration is a futile, tragic thing.

North Australia, empty, is not a protective barrier for southern Aus tralia—it is a terrifying, deadly men ace to the future, not only of Austra lia, but to all the European, Melan esian and Polynesian countries in the South Pacific.

If the Australians cannot occupy and use northern Australia, then some other race surely will. And the race

capable of occupying and using them Australia will dominate South Pacific. Can anyone, surv the facts, have any doubt of thai Basing his work upon his scie skill and his knowledge, and many years of research in all the Australian areas north of Capri Professor Macdonald Holmes given the facts and outlined danger; and he is enough of a structive thinker to have offere answer—or a series of answer the problem.

He would take Northern Qu land, Northern Territory and them West Australia, make of one united territory or country, c them into six administrative £ and use all the resources of the tralian Commonwealth to de their enormous natural resources, them irrigation and the ameniti European civilisation, and est£ there Australian communities enough to effectively occupy thei The proposition bristles with tical difficulties, and hundreds of eyed commentators will rush for to say it cannot be done. The n which has found £450 million; the Snowy River Scheme can o That same nation, if it is to su must do it. Professor Holmes* his skilled collaborators, show hi may be done—how the huge are: be made habitable and profii What a conception! It is mor citing than any whodunit.—RW:

(Australia’S Open North,

Macdonald Holmes. Published by and Robertson. 57/6).

Map showing suggested new p[?] structure for northern Australia