Parliamentary paper

Author

Interstate Royal Commission on the River Murray

Title

Interstate Royal Commission on the River Murray, representing the states of New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia : Report of the Commissioners, with minutes of evidence, appendices and plans

Description of Work

Royal Commission - Conservation and distribution of the waters of the Murray River Basin.

Imprint

Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide, 1902, 60, 359 pp

Url

https://pov.ent.sirsidynix.net.au/client/en_GB/parl_paper/search/detailnonmodal/ent:$002f$002fSD_ILS$002f0$002fSD_ILS:34095/one

Description

Victorian Parliamentary paper, 1902/03 No.35;
New South Wales Parliamentary paper 1902 (v4) 637-1029; New South Wales Royal Commission No.6 (9 Dec 1902);
South Australian Parliamentary paper 1903 No.22; South Australia Royal Commission No.2 (9 Dec 1902);

The Reports of the Royal Commission for each State are basically the same, except that they are addressed to different State governors and Parliaments.

Digitised copies of all State reports are available through
https://www.austlii.edu.au

Members of the Commission: Joseph Davis (President), New South Wales; Stuart Murray, Victoria; Frederick Newman Burchell, South Australia.

The "Report of the Commissioners" [60pp] for Victoria was printed in Melbourne, and the "Minutes of Evidence" [359pp] were all printed in Sydney.

Report includes a large map of the Murray River basin; 19 Appendices; and 12 Plans.

Abstract

The Commission examined 294 witnesses across three States.

Sections of the Report include:
1. History of the River question and enquiries by former Commissions;
2. Geography and physical characteristics of the Murray River Basin - its extent and importance;
3. Gaugings of the River and tributaries and necessity for continuous records of gaugings;
4. Water supply for ordinary stock and domestic use, etc, in rural districts and for irrigation - experience in the three States;
5. Special irrigation settlements in Victoria and South Australia;
6. Irrigation in other countries. Its lessons for Australia;
7. Navigation - its extent and the vested interests in and associated with it. Comparison of its claims with those of general supply and irrigation;
8. Existing and proposed works in the States of New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia, and diversions of water from the Murray and tributaries;
9. Works proposed by the Commission;
10. Legal aspect of state rights and principles to be adopted in apportionment of waters;
11. Division of available water among the States;
12. Special questions referred to the Commission;
13. Control of the river and tributaries;
and the 'Dissent', by F. N. Burchall of South Australia, and the 'Note', by the other two Commissioners.

Related entries

People

• Baracchi, Pietro Paolo Giovanni Ernesto (1851 - 1926)

  Gave evidence. Minutes of Evidence pp.191

• Burchell, Frederick Newman

  Member of the Commission, State of South Australia

• Coane, John Montgomery (1848 - 1923)

  Gave evidence. Minutes of Evidence pp.77

• Davis, Joseph (1854 - 1932)

  President of the Commission, State of New South Wales

• Fowler, Thomas Walker (1859 - 1928)

  Gave evidence. Minutes of Evidence pp.188

• Garson, George (1862 - 1911)

  Gave evidence. Minutes of Evidence pp.68, 74

• Kenyon, Alfred Stephen (1867 - 1943)

  Gave evidence. Minutes of Evidence pp.5, 125, 130, 190

• McKinney, Hugh Giffen (1846 - 1930)

  Gave evidence. Minutes of Evidence pp.265, 272

• Moncrieff, Alexander Bain (1845 - 1928)

  Gave evidence. Minutes of Evidence pp.10, 193

• Murray, Stuart (1837 - 1919)

  Member of the Commission, State of Victoria

• Thwaites, William (1853 - 1907)

  Gave evidence. Minutes of Evidence pp.103

• Wade, Leslie Augustus Burton (1864 - 1915)

  Gave evidence. Minutes of Evidence pp.1, 149, 284, 305