large scale. It was still the day of small things, for the colony, though of the enormous extent of 1,000,000 sq. m., was practically unknown, its resources were restricted, and its population scanty. However, a beginning was then made, and the first Loan Bill to raise money for pushing on telegraphs, for surveying lines of projected railways, and above all for starting exploring expeditions, passed the Legislative Council. The colony was fortunate in possessing two brothers of the best practical type of explorer, John and Alexander Forrest. The object of their earliest expeditions was to find more land available for pastoral or agricultural settlement. Vast distances in various directions were covered, and severe hardships, chiefly from want of water, undergone by these intrepid pioneers. Perhaps the most famous of these journeys was that accomplished by Mr (afterwards Sir) John Forrest between Eucla and Adelaide in 1870. Other dauntless explorers—notably Mr Ernest Giles, the Gregorys and Mr Austin—had also contributed to the growing knowledge of the resources of the vast territory, and the state owes and gratefully acknowledges its debt to these stalwart and splendid pioneers. Although, in consequence of the vast amount of gold which had been found in the eastern colonies, principally in Victoria, all these explorers had carefully examined any likely country for traces of gold, it was not until 1882 that the government geologist reported indications of auriferous country in the Kimberley district, and the first payable gold-field was shortly afterwards “proclaimed” there. Exploring expeditions in every direction were then started both privately and publicly, and prosecuted with great vigour. Within five years gold-fields were proclaimed at Yilgam, about 200 m. to the east of Perth, and the discovery of patches of rich alluvial gold in the Pilbarra district quickly followed, but the rush for the Coolgardie and Kalgoorlie gold-fields did not begin until 1893.
The year 1889 found the colony on the eve of responsible government. Two years before, a practically unanimous vote of the Legislature had affirmed the principle of autonomy, and the general election in the following year showed still more plainly the desire of the people of Western Australia for the self-government which had enabled the eastern colonies to control their own affairs successfully for thirty years. The new Legislative Council of 1889 therefore drafted a Constitution Bill, which after some discussion was forwarded to Lord Knutsford, the Secretary of State for the Colonies. This Bill was duly laid before the Imperial Parliament; but the measure was then rejected by that assembly, chiefly owing to the misunderstanding of vital questions, such as the control of crown lands, the scantiness of the scattered population, and other less important details. However, the governor of that day. Sir Frederick Napier Broome, K.C.M.G., having satisfied himself that the constitutional change was necessary not only for the immediate needs of the rapidly growing colony, but in view of the larger question of Imperial Federation, supported the demands of the Legislature in every possible way. A clear and able statement of the colonists' case, which appeared above his signature in The Times in the summer of that year, helped to bring about a better understanding of the subject; and a slightly modified Constitution Bill having been passed by the new Legislative Council, the governor and two members of the Legislature (Sir T. C. Campbell and Mr S. H. Parker, Q.C.) were selected to proceed to England as delegates to explain and urge the wishes of the colonists upon the Imperial Parliament. A select committee, with Baron de Worms as chairman, was appointed, and the matter was carefully considered; with the satisfactory result that the Bill enabling the Queen to grant a constitution to Western Australia passed its third reading in the House of Commons on 4th July, and received the royal assent on 15th August 1890.
Since then the colony has made great progress. Sir John Forrest, who was for ten years its Premier, brought to his arduous task not only administrative ability of a very high order, but a thorough and intimate knowledge of the needs and resources of the vast colony over so much of which he had travelled.
For a long time the advantages of Federation were not so apparent to the people of Western Australia as to those of the eastern colonies, and although Sir John Forrest consistently and patiently laboured at every opportunity to explain the principles of the Bill framed by the Federal Convention which had held its sittings since 1886 in Adelaide, Sydney and Melbourne, the desire to federate was of slow growth. Among the objections was the feeling that so far as Western Australia was concerned the step was premature, and that the colony had more to lose than gain by Federation. This applied chiefly to the questions of tariff and free trade, and to the loss of the individual control of such sources of revenue as customs, postal and telegraph services. On the subject of defence there could be but one opinion, in favour of Federation, but that was hardly enough to counterbalance the fears of the local producer, who had become accustomed to a protective tariff. Then the gold-fields expressed a desire to be made into a separate colony, and although a numerously signed petition to that effect was forwarded to the Queen, it was regarded in the light of a party move, and did not prove successful. Still there was great hesitation on the part of many of the colonists of Western Australia to join the Commonwealth without receiving a pledge for the retention of their own customs dues for five years, and early in 1900 Sir John Forrest made a personal attempt to obtain this concession from the sister governments. He was, however, unsuccessful, as was Mr S. H. Parker, Q.C, who in the same year accompanied the delegates from the eastern colonies to London, and endeavoured to obtain the insertion in the Enabling Bill of certain recommendations of the select committee in Perth. Yet as a whole the people of Western Australia were loyal to the Federal cause, and therefore it was considered best to submit the Bill to a referendum of the electors, when a majority of over 25,000 votes decided in favour of Federation, as the Constitution Act provided that this state should have the right to enact her own tariff as against the sister states for the desired five years, decreasing annually at the rate of one-fifth of the amount of the original duty until the whole disappeared. (M. A. B.)
WESTFIELD, a township of Hampden county, Massachusetts,
U.S.A., on the Westfield river, about 10 m. W. of Springfield. Pop.
(1890) 9805; (1900) 12,310 (2441 being foreign-born); (1905, state
census) 13,611; (1910) 16,044. It is served by the New York,
New Haven & Hartford and the Boston & Albany railways, and
is connected with Springfield, Holyoke and Huntington by electric
lines.
The township lies in and on either side of a deep alluvial
valley, 6-7 m. long from east to west and 2-3 m. wide, and
includes the large village of Westfield and the small villages of
East Farms, Mundale, Middle Farms, Little River, West Farms
and Wyben. In the township are the Westfield State Normal
School (1844), the Westfield Atheneum (incorporated in 1864),
which in 1910 had a library of 25,000 volumes, and the Noble
hospital (1893). Westfield Academy, a famous secondary school,
chartered in 1793 and opened in 1800, was closed in 1866 and its
building and grounds were sold in 1877 to the township for a
public high school. Woronoco Park (200 acres), in the western
part of the township, is a tract of great natural beauty. Westfield
manufactures more whips than any other place in the
United States, the factory of the United States Whip Company
being one of the largest in the world; this industry was begun
here early in the 19th century. Other important manufactures
are foundry and machine-shop products, paper, thread and
bicycles. In 1905 the value of the factory product was $5,818,130, an increase of 31% since 1900. A trading post, known by the
Indian name Woronoco (or Woronoko), was established here
about 1640. In 1669 the township, which had previously been
part of Springfield, was erected under its present name—it was
then the westernmost township in Massachusetts. Land was
added to it in 1713, and parts were taken. from it to add to
Southwick (1770 and 1779), to Montgomery (1780), to Russell
(1792), and to West Springfield (1802).
See James C. Greenough, “The Town of Westfield,” in vol. ii. (pp. 317–456) of A History of Hampden County, Massachusetts (3 vols., 1902), edited by Alfred M. Copeland; and John Alden, History of Westfield (Springfield, 1851).
WESTGATE-ON-SEA, a watering-place in the Isle of Thanet parliamentary division of Kent, England, 2 m. W. by S. of Margate on the South-Eastern & Chatham railway. Pop. (1901) 2738. It is of modern growth and noted for its healthy climate. Facing the sea there are gardens and promenades over 1 m. in length, and there is a marine drive along the top of the cliffs. There are also golf links and other appointments of a popular resort. Birchington, immediately to the west (pop. 2128), is also a growing resort. The church of All Saints is
