The Australian dairy industry has in the past made remarkable progress in certain areas where the rainfall is conducive to the production of good natural pasturage. As long as land prices remained reasonably low, dairying was a fairly profitable form of primary production on the better soils in the regions of high rainfall. These are chiefly found on the seaward side of the Great Dividing Range which stretches from Queensland to Western Victoria. Later, irrigation areas suitable for dairying were opened in the Murray basin and still later the south-western corner of the continent has seen extensive dairying areas developed. In each State the industry evolved on its own lines and the degree of control over the various stages of the production of butter and cheese exercised by the respective State Departments of Agriculture differs considerably. In some States the main effort has been in the direction of control of the dairies; in others the factories have received most attention. Again, in other regions legislative control is still rather weak.