<PAGE> PAGE 1
000 A000000 04/30/97
000 C000000 799125
000 D000000 N
000 E000000 NF
000 F000000 Y
000 G000000 N
000 H000000 N
000 I000000 3.0.a
000 J000000 U
001 A000000 KLEINWORT BENSON AUSTRALIAN INCOME FUND, INC.
001 B000000 811-4800
001 C000000 2124293240
002 A000000 75 WALL STREET
002 B000000 NEW YORK
002 C000000 NY
002 D010000 10005
003 000000 N
004 000000 N
005 000000 N
006 000000 N
007 A000000 N
007 B000000 0
007 C010100 1
007 C010200 2
007 C010300 3
007 C010400 4
007 C010500 5
007 C010600 6
007 C010700 7
007 C010800 8
007 C010900 9
007 C011000 10
007 C011100 11
007 C011200 12
007 C011300 13
007 C011400 14
007 C011500 15
007 C011600 16
007 C011700 17
007 C011800 18
007 C011900 19
007 C012000 20
007 C012100 21
007 C012200 22
007 C012300 23
007 C012400 24
007 C012500 25
007 C012600 26
007 C012700 27
007 C012800 28
007 C012900 29
<PAGE> PAGE 2
007 C013000 30
007 C013100 31
007 C013200 32
007 C013300 33
007 C013400 34
007 C013500 35
007 C013600 36
007 C013700 37
007 C013800 38
007 C013900 39
007 C014000 40
015 B000001 C
018 000000 Y
019 A000000 N
019 B000000 0
020 A000001 NONE
020 C000001 0
020 C000002 0
020 C000003 0
020 C000004 0
020 C000005 0
020 C000006 0
020 C000007 0
020 C000008 0
020 C000009 0
020 C000010 0
021 000000 0
022 A000001 HAMBROS
022 B000001 0000000000
022 C000001 5895
022 D000001 3999
022 A000002 NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK
022 B000002 0000000000
022 C000002 4441
022 D000002 4589
022 A000003 BZW
022 B000003 0000000000
022 C000003 3593
022 D000003 1996
022 A000004 DEUTSCHE MORGAN GRENFELL
022 C000004 891
022 D000004 0
022 C000005 0
022 D000005 0
022 C000006 0
022 D000006 0
022 C000007 0
022 D000007 0
022 C000008 0
022 D000008 0
022 C000009 0
<PAGE> PAGE 3
022 D000009 0
022 C000010 0
022 D000010 0
023 C000000 14820
023 D000000 10584
024 000000 N
025 D000001 0
025 D000002 0
025 D000003 0
025 D000004 0
025 D000005 0
025 D000006 0
025 D000007 0
025 D000008 0
026 A000000 N
026 B000000 Y
026 C000000 Y
026 D000000 Y
026 E000000 N
026 F000000 N
026 G010000 N
026 G020000 N
026 H000000 N
027 000000 N
028 A010000 0
028 A020000 0
028 A030000 0
028 A040000 0
028 B010000 0
028 B020000 0
028 B030000 0
028 B040000 0
028 C010000 0
028 C020000 0
028 C030000 0
028 C040000 0
028 D010000 0
028 D020000 0
028 D030000 0
028 D040000 0
028 E010000 0
028 E020000 0
028 E030000 0
028 E040000 0
028 F010000 0
028 F020000 0
028 F030000 0
028 F040000 0
028 G010000 0
028 G020000 0
028 G030000 0
<PAGE> PAGE 4
028 G040000 0
028 H000000 0
030 A000000 0
030 B000000 0.00
030 C000000 0.00
031 A000000 0
031 B000000 0
032 000000 0
033 000000 0
035 000000 0
036 B000000 0
038 000000 0
042 A000000 0
042 B000000 0
042 C000000 0
042 D000000 0
042 E000000 0
042 F000000 0
042 G000000 0
042 H000000 0
043 000000 0
044 000000 0
045 000000 Y
046 000000 N
047 000000 Y
048 000000 0.000
048 A010000 100000
048 A020000 0.700
048 B010000 0
048 B020000 0.000
048 C010000 0
048 C020000 0.000
048 D010000 0
048 D020000 0.000
048 E010000 0
048 E020000 0.000
048 F010000 0
048 F020000 0.000
048 G010000 0
048 G020000 0.000
048 H010000 0
048 H020000 0.000
048 I010000 0
048 I020000 0.000
048 J010000 0
048 J020000 0.000
048 K010000 100000
048 K020000 0.650
049 000000 N
050 000000 N
051 000000 N
<PAGE> PAGE 5
052 000000 N
053 A000000 N
054 A000000 N
054 B000000 N
054 C000000 N
054 D000000 N
054 E000000 N
054 F000000 N
054 G000000 N
054 H000000 N
054 I000000 N
054 J000000 N
054 K000000 N
054 L000000 N
054 M000000 N
054 N000000 N
054 O000000 N
055 A000000 N
055 B000000 N
056 000000 Y
057 000000 N
058 A000000 N
059 000000 Y
060 A000000 N
060 B000000 N
061 000000 0
062 A000000 Y
062 B000000 0.0
062 C000000 0.0
062 D000000 0.0
062 E000000 0.0
062 F000000 0.0
062 G000000 0.0
062 H000000 0.0
062 I000000 0.0
062 J000000 0.0
062 K000000 0.0
062 L000000 0.0
062 M000000 0.0
062 N000000 0.0
062 O000000 0.0
062 P000000 27.2
062 Q000000 69.0
062 R000000 0.0
063 A000000 0
063 B000000 5.5
064 A000000 N
064 B000000 N
066 A000000 N
067 000000 N
068 A000000 N
<PAGE> PAGE 6
068 B000000 Y
069 000000 N
070 A010000 Y
070 A020000 N
070 B010000 N
070 B020000 N
070 C010000 Y
070 C020000 N
070 D010000 N
070 D020000 N
070 E010000 Y
070 E020000 N
070 F010000 N
070 F020000 N
070 G010000 N
070 G020000 N
070 H010000 N
070 H020000 N
070 I010000 N
070 I020000 N
070 J010000 N
070 J020000 N
070 K010000 Y
070 K020000 N
070 L010000 Y
070 L020000 Y
070 M010000 Y
070 M020000 Y
070 N010000 N
070 N020000 N
070 O010000 N
070 O020000 N
070 P010000 N
070 P020000 N
070 Q010000 N
070 Q020000 N
070 R010000 N
070 R020000 N
071 A000000 14820
071 B000000 15691
071 C000000 118186
071 D000000 13
072 A000000 6
072 B000000 5203
072 C000000 0
072 D000000 0
072 E000000 0
072 F000000 421
072 G000000 0
072 H000000 0
072 I000000 20
<PAGE> PAGE 7
072 J000000 118
072 K000000 14
072 L000000 19
072 M000000 56
072 N000000 0
072 O000000 0
072 P000000 0
072 Q000000 0
072 R000000 29
072 S000000 10
072 T000000 0
072 U000000 0
072 V000000 0
072 W000000 16
072 X000000 703
072 Y000000 0
072 Z000000 4500
072AA000000 1430
072BB000000 0
072CC010000 0
072CC020000 6001
072DD010000 5021
072DD020000 0
072EE000000 0
073 A010000 0.3800
073 A020000 0.0000
073 B000000 0.0000
073 C000000 0.0000
074 A000000 2363
074 B000000 0
074 C000000 0
074 D000000 114934
074 E000000 0
074 F000000 0
074 G000000 0
074 H000000 0
074 I000000 0
074 J000000 0
074 K000000 0
074 L000000 3271
074 M000000 13
074 N000000 120581
074 O000000 0
074 P000000 7
074 Q000000 0
074 R010000 0
074 R020000 0
074 R030000 0
074 R040000 1165
074 S000000 0
074 T000000 119409
<PAGE> PAGE 8
074 U010000 11954
074 U020000 0
074 V010000 9.99
074 V020000 0.00
074 W000000 0.0000
074 X000000 1527
074 Y000000 0
075 A000000 0
075 B000000 121936
076 000000 9.00
077 A000000 N
078 000000 N
080 C000000 0
081 A000000 N
081 B000000 0
082 A000000 N
082 B000000 0
083 A000000 N
083 B000000 0
084 A000000 N
084 B000000 0
085 A000000 N
085 B000000 N
086 A010000 0
086 A020000 0
086 B010000 0
086 B020000 0
086 C010000 0
086 C020000 0
086 D010000 0
086 D020000 0
086 E010000 0
086 E020000 0
086 F010000 0
086 F020000 0
087 A010000 COMMON STOCK
087 A020000 498577105
087 A030000 KBA
088 A000000 N
088 B000000 N
088 C000000 N
088 D000000 N
SIGNATURE MICHAEL FORTIER
TITLE SECRETARY&TREASURER
<TABLE> <S> <C>
<ARTICLE> 6
<LEGEND>
Article 6 FDS for six months ended 4/30/97 for the Kleinwort Benson Australian
Income Fund, Inc.
</LEGEND>
<S> <C>
<PERIOD-TYPE> 6-MOS
<FISCAL-YEAR-END> OCT-31-1996
<PERIOD-END> APR-30-1997
<INVESTMENTS-AT-COST> 104,456
<INVESTMENTS-AT-VALUE> 117,285
<RECEIVABLES> 3,283
<ASSETS-OTHER> 13
<OTHER-ITEMS-ASSETS> 0
<TOTAL-ASSETS> 120,581
<PAYABLE-FOR-SECURITIES> 0
<SENIOR-LONG-TERM-DEBT> 0
<OTHER-ITEMS-LIABILITIES> 1,172
<TOTAL-LIABILITIES> 1,172
<SENIOR-EQUITY> 0
<PAID-IN-CAPITAL-COMMON> 107,904
<SHARES-COMMON-STOCK> 12
<SHARES-COMMON-PRIOR> 0
<ACCUMULATED-NII-CURRENT> 114
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-NII> 0
<ACCUMULATED-NET-GAINS> 915
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-GAINS> 0
<ACCUM-APPREC-OR-DEPREC> 10,465
<NET-ASSETS> 119,409
<DIVIDEND-INCOME> 0
<INTEREST-INCOME> 5,203
<OTHER-INCOME> 0
<EXPENSES-NET> 702
<NET-INVESTMENT-INCOME> 4,501
<REALIZED-GAINS-CURRENT> 1,429
<APPREC-INCREASE-CURRENT> (6,001)
<NET-CHANGE-FROM-OPS> (71)
<EQUALIZATION> 0
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-INCOME> (5,021)
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-GAINS> 0
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OTHER> 0
<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-SOLD> 0
<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-REDEEMED> 0
<SHARES-REINVESTED> 0
<NET-CHANGE-IN-ASSETS> (5,092)
<ACCUMULATED-NII-PRIOR> 635
<ACCUMULATED-GAINS-PRIOR> (515)
<OVERDISTRIB-NII-PRIOR> 0
<OVERDIST-NET-GAINS-PRIOR> 0
<GROSS-ADVISORY-FEES> 421
<INTEREST-EXPENSE> 0
<GROSS-EXPENSE> 702
<AVERAGE-NET-ASSETS> 121,936
<PER-SHARE-NAV-BEGIN> 10.41
<PER-SHARE-NII> 0.38
<PER-SHARE-GAIN-APPREC> (0.38)
<PER-SHARE-DIVIDEND> (0.42)
<PER-SHARE-DISTRIBUTIONS> 0
<RETURNS-OF-CAPITAL> 0
<PER-SHARE-NAV-END> 9.99
<EXPENSE-RATIO> 1.15
<AVG-DEBT-OUTSTANDING> 0
<AVG-DEBT-PER-SHARE> 0
</TABLE>
