100 Proceedings. 



George Ciiey. and a Council consisting of the leading men of the tinae in Wellington. 

 This first society had a short existence, and died a natural death on the departure from 

 the colony of its Hon. Secretary, Dr. Ralph, in 1852. and its in-operty passed into the 

 possession of the Provincial Government, and was held by them until 1858, when a new 

 Society was founded, and a nucleus of a museum was organized in the then Provincial 

 Government Buildings. 



Little is heard of scientific matters or of the Society imtil 1865, M'hen the property 

 belonging to the Society was transferred to tlie Museum then established by the General 

 Government. 



In 1867 the New Zealand Societ}' was again reconstituted, and by this time public 

 opinion was lecognising that a society of this kind deserved hearty support by the people 

 of the colony. The object as set forth at this date was to advance science, art, and 

 literatiu-e, and to assist in the development of the resources of New Zealand ; and to 

 stud}^ the language, manners, and customs of the Natives of the South Pacific Islands. 

 It was pointed out that the two main objects — that is, the advancement of science and 

 the development of our resources — were intimately connected. " Nature," it said in 

 one of the newspaper articles on the establishmeiat of a scientific society, " has planted 

 at our feet the means whereby we may, and in time will, make New Zealand a great and 

 prosperous country. Dreams of futiu'e jn-osperity will not be realised without much 

 labour, and foremost in the work must march Science, to teach us where and how we 

 must devote oiir energies. In the accomplishment of this she will be attaining her grand 

 aim, she will do much towards the development of the resoiu-ces of the countrj', and at 

 the same time she will be giving bread to the himgry and cai-rying ha])])iness to the homes 

 of many weary families. This is no mean task — to call into action the thews and sinews 

 of a class in whom lies the strength of the nation, and to draw them to our shores, to 

 make thenr one with us in the noble task of raising our country. Such is the work 

 awaiting science, and such is the course apparently 0j3ening to New Zealand science." 



Even then the time had not arrived for a successful society, and the New Zealand 

 Society became merged into what is knowTi as the Wellington Philosophical Society. 

 Local societies were established in Wellington, Auckland, and Canterbury,* and these 

 were affiliated to the New Zealand Institute, established bj^ an Act of the General 

 Assembly in 1867. The New Zealand Institute then became an important scientific 

 organization, and, imder the managershiji of the late Sir James Hector and various 

 Boards of Governors nominated by the affiliated societies, continued to publish c„u 

 important series of annual volumes, imtil, in 1903, the Institute was reconstituted as we 

 now have it, and, as we all hope, entered upon a renewed period of activity. 



For many yea,rs the " Transactions of the New Zealand Institute " contained a great 

 majority of papers on scientific subjects relating to natural history, botany, and 

 etlmology of New Zealand, and the pioneers in these bi-anches of science worked under 

 great disadvantages, more especially in the zoological section, as means of communication 

 with other societies and of consulting scientific literature were few and far between. « 



In addition to his duties as manager of the 'Saw Zealand Institute, Sir James Hector 

 was Director of the New Zea.land Geological Sm-vey. Tliere was a close and intimate 

 connection between the work of the Geological Survey and the New Zealand Institute. 



Other branches of science, such as meteorology and physics, received attention from 

 the members of the Institute, and it may be said that, notwithsta-nding that the objects 

 of the Institute were " to promote the general study and cultivation of the various 

 branches and departments of art. science, literature, and philoso]ihy." all branches of 

 science were encouraged, and, as far as possible, assisted in their development. 



During the latter portion of the period the various Government Departments began 

 to publish the work of their officers on various scientific subjects, in reports, bulletins, 

 and parliamentary ])apers. This has greatly develo])ed in recent yeai-s, and quite a 

 large body of scientific literatm'e has been issued in the form of parliamentaiy 

 papers. One may, without making any invidious distinctions, s]:ecially indicate the 

 report issued by the Marine Department on the results of the trawling expedition, the 

 valuable and practical reports issued by the Lands Department on various botanical 

 subjects, and the important teclinical jniblications of the Agricultural De]iartment. 



The reconstituted New Zealand Institute, though it did not find a Airgiu field for 

 observations as it did in the earlier years of its existence, has still many departments 

 of research open to its members, in which there is much hard work to be done, and in 

 which nruch honour is to be obtained. It has still before it its old ideals, with a greatly 

 increased oi>]>(irtimity to realise them. It is interested in everything connected with 

 the material welfare of the ]ieople of this Dominion and with the resources of the country. 

 The only one of the many avenues into which human industry a,nd human activitj' is 



* The Philosophical Institute of Canterbury had been founded in 1862. 



