910 THE chairman's ADDRESS. 



existence in a young country like this seem naturally to lead to 

 more or less centralisation, in scientific as in so many other 

 matters. Now the duhiess attendant upon life in an average 

 country town to the man who is not duly fortified against it by 

 the pursuit of some rational hobby is a stern reality often leading 

 to misapplied energies and utter waste of time, not to sjieak of 

 the acquisition of undesirable habits. Yet very often it is in the 

 immediate neighbourhood of just such localities that there are 

 special opportunities of observing particularly interesting species 

 of plants or animals in a state of nature, of working out the 

 stratigraphical or palseontological relations of particular strata, 

 of obtaining important data relating to the scientific aspect of 

 mining, or of collecting relics and traditions of the fast disappearing 

 black -fellow ; and too frequently it is exactly in such localities 

 that such opportunities excite little or no interest whatever. Not 

 absolutely always, however, I am glad to be able to state, since 

 we number among our own members a few who under such 

 circumstances have risen to the occasion ; but our Societies want 

 more of such men, and the colony at large needs more of them. 

 Country museums in the hands of judicious curators alive to the 

 value of their opportunities may become directly educative, and 

 do much towards supplying the present want of means of fostering 

 a love of nature in the rising generation, as well as offer a counter 

 attraction to those very much less rational and undesirable ways of 

 "killing" time, which too frequently present themselves. In 

 answer to my enquiries Mr. Maiden has been good enough to 

 furnish me with the following particulars which I am glad to 

 make use of : — 



" Local museums in connection with the Sydney Technological 

 Museum have been established at Goulburn, Bathurst, West 

 Maitland, and Newcastle,, and another will shortly be opened at 

 Broken Hill. 



" The exhibits are housed in substantial buildings— the large 

 halls of the Mechanics' Institutes being rented at Goulburn and 

 Newcastle, while at West Maitland the large hall of the old 

 Masonic buildings is utilised. 



