president's address. 13 



The Senate, not having the money, approached the Government, and asked for 

 its help to enable it to accept Mr. Maeleay"s mnnificent gift. The Government, 

 knowing William Macleay, asked what he would approve of as a suitable building. 

 His reply was, that he would approve of a fire-proof haU, 212 X 70 x 58 feet, with 

 bays and a gallery all round, the iu'chitect's estimated cost of it being £16,000. 

 The Government said the equivalent of. Certainly, you shall have it, go ahead 

 forthwith ! 



When the building was finished in abou{ 1889 [exact date not available], and 

 approved of by Sir William, he transferred the amalgamated Collections, now a 

 general collection, and not merely a collection of insects and other Annulosa to 

 the University, to be housed in tiie "suitalde" building, presented by the Govern- 

 ment, together with his experienced and faithful Curator, George Mastere;, and 

 paid over the sum of £6000, for the endowment of the Curator's salary. When 

 the Collections had been suitably arranged, under the direction of the Professor 

 of Biology with the co-operation of the Curator, as an exposition of the fauna of 

 Australia, for which there was abundant material in the Collection, the Macleay 

 Museum of the Univei-sity of Sydney \v;is duly constituted, in the technical sense. 

 Thereupon, the University, ipso facto, became the Joint-Tiiistee of the Govern- 

 ment and of Sir William Macleay, for the inhabitants of New Soutli Wales, in- 

 cluding students and others. The Joint-Trustee's duties were to administer the 

 Trust committed to him in terms of the Trust. Among other things, therefore 

 (1) to preserve, maintain, and safeguard the standard, agreed-upon suitability of 

 the "suitable" building, presented by the Government solely and expressly for 

 housing the suitably aiTanged Macleay Collections, and any additions that might 

 be made to them, in perpetuity; and to abstain from tampering with it, and 

 finally, spoiling it. (2) To preserve, maintain, and safeguard, the integrity of 

 the Macleay Collections, in perpetuity: and under all eircumstance.s to refrain 

 from disiiipting them, in perpetuity. (3) To keep interlopers from taking up 

 their ((uarters in the Macleay Museum buihling, whether by the front door, or by 

 "an over-bridge" or "a bridge-corridor." in perpetuity. (4) When the Collections 

 had been suitably arranged, to abstain from periodically disturbing them; and 

 finally sweeping away the exposition of the Australian faima shown in the 

 .Jubilee photograph, with the besom of ingratitude, and thereby insulting the 

 memories of the distinguished Macleays ! 



The University historian values the ^^racleay Collections, on a money-basis 

 as "roughly assessed at £25,000." With tlie building, and the endowment fund for 

 the Curatorship, the didy constituted Macleay iluseum represented a benefaction 

 of £47,000 ! 



To-day, and for some time past, the Macleay Museum has been deconstituted, 

 and as an exposition of the fauna of Australia spoilt, because the suitability of 

 the "suitable" building has been so drastically interfered with, that this has in- 

 volved the disniption of the Macleay Collections. One of Sir William's great 

 enterprises, potentially so fructifying if properly managed, has become bankrupt. 

 It has been hamstrung, paralysed, shorn of its attractiveness and inspiration. 



Mr. .T. H. Campbell, Hon. Treasurer, presented the balance sheets for the 

 year 1920. duly signed by the Auditor. Mr. F. H. Rayment. F.C.P.A., In- 

 corporated Accountant; and he moved that it be received and adopted, which was 

 carried unanimouslv. 



