4 PRESIDENT S ADDRESS. 



completing Captcain Flinders' survey of the coast of New Holland 

 (1818-22): and at a later date as the Commander of an Expedition 

 appointed to carry on important survey work on the coasts of 

 South America (1826-30). Captain King's Narratives of these 

 Yo3'ages are still valuable works of reference. He was a 

 zoologist of no mean order, and is deserving of great credit for 

 the hearty encouragement he always afforded to those interested 

 in collecting, and to Allan Cunningham in particular. On his 

 retirement from the navy. Captain King returned to Australia; 

 and undertook the management of the Australian Agricultural 

 CoQipany's affairs, in succession to Sir Edward Parry. He died 

 in Sydne}^ in February, 1856. 



Philip Gidley King was born at Parramatta in October, 1817. 

 In the year 1822, with two of his brothers, he accompanied his 

 father to England. After some years at school he entered the 

 Royal Navy; and in December, 1831, as a midshipman, left 

 England in H.M.S. Beagle upon that memorable circumnavigating 

 voyage with which Darwin's name and fame are so indelibly 

 associated. The Beagle arrived in Port Jackson on January 

 12th, 1836, and upon her departure at the end of the month, 

 " Mr. King remained with his father at Sydney."* In his 

 'Journal,' Darwin mentions, in connection with his return 

 journey from Bathurst, that : " On the road to Sydney I spent 

 a very pleasant evening with Captain King at Dunheved " 

 (p. 443). After his retirement from the navy, Philip Gidley 

 King soon became actively engaged in the great pastoral industry 

 in connection with stations in Victoria, in the Murrumbidgee 

 District, and afterwards in the Hunter Paver District. In 1842, 

 he entered the service of the Australian Agricultural Compan}-; 

 and still later became the first General Superintendent of the 

 Peel River Land and Mineral Company, a connection which was 

 maintained for more than half a century and up till the time of 

 his death. 



* Narrative of the Surveying Voyages of H.M.SS. Adventure and Beagle. 

 Vol.ii. Proceedings of the Second Expedition. By Captain R. Fitzroy 

 (p.20). 



