8 PRESIDENT S ADDRESS, 



Demonstrator in Geology; subsequently Acting Lecturer in Minera- 

 logy and Petrology at the University of Adelaide during the 

 absence of Dr. Mawsou with the British Antarctic Expedition 

 under Lieutenant Shackleton ; and, afterwards, again Demons- 

 trator in Geology in tlie University of Sydney, up to the time of 

 his a]i|)ointment, in 1911, to a Science Scholarship of the Koyal 

 Connnissioners for the Exiiibition of 18.')!, tenable for two years, 

 but later on extended for a third year. In this way, Mr. Benson 

 was enabled to proceed to Cambridge, and hold a Research 

 Studentship at Emmanuel College. On the acceptance of his 

 thesis on " The GeoU)gy and Petrology of the Great Serpentine- 

 Belt of New South Wales," Mr. Benson was admitted to tiie 

 degree of B.A., last year. Three portions of his thesis have been 

 published in our Proceedings for 1913, and the rest of it will form 

 the subject of future communications. Mr. Benson has now had 

 some considerable experience in research work under very fa\'our- 

 able conditions. He has contri})uted a number of Papers to the 

 Proceedings of this Society, to the Journals of the Royal Society 

 of New Soutli AVales and South Australia, or to other publications. 

 While at Cambridge, he took the complete course of study given to 

 senior students; and he comes to us witli high credentials, from his 

 Australian teachers as well as from Professor Bonney and Mr. 

 Harker, of Cambridge. This instructional work has been supple- 

 mented l)y visits to the laboratories of Universities in Germany and 

 Switzerland. Mr- Benson has also had s]i)ecial opportunities of 

 seeing for himself, and learning as much as possible of the geology 

 of certain areas in England, Scotland, and the Hartz Mountains, 

 under very advantageous circumstances, a knowledge of which has 

 an important bearing on the work he has done in connection with 

 the Serpentine Belt, or proposes to continue, on his return to tlie 

 State. On taking up the work of his Fellowship next month, I\Jr. 

 Benson will continue the line of work upon which he has made a 

 beginning, so as to complete, in detail, a study of the geology of 

 the country from Tamworth to Warialda, with a general account 

 of the physiography, special attention being given to the Attunga 

 and Moonbi districts, where the intrusion of the granite has pro- 



