president's address. 791 



Besides other rooms, it contains four, which each measure 40 feet 

 by 30 or upwards, and is fitted up with all necessary cases for the 

 storage and display of dried plants and their products, botanical 

 books, &c; the number of specimens, now amounting to upwards 

 of 8,000, is still increasing. 



Since the preparation of this address the collections have been 

 thrown open for the use of the public, and students of Australian 

 botany will find it well worth their while to visit the building, 

 not only casually, but systematically. 



The area of the Gardens, without taking the outer Domain into 

 account, is now 93 acres. 



Brisbane. 



In 1328. Fraser was sent from Sydney to establish a Botanical 

 Garden for Brisbane, and selected a site containing 42 acres on 

 the north bank of the River Brisbane. Fraser managed the Garden 

 until 1855, when Sir R. R. Mackenzie, Mr. William Augustine 

 Duncan, afterwards Collector of Customs in Sydney, and Mr. 

 T. Jones, were appointed a committee of management, and 

 Mr. "Walter Hill, Colonial Botanist and Superintendent. Hill 

 took a great deal of interest in the indigenous and foreign 

 tropical and sub-tropical vegetation, and, from 1874, had the able 

 assistance of Mr. Fred. Turner, until he became manager of the 

 Acclimatization Society's Gardens, Bowen Park, in 1879. 



The climate being suitable, these gentlemen made the Garden 

 quite unique in its beauty, enchanced by no less than 40 species 

 of magnificent palms thoroughly acclimatized, by gorgeous flower- 

 ing trees and shrubs, by a grand avenue of bunyas running along 

 the bank of the river, and by handsome sub-tropical indigenous 

 trees, collected by them from the rich scrubs abounding in the 

 Colony ; but, notwithstanding the daily growing beauty of the 

 place, an attempt was made in the early seventies to destroy it 

 by extending the business part of the city over it ; this vandalism 

 was fortunately averted. 



Hill retired in 1881, when Mr. James Pink was put in charge 

 as head gardener, and was succeeded by Mr. Cowan, who had 



