EDWARD PIKRSON RAMSAY ETHERir)GE. 207 



In 1868, accompanied by a younger brother, Mr. Ramsay 

 visited Queensland to inquire into the sugar-growing industxy, 

 and later purchased Sindah Plantation, on the Mary River. 

 In this venture other brothers joined, but like many pioneering 

 undertakings it pi'oved a failure. 



Mr. Ramsay was appointed Curator of this Institution at a 

 Special Meeting of Trustees, held on 22nd September, 1874, 

 being proposed b}' the Honbl. [Sir] W. J. Macleay and [Sir] 

 Alfred Roberts, Esq. His appointment was the means of 

 causing a dispute between the Trustees and the Government 

 of the day, as to the formers' right to appoint tlieir Curator 

 witliout reference to tlie latter. Indeed, the Under-Secretary 

 for Justice (the Museum was then affiliated to the Department 

 of Justice) went so far as to say that no salary could be paid 

 to a Curator whose appointment liad not been sanctioned by 

 the Government. The Trustees, however, were very soon 

 able, in virtue of their Act of Incorporation, to convince the 

 Under-Secretary that they had the power. 



At that time a portion of the Curatoi'ial duties was residence 

 within the building, and here Mr. Ramsay lived with his 

 famijy until 1888, when the question of space for the accom- 

 modation of an increasing staif became a burning one. With 

 the idea of alleviating this pressure the North Wing was dis- 

 mantled and an extra story added during 1891-2 ; from this 

 time onward the Curator ceased to reside on the premises. 



The Linnean Society of New South Wales came into exist- 

 ence in 1874 through the efforts of a few zealous scientists, 

 conspicuous amongst whom were Dr. H. G. Alleyne, Commander 

 T. Stackhouse, R.N., Sir W. J. Macleay, and Prof. W. J. 

 Stephens, but the actual founders, so Mr. J. J. Fletcher informs 

 me were the two first-named. Whether Mr. Ramsay took an 

 active part, or no, in the preliminary arrangements is not 

 known, " but after tlie Society started, he certainly was a very 

 active and a very useful member. "^ He was one of the 

 Foundation Members, and a Meml)er of the first Council, a 

 position he maintained until his retirement in 1892. He 

 rendered 



" most important aid in support of the Society, in furthering its 

 interests during the critical stages of its history. 

 He was well acquainted with the fauna from his boyhood. 



