IHK AU^^'I'RAI.IAN MTSKIM KAK'I.V IIISKH.'V K HI KHI im ;k. 'A(^7 



" A view of iiscortiiiiiinj^- ii[hiii what Icrms tlu' Muscuiii ami i^-idiimls iiii;^dit lie 

 transferred to the University, and of course to uscertain primarily wlictiier 

 any proposition would In- entertaineil liy tlu^ Committee of the Museum." 



Tlu' Committee's ivply was l)ii('r and to tlu; jjiii'pose : — 



" It was unanimously resolved tliat its aeeejilanec would In- dct riiiH'iital to llic 

 interests of the Museum, whilst, umreover, it is one which the tJommittee, 

 under its present constitution, is not competent to entertain"''." 



Tlirougli a letter from the Rev. (i. K. 'i'ui'iuT (o tlie ('oloiiial Sccrctai \ , 

 of IStli Mai'fli, 1852, we leani that at that date (lie buihliii^' was actually 

 Hnislied. There occurs tins expression : — 



" Now that the buihlin^- is complete'"'." 



Ur. John Smith, the tirst Professor of Chemistry at the Sydney 

 University, was appointed a member of the Committee in November, 



185211". 



As to the abtjve £8,000 for casing the Governor expressed his 

 unwillingness to graut so large a sumii*^, to which the Committee replied : — 



" That he would have the goodness to cause any sum which he may think 

 sufficient to be placed on the Supplementary Estimates." 



Before the question of fittings could be taken into serious consider- 

 ation the erection of a gallery and railing became necessary. For these 

 the Government provided <£500ii9, and in July a tender for £890 from 

 Mr. Abbott for building the gallery was accepted i-*^*. To enable this to be 

 carried out successfully the " Old Hall " was stripped of " all objects of 

 Art and Natural History," and the room closed to the publici-i. The 

 railing surrounding this gallery was to cost £2101^2. 



The death of John Carue Bidwell, Esq., a member of Committee, was 

 reported on the 2nd April, 1858l-■^ 



The year 1858 was a momentous one in the histoi'y of the Museum. 

 It was in July of that year that the Rev. G. E. Turner retired from the 

 position of Honorary Secretary'. His place being taken by Mr. George 

 French Angas, who, on the 80th July, was appointed Secretai'y and 

 Accountant. The interval between the retirement of one and the 



H' Letter-book i., p. 119; Minutes 2r)th January, 1852. 



"« Letter-book i., p. 12:}. 



iiv Document B. 10..'32. 



"« Minutes, 2-ith July, 1852. 



"9 Minutes, 7th May, 1853; Letter-book i., p. 127. (Also Minutes, 8th 

 September, 1849; l(3th February, 1850.) 



1-'" Minutes, 2nd and 9th July, 185:i. 



i-ii Mmutes, 9th July, 185;^. 



'-- 



1-3 Minutes, 2nd April, 185:5. 



