374 RECORDS OP THE ADSTRALIAN MUSEl'M. 



mucli more elaboi'ate tliau the other. Fig. 14 is takeu from " Moore's 

 Almanac" for 1854, and forms the frontispiece. Fig. 15 was portion of 

 " Woolcott and Clarke's Map of the City of Svdnev with the Knvirons." 

 etc., 1854. 



It is now necessary to again turn our attention to tlie proposed 

 gallery aiound the " Great Hall " which we have already seen was to cost 

 £390 for building the galleiy and £210 to provide the railing surrounding. 

 1 regret to say I am quite unable to disentangle the various contracts 

 entered into and sums asked for towai'ds the building of this gallery. 

 The proceedings in connection therewith seem to liave been simply on a 

 par with the hopeless muddle in which everything was steeped relating 

 to this unfortunate North Wing. 



In the First Annual Report of the Trustees to December, 1S541+*', it 

 is said the building " was utterly unfit for the displa}' of objects of 

 Natural History," the gallery was reported as " nearly completed," but 

 tittings were urgently required. Appai'ently to meet the cost of these 

 and other sei"vices tlie Legislative Council voted £500 in 1858, and 

 £2,000 in 1854. The " building expenses" between July, 1853, and 31st 

 December, 18541^", are given in this First Annual Repoit as follows : — 



Estiinaled Cost. 



1. Cases around Gallery ... ... ... ... ^1,700 



2. Cases around Hall ... . . ... ... ... 1,460 q 



3. Cabinets on floor of Hall l,Oa) O 



-t. Staircase from "Hall" to Gallery 300 O 



5. Drainage (in basement) ... ... ... ... 75 o 



6. Flaorsing ,, 436 



=£4,971 



In an Appendix to this First Annual Report is given the full cost of 

 this gallery, and this is all 1 have been able to find about it: — 



1853. — -Abbott's building contracts ^1,716 12 3 



Bernasconi (mouldings) ... . . ... 13 13 



Murray (carving panels) ... ... ... 60 



.£1,790 5 3 



The Annual Report in question was the fiist of its kind and has been 

 regularly maintained, according to enactment, to the present time, when, 

 ,as now, it was di-awn up by a Committee. The first record occui's in the 

 Minutes of 3rd March, 1855, wben Messrs W. S. Macleay, H. W. Parkei-, 

 W. Weaver, with Dr. .lohn Smith were deputed to so act. The Draft 

 Report was adopted on 7th Api'il, 1855, and at o)ice forwarded to His 

 Excellency the Governor-(ieneral (Sir W. T. Denison). 



The survival of old customs, wholly or in part, has been one of the 

 marked features of this Institution. For instance, at the present time 

 cheques may be signed by any two Trustees on an emergency to meet an 



'•«« rul>lislMHl 1855. 



1" Ann. Kept, for 1854-1855, ].. 1; Minutes, 2nd S.-ptenilxr, 1854; bptter- 

 book, i., p. 139. 



