THE AUSTRALIAN MUSEI'M KAKLV llISTOItY ETll KItlDdF.. :i87 



Two Trustees wlio could ill be spared resigned at tlie beginning of 

 1M59, in consequence of visiting Kuiope, Sir George Macleay and i)r. 

 George Bennett, both members of tlie old Committee, their names 

 appearing on the tii-st collective list in 18:?(). Sir George resigned on :*>rd 

 February, ISSK--", and was succeeded by Randolph John Want, Esq., who 

 was elected .Srd Marcli, for the second time--". 



By now tlie collection of mineials must have reached respectable 

 pi'oportions and required overhauling and classittcation. A Dr. Gygax, 

 apparently a German of sorts, happened to be in Sydney at the time and 

 through tiie instrumentality of Mi'.' R. H. Want his services wei-e engaged 

 in August--'^ ; by October, however, the unfortunate man was dead--". 



The Rev. W. B. Clarke resigned his Elective Trusteeship iu March, 

 1859, but was again elected in January, 1861230. 



On the retirement of Wall, the subject of his successor evidently 

 became a bui-ning question amongst the Tinistees. The Governor-General 

 (Sir W. T. Denisou) as an Elective Trustee, interested himself in the 

 matter and wrote Sir George Macleay, then in London, indicating very 

 clearly the necessary qualifications of candidates for the office of Curator, 

 etc 231 On 3rd March'-^-, 1859, a resolution was passed commissioning 

 George Macleay iu conjunction with Professor Owen to select a suitable 

 • person. In due course (October 17th) this Committee forwarded the 

 name of the gentleman selected in the person of Mr. Simon Rood Pittard, 

 M.R.C.S., who, accompanied by his family, arrived in Sydney in the ship 

 " Lausdowue " on 5th February, 1860-33. He was instructed to devote 

 himself exclusively to the duties of his office inclusive of the delivery of 

 lectures on "the different branches of Natural History." These lectures 

 were delivered in the Board Roomys*. 



The retirement of Mr. Wall, the resignation of the Secretaryship by 

 Mr. Angas as from 1st March, 1860^35, and who had served in that 

 capacity"since July, 1853, with the arrival of Dr. Pittard, brought about 

 a reorganisation of the staff. The Committee appointed for the purpose 

 recommended the two offices of Curator and Secretary236 to be combined, 



20.59 



226 Minutes, 3rcl February, 1859; Document — — ■; Letter-book, i., p. 200. 



227 Annual Report for 1859 (1860), p. 2. 



228 Minutes, 7th May and 4th August, 1859. 



229 ,, 6th October, 1859. 



23» Letter-book, i., pp. 201 and 233. 

 20.59 



2-1 Document B.B. ; Letter-book, i., p. 203. 



5 

 10.59 



2:i2 Document B. 



10 

 2:5:i Annual Repo-t for 1860 (1861), p. 2. 



234 Minutes, loth June, I860. 



235 ,, 7tli December, 1859. 



10.60 

 2"« Document A 



I 



