40 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. [Vol. XXV. 



"Your committee have given very careful attention to several 

 matters of special interest to the Club during the year. One of 

 the most important of these is that relating to the National Park 

 at Wilson's Promontory. The urgent necessity of vesting the 

 Park in trustees and the appointment of a ranger was seriously 

 considered, and in July last it was decided to enlist the co- 

 operation of the Director of the National Museum, Professor 

 Baldwin Spencer, with a view to further action being at once 

 taken in the matter. Professor Spencer readily consented to again 

 assist in the movement, and forwarded letters to all the societies 

 and institutions interested, proposing that a conference be held 

 to consider the advisability of approaching the Government on 

 the matter. Each society and institution was asked to nominate 

 two members as their representatives at the conference. The 

 proposal was unanimously endorsed by the various bodies 

 approached, and your committee appointed Professor A. J. 

 Ewart and Mr. G. A. Keartland to represent the Club. 



"The conference was held at the Melbourne Public Library, 

 where the Trustees generously placed their room at the disposal 

 of the delegates. It was unanimously decided to ask the 

 Government to reserve permanently the whole of Wilson's 

 Promontory as a National Park for Victoria, to vest the Park in 

 trustees, and to appoint a ranger as custodian, and a deputation 

 was arranged to place these resolutions before the Minister of 

 Lands, Mr. Mackey. 



"The deputation was received by the Minister on the i8th 

 December, who expressed himself as thoroughly in sympathy 

 with the proposal, and at once agreed to vest the whole of the 

 Promontory in trustees, with the exception of a half-mile margin 

 around the coast, over which, however, he promised to give the 

 trustees control. He also agreed to appoint a ranger and to 

 make him an officer of the trustees. 



" Another meeting of the conference was held early in the 

 present year, and a list of representatives of the various societies 

 and institutions was drawn up and submitted to the Minister of 

 appointment as trustees. These nominations have since been 

 approved of by the Minister, who, however, has constituted 

 them a board of management instead of trustees as was 

 suggested. 



" The board consists of a representative of each of the eight 

 societies and institutions taking part in the movement, among 

 whom one of our vice-presidents, Prof. A. J. Ewart, will represent 

 the Club. It is expected that the newly constituted board will 

 shortly make a start on the important work which they have 

 undertaken. 



"Your committee, although much gratified with the results 

 which have so far attended this movement, greatly regret the 



