130 FOUNDATION AND EARLY WORK 



R.S. TAS. 



"Printing Establishments had proved ineffectual from the 

 "absence ox the necessary type, etc., I thought it right to 

 "allow the work tO' be printed at the Government Printing 

 "Office, subject to the condition that the labour, ink, 

 "and every expense attending upon it should be paid for 

 "by the Society, which also, of course, provides paper, and 

 "all other materials. 



The Tasmanian Journal was at first published quar- 

 terly, and by the end of 1842, the first volume, of five 

 numbers, was completed. (21) The contents of this volume, 

 and of the two others afterwards published, are of extra- 

 ordinary interest. There was then no other scientific 

 society or periodical in Australia. The Society had cor- 

 responding members in the neighbouring colonies, and 

 also in Europe; and consequently it had the opportunity 

 of publishing much scientific work from other countries; 

 and many names afterwards famous are to be found among 

 its contributors. 



Some time after the formation of the Society, Mr- 

 Ronald Campbell Gunn. at that time Private Secretary to 

 Sir John Franklin, became its Secretary. (22) In 1841 

 Mr. Francis Hartwell Henslowe, who had succeeded Mr. 

 Gunn as Private Secretary to Sir John Franklin, also suc- 

 ceeded him as Secretary of the Society. (23') The Rev. 

 John Philip Gell, Principal of the Queen's School at Ho- 

 bart, became Secretary in 1842. (24) 



The members of the Tasmanian Society, in August, 

 1843, at the end of Franklin's Governorship, are set out in 

 the Appendix. (25) 



(21) This volume, and numbers 6 and 7, published about August or 

 September, 1845. were printed at the Government Printing Office at 

 tJie expense of Sir John Franl^lin (Minute of Tasmanian Society. 3rd 

 October. 1843, published in Hobart Town Advertiser, ZOth October, 1843). 



(22) Minute of 3rd October, 1843. 



(25) Mr Henslowe continued to be Sir John Franklin's Private Secre- 

 tary for 'the remainder of his term of offioe. He was afterwards 

 appointed Police Magistrate at Campbell Town. He was a member 

 of the Royal Society from 1861 to 1856. 



(24) Tn 1838 Sir John Franklin had written to friends in England, 

 asking them to select a piincipal for his projected College, and Mr. 

 Cell was chosen bv Dr. Arnold. (Franklin, Sarmtive of Some Pnssar/es in 

 the Hhtory of Van. Dinn n's Land, London, 1846, p. 75.) Mr. Gell came to 

 Tasmania, and the foniulati'in stone of the College was laid nt New Norfolk on dth 

 November 1840 But difficulties intervened, the building was not car- 

 ried on, and Mr Gell became Principal of the Queen's School. He 

 was afterwards incumbent of St. John's, Goulburn-street. for a time, 

 and when Sir John Franklin's College was revived as Christ's College, 

 Bishopsbourno, Mr Gell became Its Warden. He returned to England 

 in 1848. He married Sir John FrankUn's daughter, and was for 

 many years rector of Buxted, in Sussex. 



(25) See p. ir.2. 



