Xl PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS. 



fact our Queensland youth have compared favourably with those 

 of the mother country when brought in contact with them in 

 athletic sports. We may conclude therefore, that so far as our 

 male population is concerned, the climate has certainly not 

 exercised any injurious effects, but on the contrary has 

 furnished the opportunity of enabling them to develop a taste 

 for out-door exercises of a healthy, invigorating kind. With 

 respect to young women I am sorry that I cannot say the same 

 thing. The climate does not appear to exercise the same 

 healthy, invigorating effect on them, but on the contrary seems 

 to have an enervating one. This probably arises in a great 

 measure from the fact that our young girls do not indulge in 

 out-door recreation to the extent that they should do. We do 

 not expect them to play football, but there is no reason why 

 they should not play cricket and lawn-tennis more generally 

 than they do, that they should not learn to swim and row, and 

 that they should not take more walking exercise. I know that 

 the latter is the reverse of pleasant in hot weather, but even in 

 cool weather they do not walk as much as they should do. 

 Eegular exercise of a non-fatiguing kind is what they most 

 stand in need of, and I am sure that there are very few who 

 cannot find time from their household or other duties, to have 

 an hour's exercise of some sort every day. I by no means 

 wish or expect that girls should become athletes, but I do wish 

 that they were stronger and less pale than many of them are. 

 Under the influence of any excitement, such as a ball, they can 

 stand fatigue that would tax the endurance of the strongest of 

 our young men, but as soon as the excitement is over, they think 

 but little of any exercise until the next ball or party. Over- 

 exertion of this kind, indulged in when not physically fit for it, 

 must react very injuriously, and so we find it does. I cannot 

 too strongly impress on our young girls the necessity of 

 regular physical exercise. Many a headache and feeling of 

 lassitude and weariness would be spared them if they indulged 

 in a game of lawn-tennis every fine day, or a walk, wet or dry. 

 Then the judicious use of clubs or light dumb-bells every day 

 would go far to keep the system in good tone, promote the 

 appetite, and improve the digestion. I am satisfied that the 

 great danger we all run in this climate is from want of exercise 



