PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS. LXXIX 



poissible to account for the great variations in skull form without 

 calling in the assistance of any such mixture, or regarding the 

 Australian as a hybrid. The remarkable variations described by 

 investigators on both the physical and cultural side may, perhaps, 

 when a 1 factors are taken into account, be regarded as indicating 

 the present Australian race to be, not a specialized one, but a very 

 generalized one with nascent possibilities of development along 

 many varied lines. 



Though I am dealing primarily with the origin of the culture 

 of the aborigines, it is of importance to note this fact, that in 

 their skull form and measurements they vary to a most remark- 

 able degree, indeed, amongst five Central Australian tribes I found 

 the cephalic index of the men varied from 80.5 to 66.6 ; and, in 

 connexion with the extraordinary variations that we meet with 

 in regard to structure, customs, beliefs, anid arts, the words of 

 Professor Keith are of deep significance. He says, " So far, no 

 fossil remains of man have been discovered in Australasia ; but 

 there is no need to seek there for fossil forms. Ancient and 

 primitive man still survives — more primitive than any fossil form 

 of modern man yet found in Europe. Sir William Turner 

 measured the brain capacity of 24 skulls of native Australian 

 women. Tht mean capacity was 1116 c.c, one was as low as 

 930 c.c. With brains of a smaller size than 930 c.c. we can scarcely 

 expect a human intelligence. Of all the races of mankind now 

 alive, the aboriginal race of Australia is the only one which, in my 

 opinion, could serve as a common ancestor for all modern races. 

 . . . . The Australian native has those intermediate and 

 generalized characters needed for such an ancestral form." 



This statement, coming from such a high authority, is at least 

 very suggestive, but geological and other evidence would appear 

 *;o be against the possibility of the Australian aboriginal being 

 actually the common ancestor of all modern races. On the other 

 hand, it may Avell be that he is the survivor of such a common 

 ancestor, and that this fact gives us the clue to the significance of 

 his remarkable variation from both a physical and cultural point 

 of view. 



There is one point of importance to which attention must be 

 drawn. In the very interesting and suggestive papers published 

 by Professor Berry and his students, Drs. Buchner, Robertson, 

 and Cross, tables are given to show the great variation in measure- 

 ments of Australian skulls and others to illustrate the place in 

 nature of the Australian aboriginals, and the comparison of both 

 with prehistoric and recent forms of man. In one of these, the 

 Tasmanian is shown as standing decidedly higher than the 

 Australian; in fact, quite close to the Cromagnon. Professor 

 Berry says, " The modern-day Australian alboriginal stands rather 



