president's address — SECTION c. 45 



SECTION C. 



GEOLOGY. 



ADDRESS BY THE PRESIDENT : 

 Professor W. N. Benson, B.A., D.Sc, F.G.S., F.R.G.S., 



Professor of Geology and Mineralogy in the University, Otago, N.Z. 



RECENT ADVANCES IN NEW ZEALAND 

 GEOLOGY. 



Eight years have passed sincei this Association last met, and in 

 that time our civilization has been shaken to its centre, and a new 

 world is slowly evolving. We must express our thankfulness for 

 the return of our Australasian geologists after their manifold ser- 

 vices. It is not invidious to mention one to whom our welcome 

 should especially be expressed, the honoured leader of our science 

 in the Commonwealth, Professor Sir Edgeworth David. He has 

 presided in turn over the proceedings of this section, and twice 

 over those of the whole Association, and to-day for the first 

 time two of the Presidential Chairs are occupied by men who 

 owe their inspiration to this great teacher. It gives me deep 

 gratification on this occasion, and in your name, to offer to my 

 revered master the tribute of affection and esteem. We rejoice 

 in the royal recognition of the place he holds in our regard, 

 and hope that Lady David and he will long remain among us. 



Since our last meeting several geologists have passed away who 

 had' advanced our science greatly, and it is fitting that we should 

 recall their services. Robert Mackenzie Johnston, the son of a 

 Scotch crofter, rose to the position of Government Statistician and 

 Registrar-General for Tasmania, and was twice President of the 

 Social Science section of this Association. In his busy life he 



