,,l:60 president's address — section e. 



Now that the Comnionwealtli has instituted its own Navy it 

 has need also of orgaiiizing an efficient hydrographic service to 

 cope with this undertaking. In this a beginning has already been 

 made, but to do justice to our Melanesian Dependencies as well, 

 an extensive and well founded organization is needed. 

 . -" Regarding an oceanographic survey of our coastal waters com- 

 paratively little has been done, but the information to bei got has 

 important bearings both scientific and economic. 



As fields for general exploration may still be mentioned parts 

 of Central and North Western Australia, Papua, and the man- 

 dated territories. A detailed ethnological study throughout 

 Melanesia is an urgent matter, for every year's delay will lose 

 to- the world much valuable data. In this connexion it is gratify- 

 ing tO' record that the Department O'f Home and Territories has 

 already appointed an officer to prosecute such investigations. No 

 doubt the Commonwealth Government will be prepared to' assist 

 exploration in the Melanesian Dependencies, but it is to be ex- 

 pected that before official recognition and the provision of financial 

 assistance, the Go'vernment should require the hall-mark of such 

 an Association as our own toi be stamped upon any proposals. Sir 

 John Keltie says,* " We must insist that explorers shall have- a 

 training adequate to the conduct of their work on scientific lines." 



New Guinea is a land of promise in the matter of available water 

 power, and exploration with the object of ascertaining the avail- 

 able resources in this direction is most desirable. 



Professor MacKinder emphasizes vegetatiou provinces as funda- 

 mental in dividing geographical regions ; and in this connexion 

 Professor T. G. Taylor draws attention to the fact that no adequate 

 m.aps of the vegetation belts in Australia have^ yet been made. 



Very good geographical research can be undertaken anywhere 

 in Australia where investigators select a definite area and work 

 the same out in complete geogi-aphical detail. 



Many other suggestions for investigations could be put forward, 

 but sufficient has been indicated to make it evident that for geo- 

 graphers in Australia the future is full of promise. 



• "Half a Century of Geog. Progress." Sent. Gei>g. Mag., Vol. 31, p. 629. 



