26 



INAUGURAL ADDRESS. 



New South Wales proposed by the late Rev. W. B. Clarke has been 

 elaborated, and to some extent modified in details and added to bj 

 the Geological Survey staff, especially by Wilkinson and David. 

 The death in 1891 of this kindly and courteous gentleman, at a 

 comparatively early age, was widely deplored. His successor is 

 Mr. E. F. Pittman. 



The ai^pointment of Mr. Robert Etheridge, jun., in 1887 (formerly 

 on the staff of the Geological Survey of Victoria, afterwards Palaeon- 

 tologist to the Geological Survey of Scotland, and later of the 

 British Museum), as Palaeontologist to the Geological Survey of 

 New South Wales, is an admission of the value of palaeontology in 

 its application to the elucidation of the classification of the sedi- 

 mentary deposits. The memoirs issued by the Department, under 

 the editorship of Mr. Etheridge, which were commenced in 1888, 

 have brought within reach of those interested in Australian geology 

 most A'aluable results of palseontological investigation. The eighth 

 memoir was issued last year. In addition, there was commenced 

 in 1889 the issue of " Records of the Geological Survey," devoted 

 to current discoveries and observations regarding the geology, 

 palaeontology, and mineral resources of the colony. These have 

 been issued quarterly up to date, are highly appreciated, and 

 cannot fail to stimulate research among amateurs who may have 

 the opportunity to carry on geological investigations ; whilst the 

 authentic information imparted with regard to mineral occurrences 

 and laboratory work in this connection makes them valuable com- 

 mercially as well as scientifically. 



2. VICTORIA. 



Prior to 1851 Victoria oft'ered comparatively little attraction to 

 the immigrant, but the discovery of gold in that year arrested the 

 tide of emigration, population rapidly increased, and commercial 

 prosperity advanced by leaps and bounds. Mining registrars and 

 surveyors were appointed. A Geological Survey was established 

 under the direction of Mr. (now Sir) A. R. C. Selwyn. one of the 

 ablest of the staff of the Geological Survey of Great Britain. The 

 chief members of his field staff' were the late Messrs. Aplin, 

 Daintree, and Wilkinson ; Messrs. Ulrich (now Professor), Norman 

 Taylor, H. Y. L. Brown, R. Etheridge, jun., and R. A. F. Murray; 

 whilst to Professor (now Sir F.) McCoy, who had been appointed 

 to the chair of Natural History in the University of Melbourne, wa& 

 entrusted palaeontology. 



