Section E. 

 GEOGRAPHY. 



ADDRESS BY THE PRESIDENT, 

 A. C. MacDONALD, F.R.G.S. 



THE SCOPE OF GEOGRAPHY, AND THE ADVANTAGES 

 OF GEOGRAPHICAL EDUCATION. 



It is with no small amount of diffidence that I rise to address an 

 audience such as I have the pleasure of meeting here to-day, for, as 

 I only claim to have the same general interest in geographir.al 

 research that should be taken by every intelligent man and woman 

 the whole world over, I feel that the honor conferred by my election 

 to the Presidency of this section of the Australasian Association for 

 the Adyanceinent of Science arose from a desire to acknowledge 

 the good work achieved by the Victorian Branch of the Royal 

 Geographical Society of Australasia, rather than from any special 

 personal fitness for the position. It was a stern sense of duty alone 

 that induced me to accept the onerous task now before me, engaged 

 as I am in active business pursuits. The terrible wave of com- 

 mercial depression which all the colonies have to a greater or lesser 

 degree experienced of late ha? left me but little time for thinking 

 out and preparing an address worthy of this occasion. On that 

 ground, ladies and gentlemen, I ask your kind indulgence for the 

 many shortcomings in my attempt to add something to the sum of 

 human knowledge on the important subject of geography. 



There is jiower in union, and through the medium of this 

 Association, which is a union of scientists throughout Aiistralasia, 

 we may hope to promote geographic research and to spread a 

 knowledge of the results of exploration over a wider area than 

 could otherwise be accomplished. Through the same medium we 

 may also hope to awaken fresh interest in the exploration and 

 geography of our own continent, and of the still unexplored regions 

 of the Antartic Ocean. I propose — 



Firstly. Answering the question, " What is geography, its sco2De, 

 and the advantages of geographical education?" 



Secondly. To note the advance made in geographic research, and 

 the geographical distribution of man in his progress towards 

 civilisation. 



