Section C. 

 (geology and palaeontology.) 



President of the Section — Reginald A. F. Mubeay, F.G.S. 



ADDRESS BY THE PRESIDENT. 



Tlie Past and Future of Mining in Victoria. 



The high honour conferred in electing me President of this 

 Section carries with it the obhgation of preparing an opening 

 address. An address, Hke a sermon, requires a text, and that 

 chosen on this occasion is the Past and Future of Mining in 

 Victoria. The subject can only be dealt with \\\ a general 

 way ; but, still, a brief retrospect and forecast, coupled with 

 remarks relating to geological investigations in connection with 

 mining in Victoria, may be deemed a fitting initiation of our 

 present meeting on the part of one whose personal experience 

 has been almost wholly limited to that colony. The objects of 

 our Association, as I conceive them, are of a widely cosmopolitan 

 character. Each section of the Association has its particular 

 branches of science to discuss, and each individual his or her 

 taste for a particular line of research, and a laudable ambition 

 to gratify in making known the results ; but throughout all 

 runs the dominant object of raising the intellectual standard 

 and increasing the material welfare of the people at large. If, 

 therefore, the treatment of the present subject embraces the 

 practical commercial as well as the scientific element, no 

 apology seems requisite ; for, with every respect for pure 

 science, which, like virtue, is its own exceeding great reward, 

 I still maintain that, in young countries especially, it is well 

 that some, at least, of the scientific inquirers should pui'sue 

 their efibrts in directions where results of practical value to the 

 community are most likely to be obtained. That most of the 

 leading geologists in Australasia act on this principle is evinced 

 by the markedly-increased respect of the miner for the opinion 

 of the geologist at the present day, as compared with the thinly- 



