82 ppesident's address — section b. 



matter that our Australian Navy is able to get this local supply of good 

 oil. There are now approximately 3,000,000 gallons of crude oil 

 being produced per annum. This is worth say, sixpence a gallon, so 

 that the total value of the oil obtained may be taken at £75,000 per 

 annum. 



In conclusion, may I be allowed to thank the local members for 

 the honour they liave done me in electing me to be Chairman of 

 Section B. It is an honour for the Chair of Chemistry at Sydney 

 University — a chair which was for many years filled with great 

 distinction by Professor Liversidge. 



Professor Liversidge took an important part in the formation of 

 this Association, and members will not readily forget the work he did 

 in that connexion. 



If I may say so without presumption, there are probably many 

 points connected with Professor Liversidge's work which I, as his 

 successor, have had an opportunity of noticing, that may not have 

 been noticed so easily by others. I should like to take this opportunity 

 of placing on record my appreciation of his great organizing powers, 

 his wide and intimate knowledge of Mineralogy, his steadfastness of 

 purpose, his energy in the dissemination of chemical knowledge, and 

 in the foundation of a large chemical school at Sydney. 



The Senate of Sydney University have lately appointed 'a new 

 professor to take over Organic Chemistry and its applications. Pro- 

 fessor Kobinson will be among us next month, and I am sure that all 

 Australian chemists will welcome the presence of a new organic chemist 

 iu our midst. 



We aLso welcome back to Australia a Melbourne graduate, Dr. 

 Wilsmore, to the new Chair of Chemistry in Western Australia. 



Australia is now fairly well provided with Universities. At the 

 same time the amount of work that has to be coped with, by the 

 Universities leaves little time to the staffs for research work. There 

 is a feeling abroad now that University instruction should be 

 free, and be available for a very much larger number of students. 

 This vdW make the tasks of professors and other trachers increasingly 

 difficult, unless they are content to allow Universities to be simply 

 teaching institutions, and nothing more. What with teaching, cor- 

 respondence, and attending to the general tasks of University 

 administration, the attitude of mind necessary to the proper conduct 

 of research is in danger of being lost. Research can only be cultivated 

 with success when it is the chief business of a man's daily work, and 

 when it can be undertaken so that he is unharassed by much of tlie 

 routine work incidental to the control of a large teaching establishment. 



Originality and inspiration are rare quaUties, and if they are to be 

 found at all, they will be found in a serene and tranquil atmosphere, 

 where nothing that can disturb peace of mind and devotion to the 

 higher spheres of thought is allowed to enter. 



