PRESIDENT’S ADDRESS. 5 
his is necessarily very limited, but in later generations 
there will probably be more to do so, for much of it is of 
the kind which will survive and keep his memory green. 
The Council has already sent a resolution of sympathy to 
Professor Parker’s family, and many other scientific bodies 
in Australia have also done so. 
Inasmuch as our aims and objects are similar to those 
of the British Association, our constitution having been 
framed upon the same lines, it appears to be both desirable 
and appropriate that our members should have some know- 
ledge of what the parent institution has done, and is doing ; 
hence, in the first instance, I wish to briefly draw your 
attention to it; next, to touch upon certain matters con- 
nected with the work of our own Association, for I think it 
is very important that such topics should be referred to in 
an address of this kind. The opening meeting of the session 
is almost the only opportunity, and it is certainly the most 
fitting occasion to review what we have accomplished and 
to consider what we might do for the advancement of 
science, especially as it 1s now ten years since we held our 
first and inaugural meeting in Sydney. Personally, I am 
inclined to think that matters of this sort are of even more 
importance to our members, particularly to the new ones, 
than an account of recent scientific discoveries, for such 
can only be given in a very bald way, and, moreover, they 
are duly chronicled in the scientific journals for the use of 
specialists, and some sort of account of them is given in 
magazines and newspapers for the benefit of the general 
reader, whereas but little is published in a collective form 
of the general work of such Associations as this. 
Following next in order I think of referring to certain 
other institutions for the advancement of science, and then 
finally to say something about certain recent discoveries and 
advances in chemistry. 
