2 INAUGURAL ADDRESS. 



It is of special interest at the present time to look back to 

 the events which first led our founder to take action. In 1884 

 Mr. Caldwell, a Scottish naturalist, who was then pursuing investi- 

 gations in Australia, observed the oviparous character of the 

 platypus, and this important discovery was communicated by 

 cable to the British Association, then holding its meeting in 

 Montreal. Great interest was aroused, and this led to talk about 

 the chances of a visit by the British Association to Australia at 

 some future date. The difficulties of time and cost, however, were 

 then deemed insuperable, and Professor Liversidge, in a letter 

 to the Sydney Press (of September the i6th, 1884) wrote as follows : 



"Therefore, instead of looking for a near visit from the 

 Association, I would suggest that we should rather be preparing 

 the way for issuing an invitation later on . . . and, as a pre- 

 liminary step, . . . that we might try to bring about a 

 federation or union of the members of the various scientific societies 

 in Australia, Tasmania and New Zealand into an Australasian 

 Association for the Advancement of Science on the lines of the 

 British Association." 



No immediate action followed ; but Professor Liversidge again 

 bestirred himself two years later and brought about a meeting 

 of delegates which soon carried out his scheme. 



Two important facts are clearly proved by 'the letter I have 

 just quoted. The first is that our Association was formed 

 avowedly as a first step towards securing a visit by the British 

 Association to Australia ; and to this I shall refer again later. 

 The second is that the British Association was, from the outset, 

 adopted as our model. It is indeed the parent of many yourger 

 and lesser Associations in other parts of the world. Most of these 

 have histories as yet comparatively uneventful ; but each, like 

 ours, can claim share in a glorious heritage and draw from the 

 records of the great parent Association that inspiration which niay 

 help to make its own future fame. Our very title proclaims our 

 descent and our desire to carry on the traditions of our parent. 

 And what story can we read in the parental name itself ? 



"The British Association for the Advancement of Science " 

 clearly implies a dual intention on the part of its founders. It is 

 often said that Science knows no nationality. If this means that 

 the pursuit of knowledge is the common right of mankind, and 

 that truth, when found, belongs to all men, irrespective of political 

 boundaries and national enmities, it is a principle unassailable. 



