INAUaURAL ADDRESS. 17 



" The earliest local geological observer, who largely 

 extended our information, was the late Dr. Joseph Milligan. 

 Between the years 1851 and 1855 he contributed no less than 

 fifteen papers on geological subjects, the most important of 

 which were his four ' Reports on the Coal Basins of Tas- 

 mania.' In 1855 Mr. Selwyn examined the coal seams 

 described by Dr. Milligan, and, while confirming the accuracy 

 of Dr. Milligan's observations, he contributed original matter 

 which was of great service in determining the stratigraphic 

 relationship of the rocks associated with our Mesozoic coal 

 measures. 



"In the year 1860 the Colony was fortunate in securing 

 the services of Mr. Charles Gould as Government Geologist. 

 Mr. Gould entered upon his labours with energy and enthu- 

 siasm. He penetrated the hitherto unknown regions of the 

 western highlands and the north-eastern district, and, amid 

 the greatest hardship and privations, he carried on the work 

 of exploration, which subsequently enabled iiim to map with 

 considerable accuracy the chai'acteristic rock formations and 

 the important mineral regions of a very great portion of the 

 Colony. Of special value are his chart and reports on the 

 metalliferous rocks of the west and north-eastern districts of 

 Tasmania, and to these are we indebted for the first clear 

 revelation of the nature and distribution of gold-bearing and 

 other metalliferous rocks, and, even now, the charts and cut 

 tracks of Mr. Gould are of the greatest benefit to mining 

 explorers and others ; and, although his efforts to find payable 

 gold or other minerals were not altogether successful, they 

 were of sufficient value to direct the steps of subsequent 

 explorers, and a large number of our subsequent discoveries 

 of valuable minerals are in some measure due to the pioneer 

 work done by Mr. Gould. Mr. Gould's services unfor- 

 tunately were not permanently retained, but during the 

 fourteen years in which he was more or less actively engaged 

 in geological investigations he contributed a large part of 

 what is now generally known of the stratigraphy and 

 mineralogy of our rocks. He published no less than twenty- 

 one reports or papers, with coloured charts, some of them 

 very elaborate, and, when his services were dispensed with, 

 he was engaged ujjon a most interesting survey of the western 

 part of Tasmania, and had it been continued, it is certain that 

 he would have done much to solve the riddle of that vast 

 series of rocks of Archaean, Cambrian, and Silurian age, 

 rich in minerals, lying between the Gordon Bend and 



