president's address. 9 



■of those wlio wish to form an Australasian Association in 188S, 

 and I shall be glad if those who are in favour of it will kindly 

 send me their names." " If the proposed Austi'alasian Association 

 for the advancement of science should really become an accom- 

 plished fact, as I hope it will, the first meeting should I think, 

 be held in 1888," and he then sketched an outline of the rules 

 for it, based on those of the Britisli Association. On June 30, 

 1886, came the first support to his proposal ; the council of tlie 

 Koyal Society of New South Wales resolved to take a part in 

 furthering these views, then promises of support came in from 

 the other colonies. Thereupon in July, 1886, he sent a circular 

 to the presidents of the various Australasian Societies, telling 

 them that his proposal had been favourably received, and request- 

 ing them to appoint members of their council or delegates to 

 represent them at a meeting of such delegates from various 

 societies as soon as possible. The number of representatives 

 or delegates from each society was to be one for eacli 

 100 members. On July 28, 1886, the Royal Society of 

 New South Wales appointed five delegates ; 34 other 

 Societies agreed to join, and 28 appointed delegates for tlie 

 meeting, which was called for 10th November, 1886. At the 

 meeting 16 delegates were present — 7 from New South Wales, 

 2 from New Zealand, 2 from Queensland, 5 from Victoria. They 

 framed and adopted the provisional rules which we now have, 

 and which are the British Association rules altered to suit our 

 circumstances. It was resolved that the President, Hon. Secre- 

 taries, and Hon. Treasurer should be elected by ballot from the 

 representatives of the colony in which the meeting is to be held, 

 and the Presidents of sections from members in the other colonies, 

 and that the first election shall be held in Sydney in March, 1888 ; 

 and further, that the first meeting should be held in the beginning 

 of September, 1888, in Sydney. Special appeal was then made in 

 the daily press to all who intended to join the Society to send in 

 their names, so that they might be eligible for election to the 

 official positions, officers for which had to be elected by ballot, 

 and the elections were delayed as long as possible to give everyone 

 time to join. The delegates were called together, and met on Marcli 

 7, 1888, and they elected — H. C. Russell, B.A., F.R.S., President; 

 Prof. Liversidge, M.A. F.R.S., and Dr. George Bennett, F.L.S., 

 Hon. Secretaries; and Sir Edward Strickland, K.C.B., Hon. 

 Treasurer. Since then the Council, composed of the delegates 

 from the various Societies taking part in the work, have held 13 

 meetings, and have found plenty to do in arranging the details 

 for the meeting, electing Vice-Presidents, Presidents, and Secre- 

 taries of sections, collecting papers to be read, ttc, for this meeting, 

 and have caused to be .sent out 6000 circulai-s to members of 

 Scientific Societies in Australia ; they have, in fact, been sent to 

 evei'y member whose address was known to them, and thinking it 



