375 



ASTRONOMICAL SECTION 



OF THE 



gogal §ocktj3 of §outh ^iistriilm. 



FIRST ANNUAL REPORT. 



In presenting their first report the Committee of the Astro- 

 nomical Section desire to congratulate their fellow-members upon 

 the successful establishment of the society, which from the satis- 

 factory nature of the meetings Jield appears to have fully justified 

 its formation. 



The existence of the society dates from the 5th April, 1892, 

 when the first general meeting was held at the Observatory, and 

 the following officers were elected : — C. Todd, Esq., C.M.G., 

 M.A., F.R.S., &c., Government Astronomer, President; Messrs. 

 W. Holden and AV. Russell, Vice-Presidents; Mr. W. E. Chees- 

 man, Secretary ; Messrs. A. W. Dobbie, C. H. Harris, and Capt. 

 Lee, members of Committee. [Note. — The foregoing was inserted 

 by resolution at the annual meeting, 12th September. — AV. E. 

 Cheesman, Hon. Sec, etc.] A preliminary meeting had been 

 held during the previous February at which 20 names were given 

 in for membership. 



The inaugural address was delivered by the President at a 

 well-attended meeting on 14th June, 1892, since which time 

 various papers have been given at intervals of two months by 

 the following members : — 



Construction of the reflecting telescope, by Mr. Dobbie. 

 Irradiation as it affects astronomical oloservations, by Captain 



Lee. 

 What is a comet ? by Mr. Cooke. 

 A visit to the Royal Observatories of Greenwich and the 



Cape of Good Hope, by Mr. Sells. 

 Theory of the tides, by Mr. Kelly. 

 Photogrammetry, by Mr. Harris. 

 Abstracts of these have appeared in the daily papers. 

 At a Committee meeting, held on March 7th tliis year, the 

 draft report and balance-sheet were submitted, and held over, 

 pending a proposed alteration in the date of the annual meeting, 



