316 



ANNUAL REPORT. 



The Council calls the attention of members to the incor- 

 poration of the Society which has been effected in its jubilee 

 year, and desires to review briefly the past history of the 

 Society. 



In the year 1853 a few gentlemen met in Adelaide for the 

 purpose of forming themselves into "The Adelaide Philosophi- 

 cal Society." The most prominent of these was the late Mr. 

 John Howard Clark, who was subsequently so well known 

 as one of the proprietors and editors of the "South Australian 

 Register." 



Dulling the next twenty years or so each Governor of the 

 province became, in turn, President of the Society, whilst 

 many of the leading citizens of Adelaide were enrolled in 

 its membership, including many well remembered professional 

 men. 



In the first year of its| existence the Society adopted a code 

 of laws, the first of which set out its aims as follows: — "The 

 Society shall be called the Adelaide Philosophical Society, 

 and shall have for its object the discussion of all subjects 

 connected with science, literatiire, and art." This programme 

 was fairly adhered to, but it is noticeable that the general 

 tendency of the papers was distinctly scientific, or of; a prac- 

 tical and industrial nature. In 1876 the late Professor 

 Ralph Tate, F.G.S., who had recently arrived in Adelaide 

 to take the Chair of Natural Science in the infant University, 

 joined the Society, and the next year was elected President. 

 This office he retained for two sessions, and in subsequent 

 years frequently occupied thei same honorable position. 



From this time, too, the Governor of the State accepted 

 the office of Patron. With the advent of Professor Tate 

 the whole work and objects of the Society were ex- 

 tended. The rules drawn up in 1878 show this, No. 2 read- 

 ing thus: — ^"The objects of the Society are the diffusion and 

 advancement of the arts and sciences by the meeting to- 

 gether of members for the reading and discussion of papers- 

 connected with the above subjects and by other approved 

 means." In 1879 permission was obtained for the Society 

 to assume the title of "Royal," and henceforth to be known 

 as "The Royal Society of South Australia." New rules were 

 adopted, and the work of the Society and the aims of its mem- 



