138 ANNUAL MEETINGS 



from there, but about two-thirds of the whole party 

 proceeded to the Queensland capital, where the 

 second part of the presidential address in the Agricul- 

 tural Section, a departmental address on cosmical 

 physics, a citizens' lecture, two ordinary evening 

 discourses and two concluding discourses were 

 delivered, bringing the whole meeting to a close. 



It has been pointed out earlier in this chapter 

 that it is impossible fully to assess the scientific 

 results of any overseas meeting of the Association ; 

 and, for that matter, the same is true of any meeting 

 at home. But there are more data for doing so in 

 the case of the Australian meeting than others, and 

 it is therefore pertinent to adapt to the uses of this 

 record a substantial extract from the official narrative, 

 in which a number of commentators give some 

 indication of the scientific value and results of the 

 meeting, apart from the transactions in the lecture- 

 halls and section-rooms. 



' Throughout the sessions in the various centres, 

 in addition to the official meetings and excursions 

 [these were numerous and admirably arranged with 

 a view to scientific interests], special meetings, 

 discussions and expeditions, informal as well as 

 formal, were arranged by local men of science for 

 particular groups in the overseas party. On such 

 occasions (among which may be included the visits 

 paid to university laboratories, museums, and other 

 institutions by many of the party) problems for 

 investigation were pointed out and plans for future 

 research were suggested, of value to hosts and guests 

 alike, and it is not improbable that some of these 

 informal conferences may have as great a direct 

 effect upon the advancement of science in Australia 



