a-TJIID E 



TO THE 



AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM. 



I. 



INTRODUCTION. 



The Australian Museum was founded in the year 1836. It was 



originally connected with the Botanic Gardens, and was located 



in a room in Macquarie Street. It was managed by a Committee, 



which in 1837 consisted of Alexander Macleay, Esq., J. V. 



Thompson, Esq., Capt. P. P. King, R.^., Hon. E. D. Thompson, 



M.C, Charles Sturt, Esq., George Macleay, Esq., with George 



Bennett, Esq., as Secretary. In the year 1837, also, the first 



catalogue of the exhibits was published. From this it appears 



that there were at that time in the Museum — 43 Specimens of 



Mammals; 348 of Birds; 21 of Reptiles; 215 of Insects; 25 of 



Shells ; 34 of Skulls ; 63 of Fossils and Minerals ; 55 of Native 



Implements, etc.. 804 in all, besides some collections of Fossils 



not enumerated. 



The Museum was soon afterwards removed to the Surveyor- 

 General's Office in Bridge Street, where it remained till 1849, in 

 which year it was again removed to its present site at the corner 

 of William and College Streets. The building at this time 

 consisted of one room with a gallery. It still exists as the 

 " Old Wing " of the present Museum. 



B 



D. H, HILL LIBRARY 



North Carolina State College 



