TRANSACTIONS OF THE SECTIONS. 
Section A.—MATHEMATICAL AND PHYSICAL SCIENCE. 
PRESIDENT “OF THE SECTION: 
Professor F. T. Trouton, M.A., Sce.D., F.B.S. 
MELBOURNE. 
VRIDAY, AUGUST 14. 
In the absence of the President, his Address was read by Professor 
A. W. Porter, F.R.S. :— 
We have lost since the last meeting of the Section several distinguished members 
who have in the past added so much to the usefulness of our discussions. These 
include Sir Robert Ball, who was one of our oldest attendants, and was President 
of the Section at the Manchester Meeting in 1887; Professor Poynting, who was 
President of the Section at Dover in 1899; and Sir David Gill, who was 
President of the Association. at Leicester in 1907. 
It seems appropriate at this meeting in the City of Melbourne to mention one 
who passed away from his scientific labours somewhat previous to the last meet- 
ing. I allude to W. Sutherland of ‘this city, whose writings have thrown so 
much light on Molecular Physics and whose scientific perspicacity was only 
equalled by his modesty. 
This meeting of the British Association will be a memorable one as being 
indicative, as it were, of the scientific coming of age of Australia. Not that the 
maturity of Australian science was unknown to those best able to judge; indeed 
the fact could not but be known abroad, for in England alone there are many 
workers in science hailing from Australia and New Zealand, who have enhanced 
science with their investigations and who hold many important scientific posts 
in that country. In short, one finds it best nowadays to ask of any young 
investigator if he comes from the Antipodes. 
This speaks well for the Universities and their staffs, who have so successfully 
set the example of scientific investigation to their pupils. 
Radio-activity and kindred phenomena seem to have attracted them most of 
late years, and it would perhaps have been appropriate to have shortly reviewed 
in this address our knowledge in these subjects, to which the sons of Australasia 
have so largely contributed. 
Twenty-five years ago FitzGerald and others were speculating on the possi- 
bility of unlocking and utilising the internal energy of the atom. Then came the 
epoch-making discovery of Becquerel, to be followed by the brilliant work of 
Rutherford and others showing us that no key was required to unlock this 
energy—the door lay open. 
We have still facing us the analogous case of a hitherto untapped source of 
energy arising from our motion through the ether. All attempts, it is true, to 
realise this have failed, but nevertheless he would be a brave prophet who would 
