xl 



qiiarie streets, now oecupied by the Athe- 

 iifBum Chib. In course of time this 

 building became overcrowded, and tb^ 

 Gorernment, on being applied' to, agreed 

 to grant a site and to erect a srritable 

 building for the preservation of the ra- 

 pidly increasing collection of specimens, 

 conrtitionally on the Eoyal Society con- 

 tributing the sum of iil,500. Dr. Milh- 

 gan, who was then Curator of the Mu- 

 seum, set to work to raise the money, and 

 very soon he succeeded in collecting near- 

 ly ^62,000 from the Fellows of the So- 

 ciety. This public-spirited action of 

 the Fellows deserves the highest com- 

 mendation. It was an unselfish and 

 splendid effort on their part to provide 

 a treasure house for the educational ad- 

 vantage of all who now or hereafter may 

 desire to become acquainted with the 

 scientific history of these southern lands. 

 In 1862 the first portion of the new build- 

 ing, that which stands at the angle of 

 Macquarie and Argyle streets, was com- 

 pleted. In 1883 it became necessary to 

 appoint a new curator and secretary, and 

 an excellent and very energetic officer was 

 obtained in the person of Mr. Morton, 

 then assistant curator of the Australian 

 Museum at Sydney. To his exertions is 

 due much of the success achieved by the 

 Tasmanian institution. (Applaxise.) In 

 1885 another advance was made. Up to 

 this date the Museum belonged to, and 

 had been maintained principally by, the 

 Royal Society, but it was felt that the 

 time had arrived when it should become 

 a national institution. Parliament 

 passed an Act vesting the Museum in 

 trustees for the public, and granted an 

 annual endowment, and also a sum of 

 Ji3,000 for an extension of the building. 

 I had the privilege of bringing in that 

 Act, and carrying it through the Hoixse 

 of Assembly. The c«rner-stone of the 

 extension was laid by Sir James Agnew 

 in December, 1886, and the new building 

 was opened for use by that good friend 

 to Tasmania, Sir Robert Hamilton, in 

 1888. It gave greater and much-needed 

 accommodation for the specimens be- 

 longing to the Museum, and also provid- 

 ed a room in which to begin the forma- 

 tion of a National Art Gallery. The first 

 presentation of valuable pictures to "■his 

 gallery was made by Miss Ada Wilson, 

 and since then this lady and her s'st'^r. 

 Miss Wilson, have presented other bf-an- 

 tiful and costly works, which he.ve be'^n 

 most highly appreciated. (Warm ap- 

 plause.) In passing, I may mention also 

 that many other generous donors have 

 presented pictures which delight all 

 lovera of art who visit the gallery. And 

 now I come to the present extension of 



the building, the corner-stone of which 

 will be laid to-day. Its frontage vill be 

 on Macquarie-street, as you see, and it 

 will provide a new Art Gallery of VJOft. 

 long, and also another room of equal 

 size, which is to be rised for the exhioi- 

 tion of Tasmanian specimens onlj-. At 

 the back there will be another room of 

 60ft. long, which will became a bur.;au of 

 information, and in which will be 

 exhibited trophies of Tasmanian indu"- 

 tries. When this extension is com- 

 pleted the Museum and Art Ga l.vy will 

 be a handsome addition to the public 

 buildings of Hobart, and a monument 

 to the perseverance of those who have 

 so ungrudgingly laboured among us to 

 promote scientific research and the study 

 of nature. In this respect TdSuisnia 

 justly can claim a proud place among the 

 Australian States. Our Royal Socaety is 

 the oldest Royal Society in th^si por- 

 tions of the Empire. Her late Majesty. 

 Queen Victoria, was its patron, ?rd hcn- 

 oxired it by the presentation of autogra- 

 phic copies of her own works. It 'iis in 

 no small degree contributed <o the scien- 

 tific knowledge of what has been called 

 the "Land of the Dawning." On its 

 roll of members there have b< en culered 

 many famous names, Sir .John I'ranl-rlln, 

 Sturt, Leichhardt, Sir Thomas Milcher, 

 Ross, Crozier, Gould, Sir loscpJi HouKer, 

 Strzelecki, and many ■ thers. Mc.st of 

 these have passed away, luL the;e are 

 left to us still others who are carrying 

 on the work with untiring devotion. It 

 is invidious to particularise, but I can- 

 not forbear to mention Mr. R. M. John- 

 ston and Mr. Thos. Stephens, as men 

 whose work is conspicuous in quality 

 and volume. And there is yet another 

 whose association with the Royal So- 

 ciety is so complete, and whose services 

 to it have been so great, that he stands 

 out pre-eminently. I refer to Sir James 

 Agnew. He has been a member of the 

 society from the beginning in 1841, and 

 during all the 60 years which have elaps- 

 ed since he has taken the keenest active 

 interest in its work, and often has given 

 lavishly of his wealth to aid the society 

 in promoting the intellectual culture of 

 the community. (Applause.) We owe 

 much to the Royal Society. It has ob- 

 tained for us by the subscriptions and 

 exertions of its members the Botanical 

 Gardens, the Museum and the Art Gal- 

 lery, and it has stimulated and encourag- 

 ed a love of art, the pursuit of scientific 

 knowledge, and a desire for a better un- 

 derstanding of tke wondrous works of na- 

 ture. I will now lay the corner-stone jf 

 the building, which, I think, is the first 

 public- one commenced in Tasmania since 



