lii President's Address 



the interior of the Australian continent was extended by 

 the return of the expeditions under Walker, Landsborough, 

 M'Kinlay, and Howitt ; whilst at the very moment that the 

 last mournful honours were being paid in Melbourne to the 

 remains of Burke and Wills, that veteran explorer, M'Douall 

 Stuart arrived in Adelaide to receive from our South Austra- 

 lian fellow-colonists that enthusiastic welcome which his 

 indomitable energy and perseverance, in literally cutting his 

 way, — after repeated failures,— to the northern coast, so 

 richly deserved. 



The great work of explorabion was thus brought to a 

 close in 1862 — for a time at any rate — possibly (if such an 

 allusion be permissible) until it is more clearly ascertained 

 whether overland communication with Western Australia — 

 which alone remains to be accomplished by a practicable 

 route — be desirable or not. 



In like manner, another of the tasks on which the leading 

 members of the Society had bestowed so much care and 

 attention — the fitting representation, namely, of the products, 

 resources, and civilization of Victoria, at the great Interna- 

 tional Exhibition — culminated during the year in a triumph 

 for which this community is deeply indebted to this Society, 

 but notably so to one of our vice-presidents, Sir Redmond 

 Barry, whose indefatigable exertions in the cause of science 

 and art were never more conspicuously displayed than 

 throughout his recent visit to Europe. 



Under circumstances such as those adverted to, it was not 

 unnatural that a certain degree of inactivity should peivade 

 the proceedings of the Society in other matters, nor that the 

 list of papers read at its ordinary meetings should be shorter 

 than in preceeding years ; yet so marked a falling off as 

 occurred cannot, I must confess, be thus satisfactorily ac- 

 counted for, but must be referred to the cause touched on in 

 my last address — the delay and uncertainty attending the 



