lxxvi President's Address 



on by Mr. Brough Smyth, at the Crown Lands Office, and 

 Professor Neumayer had just at that time arrived in Mel- 

 bourne, furnished with sets of instruments both for carrying 

 on a systematic series of magnetical observations and for 

 conducting a magnetic survey of the colony. 



The Committee recommended the establishment of an 

 Observatory in the Royal Park, in which these three branches 

 of science should be carried on under one superintendence. 

 After specifying in detail the instruments, buildings, and 

 personal staff requisite for carrying the recommendation into 

 effect, the Committee added : — 



" We wish it to be borne in mind, that in recommending 

 to the Government the establishment of an Observatory, 

 the Philosophical Institute (which was the title at that time 

 of our present Royal Society) is not asking anything for 

 itself, but is only coming forward to urge upon the Govern- 

 ment to undertake in its own way, what it believes to be a 

 great national work." 



Though this recommendation met with no immediate 

 response, beyond a verbal expression of approval on the part 

 of the Chief Secretary, still in due time it bore its fruits. 



Ample funds were supplied to Professor Neurnayer, by the 

 Legislature of Victoria, for carrying out an elaborate system 

 of magnetical and meteorological observations, extending 

 over a period of five years, and also for completing a 

 magnetic survey of the colony. 



The Astronomical Observatory at Williamstown, also 

 received additional instruments, and the buildings were 

 rendered somewhat more suitable for the purposes of the 

 observer. 



As the expenditure on these institutions increased with 

 their growth, it was considered necessary that there should 

 be some supervision, which, without interfering with the 

 individual exertions of the gentlemen in charge of the 



