lx Annual Report. 



Many of these have already interchanged " Transactions " with us, 

 and both the library and museum have been enriched during the 

 past year •with valuable donations. 



The members of the Institute will be aware that the Hall of the 

 new buildings of the Institute is now completed, in which for the 

 future the meetings will be held. The Hall will also afford tempo- 

 rary accommodation for the museum, and other property of the 

 Institute, and supply the necessary accommodation for sectional 

 meetings. Your Council hopes to be able at no distant date to 

 carry out another portion of the original design, so as to afford 

 facilities to those members desirous of prosecuting experimental 

 science, and enable the sections of the Institute in this depart- 

 ment to carry out their researches successfully. The Institute having 

 now obtained a hall of its own, is in a position to receive and pre- 

 serve and render available such contributions as may be presented 

 to the museum and library. 



The Council desires to acknowledge the valuable services gratui- 

 tously rendered by Joseph Reed, Esq., in the erection of the Hall. The 

 Council would suggest to the Institute that it should mark its 

 sense of such services by presenting Mr. Reed with a life-member- 

 ship, and that the same course should be adopted in the case of the 

 artist whose pencil adorns our Hall. 



In addition to the Committees of last year, your Council would 

 invite special attention to those on the three following topics, 

 embracing as they do subjects of vital importance to the colony at 

 large, and falling peculiarly within the scope of the Institute, viz. : — 

 The Committee appointed to inquire into the resources of the colony ; 

 the Committee for carrying out the Exploration of the Interior of 

 the Australian continent ; and the Committee to take into considera- 

 tion the subject of "Prize Essays." The report of the first is 

 expected about the end of January next (vide Appendix). The 

 second has been engaged in raising funds and taking other pre- 

 liminary steps for bringing their main object to a successful issue. 



The private subscriptions towards the " Exploration Fund " amount 

 to nearly £2500, sufficient to secure the £1000 conditionally offered 

 by a citizen of Melbourne, who desires that his name should remain 

 unknown. In addition to this the Government have placed on the 

 estimates the sum of £6000. In reference to the third, the Com- 

 mittee will shortly report on the subjects deemed most important, 

 and on the premiums to be awarded for the essays, towards which 

 the Government have placed the sum of £600 sterling at the disposal 

 of the Council of the Institute. 



The following Officers and Members of Council will retire, in 

 accordance with Law X., next March, viz. : — 



The President, Dr. Mueller; the Vice-Presidents, Dr. Iffla and the 

 Rev. J. I. Bleasdale; the Treasurer, Professor Irving : the Secre- 

 tary, John Macadam, Esq., M.D., M.L.A. ; and the six senior 



