620 



(b) Inception of the Society. 



The Society was founded on January 10, 1853. 



On the afternoon of that date five prominent citizens of 

 Adelaide met at the house of Mr. J. L. Young, in Stephen's 

 Place, hardly a stone's throw from this building, for the 

 purpose of establishing a Society "for the discussion of all 

 subjects connected with literature and arts." 



John HoMrard Clark occupied the chair at this preliminary 

 meeting, and there were also present: Messrs. J. L. Young, 

 C. G. Feinaigle, — Jones, and Dr. William Gosse. 



Three of these names, viz., that of J. H. Clark, a former 

 editor of The Register ; J. L. Young, the Principal of a well- 

 known scholastic institution ; and Dr. Gosse are still well 

 remembered. 



Mr. Jones apparently did not attend any further meetings 

 that year, and his name does not appear on the list of members 

 published in 1854. His identity is probably lost in the mists 

 of time. 



The fifth man, (^) Charles Gregory Feinaigle, was the 

 originator of the scheme, and as such claims our consideration. 

 His residence in South Australia was of short duration, and 

 consequently he is comparatively unknown in this State. I am 

 indebted for much of the following information concerning 

 him to the courtesy of the librarians of the Melbourne and 

 Mitchell Libraries : — 



He was born in 1818, and graduated B.A., Trinity 

 College, Dublin, in 1839. The date of his arrival in Adelaide 

 is uncertain, but his name appears for the first time in the 

 South Australian Almanac for 1851, as Headmaster of the 

 High School, on the S. A Company's premises, North Terrace. 

 This was a proprietary school, apparently just founded, with 

 shares at £5 each. J. L. Young arrived in October, 1850, and 

 his first position was that of Assistant-master in the High 

 School. In 1851 both these young men were seized with the 

 gold fever and went to the Victorian diggings. After an 

 absence of several months Young returned, and was induced 

 to open a school in Ebenezer Place, off Rundle Street East, 

 but the movements of Feinaigle are not chronicled. From the 

 facts already related, it is evident that he returned to 

 Adelaide before the beginning of January, 1853. He occupied 

 the chair, and read a paper on "The Mathematical Theory of 

 Musical Harmony on April 25 of that year, and is mentioned 

 in the First Annual Report, January, 1854, as ''being now 

 absent from the colony." For many years thereafter his 



(1) J. H. Clark in report of meetino- of Philos. Society in Tltc 

 Begistcr, 23/9/63. 



