THK WOMBAT. 



at least another twenty years. But it was otherwise ordained, and 

 it remains for us to see to it that his work is not forgotten, and 

 that a fitting memorial is erected to his memory. 



The late professor was born at Alnwick, Northumberland, in 

 March, 1840, and as a lad he showed his bent towards natural 

 history, and distinguished himself early by gaining prizes and 

 exhibitions, which assisted in the completion of his training. He 

 then undertook teaching work for a time, and gained experience 

 therein that ever after stood him in good stead. He conducted 

 geological classes at the Polytechnic Institution, and was 

 subsequently senior science master in the Trade and Mining 

 School at Bristol ; for three years after he conducted schools of 

 science in the North of Ireland. In 1864 he was appointed 

 curator to the Geological Society of London, having been elected a 

 Fellow in 1861. During this time he also conducted science 

 teaching in London. In 1867 he visited Central America, where 

 he had splendid opportunities of furthering his studies in geology 

 and natural history, and, needless to say, he availed himself of 

 them to the full. Returning to England, after having visited other 

 parts of America en route, he made Durham his headquarters, and 

 there gaVe science instruction. 



In 1875 the Elder Professorship of Natural History at the 

 Univei>ity of Adelaide was founded, and Ralph Tate was the 

 successful applicant ; this position ho held till his death in 

 September last, and it speaks volumes for the man that he was 

 not only able to keep abreast with the rapid advances of science 

 generally, but that he acted as a leader in his own particular lines, 

 especially palaeontology and botany. In England he was best 

 known for his palteontological work on the Lias fossils and for his 

 appendix to Woodward's " Manual of Mollusca." In Australia he 

 has been best known for his tertiary palseontology and conchological 

 and botanical researches. He always endeavoured to advance the 

 study of natural science, and was amongst the first in founding the 

 Royal Society ot South Australia (or, as it was originally known, 

 the Philosophical Society), being its first president. He has also 

 occupied very prominent positions at the meetings of the 

 Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science, having 

 held the presidential chair of the Biological Section at the first 

 meeting in Sydney in 1888, and of the Geological Section in 

 Melbourne in 1900, and the presidency of the association in 

 Adelaide in 1893, 



He was a member, or corresponding member, of numerous 

 Australian and English scientific societies, and his work as a 

 scientist has been recognised by the award of the balance of the 

 proceeds of the " Murchieon Fund" by the Geological Society of 

 London in 1874, and of the Clarke Memorial Medal by the Royal 

 Society of New South Wales in 1892. 



