PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS. 5 
the age of 67 years. He was born in Westmeath, Ireland, 
m 1850, and came to New South Wales with his parents 
whilst still an infant. He was a well-known man in public 
life and, for eleven years in all, sat as a member of the 
Legislative Assembly. As a legislator, he took an active 
interest in bird protection, as well as in law reform and 
land legislation. He was admitted as a solicitor in 1874, 
and for three or four years was chairman of directors of 
the Insurance Office of Australia. 
Honours Conferred For War Services. 
It is with great pride that we are able to refer to high 
honours conferred on two of our members for services ren- 
dered on the Western Front in France. 
Lieutenant-Colonel (now Colonel) JoHN SmirH PurRDY, 
Army Medical Corps, was announced in the Commonwealth 
of Australia Gazette, No. 219, of December 20, 1917 (Lon- 
don Gazette, August, 1917), as being the recipient of the 
Distinguished Service Order ‘‘for conspicuous gallantry 
and devotion to duty. Although continually under shell 
fire for seven days, he exercised close personal supervision 
over the evacuation of the wounded, and by his own ex- 
ample of courage and disregard of danger he animated all 
ranks with a similar attitude of mind. His work during 
preliminary preparations displayed the same untiring en- 
ergy and devotion to duty.’’ 
Major T. W. EpgkwortH Davin, as announced in the 
daily press of January 2nd, 1918, has also been awarded 
the Distinguished Service Order. So far it has not been 
possible to obtain the record of the specially distinguished 
service of which this honour was the recognition. 
It is very pleasing to note that in the first list of 
Knights Commander of the Order of the British Empire, 
appointed in August last, appears the name of Professor 
RicuHarp THRELFALL. Sir Richard was for many years a 
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