224 J. H. MAIDEN, 
cult now to form any idea of the condition of society in 
Australia when Sir Thomas Brisbane landed, and nothing 
but the habit of disregarding difficulties, which a long 
military experience had taught him, would have made it 
possible in his mind, to form a scientific society under such 
circumstances. He landed at the end of November, entered 
upon his official duties on December 1, 1821,7 and by 
January 2 following, he had found out the only scientific 
men in the colony, formed them into the Philosophical 
Society of Australia, and had the first paper read. But 
with all his enthusiasm he soon found that a small army of 
scientific workers was not so manageable as the armies he 
had been accustomed to.” . . . 
But although the strong individuality and preponderating 
official position of the Governor, who was a distinguished 
scientific man, enabled him to start a strictly scientific 
Society, it was not long before, as has been already shown, 
that it had to lean on the stronger arm of the Agricultural 
Society founded in 1822. 
To show that there was no antagonism between the two 
earliest Societies, it is sufficient to point out that the 
Governor (Sir Thomas Brisbane), Major Goulburn, Judge 
Barron Field, Alex. Berry, Dr. H. G. Douglass, and Captain 
P. P. King, R.N., were office-bearers of both. 
No history of scientific activities in New South Wales 
would be complete without reference to the work of the 
Agricultural and Horticultural Societies, particularly dur- 
ing the times of suspended animation of those usually 
considered as precursors of the Royal Society of New 
South Wales. 
1 The Society must have been founded in December 1821, otherwise a 
paper could hardly have been read before it on the 2nd January following. 
With an autocratic Governor, and a small community, events could move 
very rapidly.—J.J41.M. 
ay, Pew ae 
