HISTORY OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF NEW SOUTH WALES. 259 
In Vol. 1x (1875) the year of election was inserted against 
the names of members for the first time, thus the year 1850 
is given before the names of Rev. W. B. Clarke, 1852 before 
that of Prof. John Smith, 1856 before that of Charles Moore 
and R. A. A. Morehead. In the list for 1880 this was 
changed to 1850 in the case of the last two names. Mr. 
Morehead was, indeed, the Treasurer of the 1850 Society. 
10. The Philosophical Society of New South Wales, (30th 
July, 1855 —12th December, 1866). 
(N.B.—The notes under Nos. 10 and 11 consist of unpub- 
lished abstracts from the Minutes of the Society from 1855 
to 1875, with annotations). 
On the occasion of the first meeting (after its foundation) 
of the Philosophical Society of New South Wales, held on 
9th May, 1856, His Excellency the Governor-General (Sir 
William Denison), ‘‘explained the steps which had been 
taken in forming it out of the previously existing Australian 
Society (the 1850 Society). The following minute of that 
Society was read:—*‘At a meeting of the members of the 
Australian Society, held at the Royal Hotel, July 30th 
1855, (this is the true birthday of the Society.—J.H.M.) It 
was resolved that the Society be remodelled under the 
title of the Philosophical Society of New South Wales.”’ 
There were other resolutions as to office-bearers. 
At the first meeting of the Philosophical Society, it was 
formally declared that “‘the Australian Society thereupon 
merged into the one now inaugurated.’’ In other words, 
the Philosophical Society was a remodelling of a Society 
founded in 1850. 
The language is quite explicit, and was uttered to people 
who were contemporary with the events, and members of 
the Societies concerned. I will proceed to give the 
minutes at length, for they have historic importance. 
