260 J. H. MAIDEN. 
[At p. 148, ‘*Proc. Roy. Soc. Tas., 1913, Mr. Piesse quotes 
from Sir William Denison’s “‘Varieties of Vice-regal life.’’ 
In a letter to Sir Roderick Murchison, 25th June, 1856, 
Sir William wrote:— 
“T have got my Philosophical Society to work at last ...: I 
determined I would not be President of an effete body, so I called 
the members together, read a paper on Railroads, got them to 
agree to meet*regularly once a month for eight months in the 
year, and shall now, by the help of occasional papers from myself, 
and of suggestions to others, manage, I dare say, to generate, first 
an appetite for writing, and then a taste for observation, in order 
to have something to write about.” | 
First Meeting of the Philosophical Society of New South 
Wales in the Lecture-room of the School of Arts, Friday, 
9th May, 1856. His Excellency the Governor General, Sir 
William Denison, in the Chair. 
This being the first meeting of the Philosophical Society, 
His Excellency explained the steps which had been taken 
in forming it out of the previously-existing Australian 
Society (i.e., the 1850 Society.—J.H.M.) The follow- 
ing minute of that Society was read:— 
““At a meeting of the members of the Australian 
Society, held at the Royal Hotel, July 30th, 1855. 
“‘It was resolved, that the Society be remodelled 
under the title of the Philosophical Society of New 
South Wales. 7 
“That His Excellency Sir William Denison, Governor 
General, be requested to accept the office of President 
of the said Society. 
‘*That the office-bearers be—Vice-Presidents: The 
Honorable Sir Charles Nicholson, and the Honorable 
Edward Deas-Thomson. Treasurer: R. A. A: More- 
head, Hsq. Secretaries: H. G. Douglass, M.D.,; Cap- 
tain Ward, R.E.; Professor Smith, M.D. The Council: 
