354 J. H. MAIDEN. 
and awards have been made to date. This is the only 
medal now awarded by the Society. 
The Society offered its medal and money prize of £25 for 
the best communication (provided it be of sufficient merit), 
containing the results of original research or observation 
upon various subjects published annually. The first award 
was made in 1884, and the last in 1896. 
Australian Association for the Advancement of Science. 
At the monthly meeting of the Royal Society of New 
South Wales of Ist August, 1866, Professor Smith (who 
was in the chair) said that ‘“‘ he had no doubt that at some 
future time there would be an Australian Association for 
the Advancement of Science, but he did not suppose we 
had the material for it yet.”” His remarks will be seen at 
p. 309. They were in connection with a proposal for a 
Scientific Congress, to be held with the Intercolonial 
Exhibition (Melbourne 1866-7), the Official Record! of 
which was published in 1867. The Rev. Dr. Bleasdale and 
Mr. Knight (the Secretary of the Exhibition) were present 
at the meeting, and the former showed his well-known 
Victorian gems. 
The actual foundation of such an Association (called 
Australasian) we owe to Professor Liversidge in the year 
1888, and the preliminary steps, undertaken a few years 
earlier, are recounted by Mr. H. C. Russell, the first 
President of the Association, at p. 8 of his inaugural address 
(Vol. 1, Rep. ‘‘Aust. Assoc. Adv. Science.’’) Professor 
Smith’s words are worth recording, however. 
1 This contains some valuable, but little known New South Wales, 
‘scientific reports, e.g., a. ‘On the progress and present state of astro- 
nomical science in New South Wales,” by John Tebbutt, Junior. 5. 
“Remarks on the sedimentary formations of New South Wales,” by Rev. 
W.B. Clarke. c. “New South Wales coal-fields,’ by W. Keene. d. 
“Australian Vertebrata (Recent and Fossil),” by G. Kreft. 
