PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS. 9 



Knight Bachelor. Throughout his life Sir Philip commanded 

 the affection, respect and esteem of all who came in con- 

 tact with him, and was always a power for good. 



Robert Hamilton Mathews, who died at Parramatta 

 on the 22nd May, 1918, had been a member of the Society 

 for forty-three years, having joined in 1875. During this 

 period he contributed twenty-eight papers, chiefly on 

 matters relating to the Australian Aborigines, on which 

 subject he was an acknowledged authority. The most of 

 his information was obtained by personal interviews with 

 the natives themselves. By profession, Mr. Mathews was 

 a Licensed Surveyor, and, in the 'Seventies,' carried out 

 many surveys for the Mines Department, especially during 

 the boom days of the tin mining on northern New England. 

 He was employed for a long time by the Lands Department, 

 both in this State and in Queensland, and it was while 

 carrying out his surveying duties in remote country dis- 

 tricts that much of his information concerning the aborigines 

 was obtained. Mr. Mathews held many medals and 

 diplomas from the principal anthropological and ethno- 

 logical societies of the world, including the silver medal 

 {Prix Godard) of the Anthropological Society of Prance, 

 and the bronze medal of the Royal Society of New South 

 Wales, for papers on aboriginal rock paintings and carvings. 

 He was a magistrate for the States of Queensland, South 

 Australia, and New South Wales for close on twenty years, 

 and the author of the handbook, " Magisterial Inquiries," 

 which ran into several editions. 



Charles Henry Myles, who died on 11th May, 1918, 

 was one of the oldest members of the Society, having been 

 elected in 1876. His life was rather, in the commercial 

 than the scientific world, and he was a director of various 

 business institutions. In maintaining his membership for 

 forty-two years his object was to support science which 



