OO T. P. ANDERSON STUAET. 



for it was as a lucid expositor, a brilliant lecturer, that he made 

 his way to fame. To him is due much of that general interest in 

 science which is a feature of our times. 



Dr. Leibius was a familiar figure in this hall, for during twelve 

 years he did yeoman service as joint honorary secretary, in 1891 

 he filled the Presidential Chair, and at the time of his death 

 was Honorary Treasurer. We have thus a continuous service of 

 some fifteen years, and to him for his careful and assiduous work 

 in its early days much of the present success of the Society is 

 owing. At the time of his death he had been Senior Assay er at 

 the Sydney Branch of the Royal Mint for thirty-four years, and 

 this position together with his genial manner and the enthusiastic 

 thoroughness with which Dr. Leibius set about everything he 

 undertook, contributed to make him what he must ever remain to 

 us — one of the founders of the Society. It was indeed a sad 

 coincidence — was it merely a coincidence? — that took Dr. Leibius 

 from us so soon after we had lost his respected chief, the Deputy 

 Master, Mr. Robert Hunt, who also must be regarded as a founder 

 of the Society. Dr. Leibius really never was himself after Mr. 

 Hunt's death, so greatly did he feel the loss of one who was more 

 friend than master. I cannot speak of the one without thinking 

 of the other, and of both I have personally the most grateful 

 recollections on account of the kindly relations maintained between 

 us from my first days in the Colony to the last days of their lives. 

 And I am not the only one here who can say the same. 



Meetings. — There have been eight general meetings at which 

 no less than thirty-six papers were read, by far the largest number 

 ever read in a session, the nearest to it being the preceding year, 

 when, however, only twenty-two papers were read. The average 

 attendance of members was forty-two, and of visitors four. This 

 likewise was a great increase, for the highest average of attend- 

 ance before this year was in 1890, when the average was a little 

 over thirty-six members and five visitors. Thus both in the 

 number of papers read and persons present the past year has 

 shown a considerable advance on any previous year. 



