ANNIVERSAKY ADDKESS. 45 



eagerness and competition among cities often much smaller than 

 Sydney in the endeavour to secure the advantages of the presence 

 of the Association at the next meeting. The American Association 

 has I believe the same experience — everywhere welcome — and 

 other science congresses of Europe and America can tell the same 

 tale. 



I am afraid that the attitude referred to is largely adopted by 

 the public generally. I ask therefore to what is it due ? The 

 consideration of the question has led me to the following obser- 

 vations : — 



There is a total misconception as to what science is. Many 

 people fancy that it is a collection of fads, an unreality, an un- 

 practical occupation which amuses perhaps in a harmless sort Of 

 way, but which is rather contemptible than otherwise. They con- 

 nect it with the mere catching of butterflies, collecting way-side 

 weeds or perhaps starfish on the sea shore. 



There are other people who unless they see immediate gain to 

 themselves are content to let others work in the field of science 

 and lend no helping hand. As regards occupations they prefer 

 those which, they say pay, and as regards amusement — well, they 

 are quite satisfied with the usual outdoor amusements for which 

 our climate is so well fitted and which do not fatigue the brain. 

 Other people again look upon science as something very abstruse 

 and beyond their comprehension. 



The term " Science " embraces nearly all real knowledge, which 

 goes to the culture of the individual, and especially systematic 

 knowledge, and in repudiating science a man repudiates what 

 really places him above the level of the savage. When he does 

 so, he does not in fact recognise how much scientific knowledge 

 he is himself in possession of, or to how much he is indebted to 

 scientific work for the use and enjoyment of all those comforts 

 which are supposed to make life worth living, and certainly are 

 the chief instruments in raising our civilisation above that of the 

 past ages. 



