ANNIVERSARY ADDRESS. 33 



growth, that lived during this period. Their fossil remains, 

 associated with those of crocodiles, were found in abundance at 

 Cuddie Springs on the Gilgoin Station, near Brewarina j and 

 recently my geological collector, Mr. Charles Cullen, through the 

 kind permission of Mr. M 'Donald of the Myall Creek Station, 

 near fttngera, has obtained from an alluvial deposit a unique and 

 splendid collection of fossil bones which I am sure would more 

 than gladden the eyes of that eminent Palaeontologist, Sir Richard 

 Owen, to whom we are so deeply indebted for our knowledge of 

 the interesting life history of the Pleistocene period in Australia. 



The question will, no doubt, be asked by many, How is it 

 that such remarkable animals existed in numbers throughout 

 Australia at this period, and that, with the exception of a few 

 species, they have since become extinct 1 Geology gives the 

 answer, and Astronomy, in reference to the Earth's relation to 

 its orbit, helps to explain it. The alluvial deposits of diluvial 

 origin forming our vast Western Plains ; those high terrace 

 banks of gravel along our river valleys ; the deeply eroded ravines 

 carved out on the sides of our mountains — all plainly tell of a 

 time of great rainfall since the Pliocene period. The heavy 

 precipitation then covered Mount Kosciusco and other of our Alpine 

 peaks with perenial snow ; strong rivers coursed down the valleys, 

 and their flood-waters, reaching the low-lying country and 

 becoming confluent, spread out far and wide over it and deposited 

 their burden of muddy sediment to form the level plains of the 

 western interior, over extensive portions of which the highest 

 floods of to-day never reach, and wells or artificial reservoirs have 

 now to be made to supply water for stock. We all know of the 

 rich pasturage that appears in this country in a favourable season. 

 I have recently had the pleasure of travelling over the " Stony 

 Desert," where the gallant explorer Sturt was so long shut in by 

 the drought. I found its stony character truly described ; but 

 the stones were almost hidden from view by the splendid growth 

 of herbage after the late rains ; the long grass waved as the wind 

 passed over it, and the whole country was brilliant with wild 



C-May 2, 1888. 



