ANNIVERSARY ADDRESS. 35 



soils; the occurrence of corals, shells, and other organic remains; — 

 results of observations upon these would, if recorded, not only 

 enable this Society to diffuse information for the interpretation 

 of phenomena observed in connection with the previous Geological 

 periods, but they would be of practical value in reference to the 

 beneficial occupation of the country by man. 



It is only in the Recent deposits that human remains have 

 been found in Australia ; so that the advent of man upon this 

 Continent does not appear to be of very ancient elate. At 

 Bodalla, a stone hatchet has been found at a depth of fourteen 

 feet below the surface ; and at Long Bay, near Coogee, Messrs. T. 

 "W. Edge worth David, and Efcheridge discovered a portion of an 

 aboriginal skeleton three feet six inches below the present surface 

 of the ground, and lying upon an old land surface. Two sharpened 

 stones were found under the arms of this skeleton, and several 

 bivalve shells, some of which had not been opened. It is believed 

 to have been buried upon the old land surface, and that at least 

 three feet of soil have since naturally accumulated over it ; so that 

 it is probably one of the oldest known human remains. Very little 

 evidence as to the antiquity of man in Australia has yet been 

 obtained • the subject is almost an entirely new one for inquiry, 

 and attention should be given to it without delay, lest the old 

 haunts of the natives should be destroyed by modern settlement. 



The subject of Australian Palaeontology presents quite as many 

 points of interest to the student as does that of its Geology and 

 other kindred sudjects. I shall endeavour to show through a 

 brief reference to the more important established facts how wide 

 a field we have around us for original research in the attempt to 

 fill up the gaps which exist in our "Fossil Record." In doing 

 this I have been aided by my colleague, Mr. Robert Ethericlge, 

 Junr., Palaeontologist to the Geological Survey of New South 

 Wales. 



The lowest fossiliferousbed yet recorded in Australia is theParara 

 Limestone of Yorke's Peninsular, South Australia, in which 

 Mr. Otto Tepper has discovered trilobites, believed by Dr. H. 



