40 ANNIVERSARY ADDRESS. 



requires further investigation. The large number of still unworked 

 drifts will doubtless yield abundant material for further study 

 and comparison. Perhaps one of the most interesting results yet 

 brought to light, by the study of the ancient life history of 

 Australia, is Baron von Ettingshausen's conclusions respecting the 

 Tertiary Flora, more particularly as elucidated by that of the 

 Stanniferous Deep Leads of the Vegetable Creek District. He 

 states — " There is no doubt that the Tertiary flora of Australia 

 contains, besides the elements of the living flora, also elements of 

 other floras extinct in Australia, but developed now in other parts 

 of the Globe. We have found the same mixture of the elements 

 of the floras in the Tertiary flora of Europe, of America, and 

 of Asia." 



In connection with the Post Tertiary Deposits, so many 

 interesting problems present themselves that it is difficult to 

 select them for consideration. There will, however, arise the 

 question of the genesis of the huge extinct Marsupialia, the 

 conditions under which they lived, and the causes of ftieir 

 extinction. 



The exploration of our Ossiferous Caverns is but in its infancy, 

 and by investigations carried on judiciously, and more so than in 

 the past, we may hope to throw light upon some of the points 

 raised. 



Finally, we come to the advent of Man himself on this 

 Continent, a subject which legitimately comes within the scope 

 of palseontological enquiry, and one, so far, totally neglected. 

 Within the limits of Australian Geological history, there is 

 probably no subject of such absorbing interest as the earliest 

 history of a fast disappearing race. The solution of this question 

 does not appear to lie in the cave deposits, but rather will be 

 revealed by a careful and thorough examination of the " kitchen- 

 middens " and raised-beaches of the coast, and old burial grounds 

 of the interior. 



I have thus briefly directed your attention to the different 

 formations with a view of showing what a wide field lies before us 



