MEETINGS OF SOCIETIES. 1 35 



become more accessible to the naturalist, the artist, the writer, aud the 

 lover of nature, let us hope not when it is altogether too late, and when 

 the characteristic vegetation has entirely disappeared. 



" Of the good likely to accrue from the establishment in some of 

 our country towns of branches of the Sydney Technological Museum 

 much may I think be anticipated. The conditions of existence in a 

 young country like this seem naturally to lead to more or less 

 centralisation, in scientific as in so many other matters. Now the 

 dulness attendant upon life in an average country town to the man who 

 is not fortified against it by the pursuit of some rational hobby is a stern 

 reality often leading to misapplied energies and utter waste of time, not 

 to speak of the acquisition of undesirable habits. Yet very often it is 

 in the immediate neighbourhood of just such localities that there are 

 special opportunities of observing particularly interesting specie-; of 

 plants or animals in a state of nature, of working out the stratigraphical 

 or palaeontological relations of particular strata, of obtaining important 

 data relating to the scientific aspect of mining, or of collecting relics and 

 traditions of the fast disappearing black-fellow ; and too frequently it is 

 exactly in such localities that such opportunities excite little or no 

 interest whatever. Not absolutely always, however, I am glad to be 

 able to state, since we number among our own members a few who 

 under such circumstances have risen to the occasion ; but our Societies 

 want more of such men, and the colony at large needs more of them. 

 Country museums in the hands of judicious curators alive to the value 

 of their opportunities may become directly educative, and do much 

 towards supplying the present want of means of fostering a love of 

 nature in the rising generation, as well as offer a counter attraction to 

 those very much less rational and undesirable ways of ' killing ' time, 

 which too frequently present themselves. In answer to my enquiries 

 Mr. Maiden has been good enough to furnish me with the following 

 particulars which I am glad to make use of: — 



" ' Local museums in connection with the Sydney Technological 

 Museum have been established at Goulburn, Bathurst, West Maitland, 

 and Newcastle, and another will shortly be opened at Broken Hill.' 



" 'The exhibits are housed in substantial buildings — the large halls 

 of the Mechanics' Institutes being rented at Gioulburn and Newcastle, 

 while at West Maitland the large hall of the old Masonic buildings is 

 utilised.' 



" ' At West Maitland the local Science Association has presented 

 its valuable natural history collection to the Museum, and at the other 

 centres scientific societies have been started which will assist in the 

 working-up of the museums, so that most of these museums will contain 

 a natural history side as well.' 



"' The local science master, or head of the local Technical School, 

 is the curator, and he corresponds direct with the Curator of the Sydney 

 Technological Museum in matters of museum detail. He is quite at 

 liberty to devote a portion of his time to original research, or to give 

 lectures, &c.' 



"'Each museum contains about 1^,000 specimers exhibited in 

 suitable show-cases. Endeavours are being made to form in each 

 museum a display of the products of the district in which it is situated, 



