THE HISTORY AND PROGRESS 
OF THE 
Read at Meeting of the Australasian Association for the 
Advancement of Science, held in Melbourne, in Jan., 1900. 
(By F. R. Godfrey.) 
The Acclimatisation Society of Victoria was founded in 
1861 by the late Mr. Edward Wilson, of the “ Argusthe 
late Mr. Frederick Selwvn; the late Dr. Thomas Black, of 
Cintra. St. Kilda; the late Mr. Frederick Moule, and other 
prominent citizens, its object being, as expressed in the first 
report of the Council, in 1862, "to enrich the colony by 
stocking its broad territory with the choicest products of 
the animal kingdom borrowed from every temperate region 
on the face of the globe/' and thus fulfil the accomplish¬ 
ment of its motto, “Omnis feret omnia tellus.” Mr. Ed¬ 
ward Wilson was elected as its first president, and through 
his influence and energy similar societies were shortly after¬ 
wards formed in New South Wales, South Australia, and 
Tasmania, and I was elected to a seat on the Council in 
1863. The Society was first located in the grounds now in 
possession of the Friendly Societies on the north bank of 
the Yarra, but shortly afterwards obtained possession of its 
present site, being a block of 50 acres situate in the centre 
of the Royal Park, which has proved to be well adapted to 
its requirements. Being an open piece of ground, 
it cost a considerable sum in fencing, planting, and 
building the necessary improvements before it could be ad¬ 
vantageously utilised. The Society endeavoured the ex¬ 
periment of introducing various kinds of deer both from 
England, India, and other countries, many of which have 
