Brief History F.N.S. 
<r>8. 
S.A. NAT., VOL. XV.. 
June 12th, 1934.. 
I should have mentioned that Dr. H. T. Whittell, then Pre¬ 
sident of the Royal Society, occupied the Chair and remarked 
that the lecture was ‘'intended mainly for the members of the 
\ oung Men’s Societies in and around Adelaide, and they had 
been specially invited to be present.” I may mention that four 
out of the eight members of the first Committee of the Section 
belonged to such societies. I have recentlv learned that it was 
one of these Societies which probably set in motion the first 
practical steps towards the formation of the Section. Messrs. 
Harry Dean and \\ . E. Pickels, both members of the Adelaide- 
Literary Society, were delegated to wait on Professor Tate and 
ask him to form a Natural History Section of the Royal Society, 
which he consented to do. 
Events then moved rapidly. Six days after Professor Tate’s 
lecture, namely on Tuesday, November 13th, 1883, the first 
General Meeting of the Section was held in the S.A. Institute 
(upstairs, if I remember rightly). Professor Tate w r as elected to 
take the Chair and after rules for the management of the Section 
were adopted, nominations for the various offices were made, 
resulting as follows:— 
Chairman. Prolessor R. Tate, F.G.S., F.L.S.; Vice-Chairmen, 
Mr. H. 1 . \\ hittell, M.D., Rev. W. Howchin, F.G.S.; Committee 
(names in order as they appear in minute book)—Messrs. W. L. 
Cleland, M.D., W. Haacke, Ph.D., J. G. O. Tepper, F.L.S., A. 
Molineux, F.R.S.S.A., W. PL Selway Jun., George Collis Jun., H. 
Dean and G. F. Hussey; Hon. Secretary, Mr. W. E. Pickels, 
F.R.M.S. 
The Committee then proceeded at once to make Rules for the 
conduct of Field Excursions. 
I think it may be safely said that the moving spirit in get¬ 
ting this Section started was Mr. W. E. Pickels. He was a very 
energetic man and enthusiastic as to the benefits of Field Clubs. 
He almost compelled people to join whether they wished to or 
not. Unfortunately, in the early part of 1885, after about 15 
months’ service as Hon. Secretary, business called him to Mel¬ 
bourne, and his resignation was received in May of that year. 
A testimonial in the form of a handsome gold chain and locket, 
the latter suitably inscribed, was subscribed for by the members 
of the Section in recognition of his services. 
As scientific head of the Section, and its first Chairman, 
Professor Tate was a tower of strength to the new'ly formed 
Society. His scientific attainments, both in the realms of Geology 
and Botany, were freely pfiaced at the disposal of the members. 
At the end of his second year of office, he remarked that, although 
he ceased to be Chairman, he would ever be ready to show 
