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AWARDS OF THE CLARKE MEDAL.

Established in memory of

THE LATE REVD. W. B. CLARKE, M.A., F.R.S., F.G.S., &c.,

Vice-President from 1866 to 1878.

To be awarded from time to time for meritorious contributions to the Geology, Mineralogy, or Natural History of Australia, to men of science, whether resident in Australia or elsewhere.

1878. Professor Sir Richard Owen, K.C.B., F.R.S., Hampton Court. 1879. Mr. George Bentham, C.M.G., F.R.S., The Royal Gardens, Kew. 1880. Professor Huxley, F.R.S., The Royal School of Mines, London. 1881. Professor F. M'Coy, F.R.S., F.G.S., The University of Melbourne. 1882. Professor James Dwight Dana, LL.D., Yale College, New Haven, Conn., United States of America.

1883. Baron Ferdinand von Mueller, K.C.M.G., M.D., Ph.D., F.R.S., F.L.S., Government Botanist, Melbourne.

1884. Dr. Alfred R. C. Selwyn, LL.D., F.R.S., F.G.S., Director of the Geological Survey of Canada, Ottawa.

ANNIVERSARY ADDRESS.

By CHRISTOPHER ROLLESTON, C.M.G., President.

[Delivered to the Royal Society of N.S.W., 2 May, 1883.]

GENTLEMEN,

Combining, as the anniversary meetings of the Royal Society are in the habit of doing, the close of the old year with the opening of a new one, the distinguished honor conferred upon me at our last anniversary as President for the year demands of me, before I vacate the Chair, that I should open the present session with the customary address. But before entering upon the subject of it I desire to say how sensible I am of my shortcomings, and of the kindly forbearance and support extended to me by the members who have attended our meetings. I would fain hope that my faults, having been rather those of omission than of commission, may not have resulted prejudicially either to the character or progress of the Society. The fact is that, in a young community like ours we are sadly wanting in men of leisure and of culture who have the time to spare and the knowledge to adorn the Chair of this Society-qualifications which were eminently exemplified in the person of our former Vice-president, the late Rev. W. B. Clarke, the memory of whose services in the cause of geological science in Australia, and in the interests of this Society in particular, will, I venture to think, outlive the lineaments of his person so happily portrayed on the canvas which adorns our walls.

The report of the Council, which has just been presented, gives a favourable account of the progress of the Society for the last twelve months, and it would be tedious to attempt to enlarge upon the topics referred to in that report. The most important of the

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papers read during the session were those contributed by the Rev. J. E. Tenison-Woods, and especially that on "The Geology of the Hawkesbury Sandstone," which, from the novelty of its conception, the variety of the facts and observations by which his theory was supported, the clearness with which the facts were set forth, and the masterly ease which characterized the treatment of the theory propounded, is a most interesting and valuable contribution to the Society's Transactions. There was also a very interesting and valuable paper on "Tropical Rains," by my highly respected predecessor in this Chair, Mr. H. C. Russell; and also a very remarkable paper by Mr. James Manning, containing curious revelations as to the religious belief of the aborigines of New Holland-revelations made to him more than five and forty years ago, as he alleges, before the blacks had come in contact with the missionaries or other tamperers with their faith.

In casting about for a subject on which to address you this evening, it has seemed to me that I could not better occupy your attention or discharge the duty imposed on me than in bringing under view a résumé of the life and labours of a distinguished member of our Society, the tidings of whose death reached us subsequent to our last anniversary, and who has left behind him a name and reputation second to none in this age of scientific inquiry. Upon the roll of honorary members of our Society in the year 1879 was placed the name of Charles Robert Darwin; and whilst we did honor to ourselves in enrolling his name amongst the distinguished men to whom a like compliment has been paid, it is gratifying to know that he highly appreciated this recognition of his great services in the field of natural science.

In the month of April of last year, within the precincts of the ancient Abbey of Westminster, and near the honored grave of England's greatest philosopher, were very appropriately deposited the mortal remains of this eminent naturalist; and whatever might have been the public opinion a quarter of a century ago, no one at the present day would venture to challenge the claim that the final resting-place of the foremost scientific man of

the Victorian era should be found alongside the grave of the only other philosopher of the past whose revolutionary effect upon thought can at all be compared with his own. The discoveries of Sir Isaac Newton-the most remarkable mathematician and greatest natural philosopher of his own or any other age—can, I think, alone be brought into competition with those of Darwin, whose faithful, patient, and laborious application of the Baconian theory of induction has brought about so complete a revolution in scientific thought. We can all remember the fierce theological storm which raged about the head of this earnest inquirer after truth, who, by his "Origin of Species" and theory of "evolution," challenged ancient traditions, and gave a severe shock to time-honored principles of faith. It was soon, however, discovered that Darwin was rather a patient investigator of facts than a daring theorist, and that, whatever might be his conclusions, the mass of facts he had collected with unparalleled industry and sagacity were no inconsiderable contribution to human knowledge. It is not too much to say that had Darwin's life been cut off a quarter of a century ago, no one would have had the temerity to suggest that his memory should have been so conspicuously honored as it has been by giving him a final resting-place among England's greatest worthies. But the panic created by his discoveries has subsided, and science has at length come to be regarded, not as the enemy, but as the handmaid of religion. The greatness of the revolution that has taken place in human thought, and the abatement of honest but unreasonable alarm at modern discoveries, are vividly illustrated by the profound homage paid to the deceased philosopher by the foremost orthodox divines of the day.

The "evolution" theory, which a quarter of a century ago was denounced as leading to materialism, is now recognized as in no way alien to the Christian religion. Darwin had the happiness of living down the clamour created by his grand discoveries; and even where his theories have not been accepted, he has long since been recognized as a modest, reverent, and earnest searcher after truth. Both in Westminster Abbey and in St. Paul's Cathedral the great

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