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Reports of Member Bodies.
Auckland Institute and Museum.
Annual Report for 1943–44.
President: Mr. A. H. Johnstone, K.C., B.A., LL.B.
Director: Dr. Gilbert Archey, O.B.E., M.A., F.R.S.N.Z.
The year which has just closed has been one of restoration. Members will recollect that after the threat of invasion by the Japanese many of the more valuable books and collections had been removed from the Museum to places of greater safety.
It is a pleasure to report that the books have now been returned to the library and the collections brought back to their accustomed places in the Museum: the Maori houses which were partly dismantled have been re-erected and re-painted, and the great war canoe has been uncovered and re-decorated,
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The Maori Court has again resumed its erstwhile pleasing appearance. The thanks of the Institute are due to Sir Frank Mappin, to Mrs. H. W. Shove, and to the Dilworth Trust Board for providing safe accommodation for the books and collections.
The public lectures, both evening and Sunday afternoon, have been revived in full and have received a full measure of public interest and support.
Staff: The Director, Lieut.-Colonel Gilbert Archey, was released from military service in July and returned at once to his duties at the Museum.
Mr. E. G. Turbott, Assistant Zoologist, proceeded on overseas military service in the same month.
The resignation of Mr. Edwin Leece, who was mechanic to the Museum since 1928, is recorded with regret.
Miss Lucy M. Cranwell, Botanist to the Museum, was married in September to Major S. Watson Smith, of the Army of the United States. In February she resigned in order to join her husband at Washington. By her resignation the Museum has lost the services of a distinguished scientist. Since her appointment in August, 1929, she has done excellent work in the care, extension, and development of the Cheeseman herbarium aud in the general duties incidental to her office; in addition by her writings and lectures and by her interest in and enthusiasm for the annual Cheeseman Native Flower Show she did much, to create public interest in the Museum and in botanical science. She was an assiduous collector of botanical specimens both in New Zealand and in other countries. During her vacations she undertook important research on the pollen grains found in swamp deposits; in New Zealand and in Sweden with Professor L. Von Post and in Hawaii with Professor C. Skottsberg. The Loder Cup “to encourage the production and cultivation of the incomparable flora of the Dominion” was awarded to her in 1937. Last year in collaboration with Captain Josiah E. Green, of the United States Marine Corps, and Mr. A. W. B. Powell, she prepared the booklet “Food Is Where you Find It” for the use of airmen and others who may be cast away on the Pacific Islands. The publication has needed four impressions (23,000 copies) for service requirements.
Membership: The membership of the Institute at the beginning of the year was 565. Of these we have lost 20 by death or resignation and 12 by deletion from the membership roll. Thirty-two ordinary and six life members were elected during the year. The roll, which includes five members of the United States Armed Forces, now stands at 571, of whom 174 are Life Members.
Obituary: The death of the following members is recorded with sincere regret:—Mrs. J. Kenderdine, Sir H. Horton, Dr. W. H. Horton, Dr. S. Stride, Hon. O. F. Nelson, Messrs. W. J. Bridson, J. Dempsey, H. R. Dix, R. L. Stewart, A. Suter and E. C. Turner.
Honours: Congratulations are extended to Dr. L. H. Briggs for the award of the Hector Medal by the Royal Society of New Zealand, and to Mr. C. A. Fleming on receiving the Hamilton Prize. The awards were conferred by Dr. H. H. Allan, President of the Royal Society, at a meeting at which Dr. Briggs delivered a public lecture on Hormones of Animals and Plants.
Council: The Council held six meetings during the year, all of which were well attended.
Finance: Revenue for the year showed an improvement through a batis-factory increase in members' subscriptions and the sale of publications, which are being freely purchased by United States servicemen; the return from investments is lower than in former years.
Expenditure on insurances has again been high, but will be less in the coming year; salaries and wages have also increased through the additional help required for returning the collections to the Museum. General expenses have been slightly lower and it has been possible to transfer £200 to the war coutingencies reserve. The amount carried forward, £1,108, is the customary provision for April and May, which produce no revenue.
Public Activities: The Council has joined with the University College, Royal New Zealand Institute of Horticulture, Auckland Botanical Society, Alpine Sports Club and The Auckland Tramping Club in seeking representation of scientific and educational interests on the Auckland Centennial Memorial Park Board. It has also co-operated with the Society of Arts in urging-the preservation of trees on State-housing subdivision districts. The representations made in this behalf were welcomed by the housing authorities. An appeal has been
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made to members to donate back numbers of the “Transactions of the Royal Society of New Zealand” for replacement of sets destroyed during the war.
It has been decided to name the Native Natural History Hall the “Cheeseman Hall” in commemoration of the scientific work of the late Thomas Frederic Cheeseman.
There has been no lessening of public interest in the Museum and its activities since the outbreak of war. The frequent visits and inquiries of Allied Servicemen have taken a large but pleasant toll of the time of the staff. The important work among the children is being continually expanded and developed. Not only are more school children visiting the Museum and a wider variety of topics for classes being made available to them, but more specimens and information are going to schools far in the country. The only limit to this work is the physical impossibility of preparing and sending a larger number.
Gifts to the Museum: Captain G. A. Humphreys-Davies, Hon. Curator of Oriental Collections, has donated the whole of his valuable collection of Chinese pottery and porcelain, and has also secured for the Museum gifts of especially fine specimens from leading collectors abroad. He has also donated two valuable Chinese bronzes.
Mrs. Hemingway has given the late Mr W. H. Hemingway's extensive collections of rare and beautiful insects, both those displayed by Mr. Hemingway in the Museum and his large cabinet collection.
Mr. E. Earle Vaile has donated over 80 volumes and many pamphlets relating to discovery, exploration and Native life in New Zealand and the South Pacific.
A bequest of £500 by the late Mr. M. Harding was received during the year.
Owing to the generosity of Messrs. R. C. Horton, V. J. Larner, David Nathan, W. Goodfellow, and S. B. Waters, the “Museum has been enabled to acquire a further three Chinese bronzes. All these gifts are gratefully acknowledged.
General: The Auckland Museum, founded in 1852, and The Auckland Institute, founded in 1867, were amalgamated in October, 1869, under the title “The Auckland Institute and Museum.” The amalgamated institution will therefore complete the first seventy-five years of its life in October next. The site in Princes Street of the first building occupied by the Institute and Museum was granted by the Auckland Provincial Government, and at a later date the Provincial Government made a gift of £2,200 for extensions to that building. When the present magnificent building was erected the New Zealand Government made a substantial contribution towards its cost, and many friends, both in New Zealand and elsewhere, have made valuable donations. But it can be said with pardonable pride that for the most part this great cultural and scientific institution has been created and maintained by the efforts of the people of Auckland and surrounding districts.
Nevertheless there has always been a struggle to make ends meet. The total revenue for this year was £8.276, of which subscriptions yielded £447, interest on investments £1,297, and contributions from local bodies £5,700. An increased revenue is urgently needed and a Committee has been set up to consider ways, and means of obtaining it. If, as seems probable, it is necessary to approach the public for funds either directly or through local bodies, the Council has confidence that the response will be a generous one.
Institute Meetings: The restoration of the Monday evening public lectures received good support from members. Of the four given, two were arranged in conjunction with the University College, and Dr. Briggs' lecture was made the occasion of a presentation to him of the Hector Medal. The thanks of members for the lectures g'ven are due to:—Mr. W. R. McGregor, “Some Aspects of the Territory of New Guinea”; Dr. L. H. Briggs, “Hormones: Chemical Growth Substances of Plants and Animals”; Lieut.-Colonel W. Wesley Clemesha, “Some Historical Outbreaks of Malaria”; Count K. Wodzicki, “The Homing Instinct in Birds.”
Sunday Lectures: The popular lectures in the Museum on Sunday afternoons were again well received. For once they were entirely on overseas subjects, chiefly dealing with areas that are of special interest through the war. Mr. R. B. Sibson, “Wanderings Among the Isles of Greece”; Mrs. Olwyn M. Turbott, “Micronesia”; Dr. Lai-yong Li, “China's Part in the War”; Mr. H. A. Wood, “Snakes”; Mr. R. B. Sibson, “The Mainland of Greece”; Lieutenant J. W. Kealy, “Impressions of the Middle East.”