Annual Report for 1957-58

President. The year just ended has again been one of progress. The new building is so well advanced that it may now be confidently expected that the main contract will have been completed by the time another annual meeting has been held. Despite the disorganisation inseparable from building operations, attendance has once more broken all previous records. Membership is at a new high level. Collections have been well maintained. By way of inoculation—if such be needed—against undue complacency, there is still no assurance that the required lecture hall will be included in the present building scheme, the financial problems resulting from the contrast between rising costs and an almost static revenue remain with us, and the added responsibilities, as regards both staff and furnishings, which the completion of the new building will bring, are matters which will require most earnest and careful consideration in the years ahead.

Visit of H. M. the Queen Mother. The evening of February 3 was a memorable occasion in our history. Because the Town Hall was under repair, Auckland's civic reception in honour of H. M. Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother was held in our building, which provided an ideal setting for such a great occasion. The function itself was not, of course, under the control of the Museum Council, but Her Majesty displayed very great interest in a small display of New Zealand alpine flowers which Dr. Cooper (with the help of other friends of the Museum, including some in the South Island) had been able to arrange, and in the Maori House, to which she paid a special visit, escorted by Dr. Archey. Her Majesty also interrupted the more formal programme to pause by the “Spitfire”, and to admire the portrait of H. M. the Queen recently presented to Auckland by Sir Ernest Davis. These various “digressions” resulted in Her Majesty remaining in the building a full half hour longer than had been planned—to the very great delight of Auckland citizens.

Membership. These figures are as follows (last year's figures in parentheses):—Life Members, 327 (316); Annual Members, 890 (830); a total of 1,217 (1,146).

Obituary. It is with sincere regret that the names are recorded of the following members who have died during the year under review: Mr. V. Johns, Mr. I. V. Payne, Mr. A. P. Postlewaite, O.B.E., Mr. C. V. Roberts, Dr. W. R. B. Oliver, F.R.S.N.Z., Mr. C. E. Worrall, Mr. W. P. Endean, Mr. Hugh C. Wright, Mr. T. W. M. Ashby, O.B.E., F.R.A.N.Z., F.A.I.S., Mr. L. J. Keys, Mr. G. A. Macmillan, Mr. Raymond Biss, Mr. N. R. Chapman, M.B.E., Mr. R. Prows Broad, Mr. G. L. Taylor, Mr. H. G. Atkinson and Mr. E. L. Wilcock.

The late Mayor, Mr. T. W. M. Ashby, whose sudden death occasioned widespread sorrow, was an Institute member of many years standing, and his close personal interest in our activities will be much missed.

Honours. It is pleasing to note the frequency with which the names of members of the Institute are included in the lists of those honoured by H. M. the Queen.

On the present occasion our congratulations are extended to Professor P. W. Burbidge, C. B. E., Mr. H. C. McCoy, O. B. E., and Lieutenant-Commander J. F. Y. Schischka, M.B.E.

The news of the celebration by our very loyal friend (and life member) Lord Bledisloe of his 90th birthday was received with real pleasure, and the felicitations of his co-members have been officially conveyed to him.

Representation. Mr. Brooker has been re-appointed as one of our representatives on the Council of the Royal Society of New Zealand, his colleague being Dr. Powell, who has been appointed to take the place of Professor Cumberland, who has resigned.

Mr. Brooker has also been appointed as your Council's representatives on the Regional Council of Adult Education, taking the place of Dr. Archey, who had asked to be relieved.

The Institute.—Last year's lectures were fully attended—very much over fully in one case. We thank our lecturers for their most interesting presentation of the important subjects of their addresses: Professor P. W. Burbidge, C.B.E., “The Atomic Nucleus and Its Useful Reactions”; Professor N. A. Mowbray, “Engineering Application of Nuclear Energy and Its Problems”; Dr. P. Huck, “Medical Aspects of Nuclear Energy—Harmful and Beneficial”, Mr. T. A. Rafter, “Radio-Carbon Dating in the Aid of Archaeology, Oceanography and Geology”, Dr. R. E. F. Matthews, “The Control of Virus Diseases in Plants and Animals”'; Mr. G. E. Mmhinnick, O.B.E., “A Cartoonist”.

The Sunday afternoon lectures were again well attended; for their participation in this service to visitors we thank Mr. P. J. Jew, “Parks and Gardens Overseas”: Mr. G. C. Roberts, “Life in the Philippines”; Dr. A. W. B. Powell; “An Expedition to Dutch New Guinea”; Dr. G. Archey, “The Art in Maori Carving”, Miss E. A. Evans, “Early Auckland”, Dr. C. B. Sheref, “Present Day Customs in Japan”.

Astronomical Section. The Society has joined its Trustees in an application to the Minister of Lands and to the City Council for approval of Mt. Hobson or Mt. Roskill, preferably the former, as a site for the proposed Sir Edmund Hillary observatory, and has transferred £1,000 to the Trustees in support. An early decision is expected.

The following members of the Section have been made Fellows of the Royal Astronomical Society: Dr. Corban, Messrs L. R. H. Beaumont, T. Rownthwaite, R. A. Stevenson and L. A. C. Warner. Mr. Beaumont was awarded die Murray Geddes prize by the Royal Astronomical Society of New Zealand for long service in educational astronomy. Roger Hoi-rocks won for the third year in succession the Maurice O'Sullivan prize for juniors.

The Amateur Telescope Makers' Club contributed a fine display at the Western Springs Carnival. A senior prize for observational work has been instituted; observing sections have been formed, lunar and planetary, and considerable systematic observation should result.

Anthropology and Maori Race Section. Although the lectures arranged by the Section were not so well attended as on some previous years, those present found them both interesting and instructive, while the lively discussions at question time more than made up for the small numbers.

During 1957, seven meetings were held, the first being at the Maori Community Centre, where Dr. M. Winiata welcomed the Section and introduced Mr. H. Toka, who gave a practical demonstration of Maori carving.

Lectures and Papers presented were: “Moa Hunters Ancient and Modern”, Mr. J. Golson; “Maori Land Purchases in the 19th Century”, Mr. M. P. K. Sorrenson; “Educational Assessment of Maori Children”, Miss L. M. Smith; “Indians of Arizona”, Dr. B. G. Biggs; “Maori Welfare”, a panel discussion; and University of Auckland Students' Paper by Mr. A. B. Hooper and Miss E. Johnston.

Conchology Section. This section reports well attended monthly meetings with no slackening of interest. A popular move was an extension of the period reserved for the identification of submitted specimens.

A number of reasonably well attended field days was held, an innovation being a series, under the guidance of a senior member of the section, designed to encourage junior members.

The Manukau Harbour Survey continues with some interesting new records resulting from several field trips.

Bulletin No. 13, containing nine original papers, was published in November and the monthly Newsletter has increased to four pages.

Research.—Papers being published in the current number of the Records of the Auckland Institute and Museum are as follows:—Professor G. T. S. Baylis: “A Botanical Survey of the Small Islands of the Three Kings Group”. Dr. R. C. Cooper: “Pohutukawa × Rata No. 2; Variation in Metrosideros (Myrtaceae) in New Zealand” Mr. J. A. Hunter: “Additional Notes on Tecomanthe speciosa W. R. B. Oliver (Bignoniaceae) from the Three Kings Islands, New Zealand”. Mr. E. T. Giles: “Dermaptera from the Three Kings Islands, New Zealand, with the Description of a New Species of Brachylabis Dohrn (Labiduridae)”. Mr. K. A. J. Wise: “Trichoptera of New Zealand 1. A Catalogue of the Auckland Museum collection with descriptions of New Genera and New Species”. Dr. Gilbert Archey: “Tiki and Pou: Free Sculpture and Applied”. Dr. A. W. B. Powell: “Mollusca of the Kermadec Islands, Part 1”.—“New Zealand Molluscan Systematics with Descriptions of New Species. Part 3”—“The Canoes of Geelvink Bay, Dutch New Guinea”