PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 308, 22 September 1920, Page 7

PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY

HISTORICAL SECTION. The annual meeting of tlie Historical Section of the Philosophical Society, held last night, was' sparsely attended. Mr. Elsdou B«?t presided. The annual report-, which was adopted, stated that six meeti.'ian were h»ld- durimr the year, the attendance varying from M to 24, the averace being 16. Papers were read as follow during the. year:—"Our First Navy" (Mr. n. Baillie), "The Maori Genius for Personification" (Mr. Elßdon Best). "The Discovery and Openinir.up of ■the -Goldfielda in the Hauraki .Peninsula fjtiss Hetherlneton). "Further Maori.String Games" (Mr. Johannes C. Andersen), and "Karly Day a in Wellington" (Mr... P. P. Wilson). Of last year's i.aners, two were published, one in the "Transactions. bf the Institute" and ono in the "Journal of Science and Technology." .The, report ,stated "IVhilo arrangements, have been mado during the year with the 'Wellington Amateur Photocraphio Society, for their co-opera-tion in photographing places o! historic and other interests, little definite lias reaulted. ... It is. desirable that a member of the ecction keep in constant touch with the Photographic Society." It wr« also reported that Mr. Noel JTotrbf.n. who had undertaken the work of attending to the historical section's wrapbooks, had left Wellington, tho Ecction thus losing an able worker. During the year donations to the taction's collection were made by Messrs. E, W. Holmes and R. Baillie, the former having presented' an album of views of Old Wellington, and the latter views of Old Otald, Welliogton, and ehlns connected with New Zealand's first navy. The election of ofilcerg resulted: —Chairman, Mr. Elpdon Best; vice-chairman, Colonel Porter: committee, Misß Hothcrincton. Messrs. ft. Baillie, F. P. Wilson, I. Cowan, and E. 5. Pilcher; secretary, Mr. J. 0. Andersen.

A lecturo on "Old Redouble, Blockhouses and Stockades of the Wcllinglon District" was given by Mr. tat. He spoke of the early flcrhtin?, in the 'forties, that took place about Wellington, telllncr of tlio old stockade near Manners Street, where Imperial troops were assembled—the old fort of TV) Aro. Where Fitzhcrbert Terrace now stood, tho old Thorndon barracks, which witnessed a. lively bcciio during tho visit of tho Duke of Edinburgh to Wellington, were erected.