Page:Dictionary of National Biography, Second Supplement, volume 3.djvu/248

 finding support for the enterprise, and was much encouraged by Anthony Trollope; in the latter part of 1878 he visited New Zealand in connection with the history which he was writing of that part of the empire. In 1882, having retired on pension, he again visited New Zealand and then came on to England to take up his residence and see to the publication of his histories, both of which came out in 1883. Their publication produced an unfortunate episode : an action for libel was brought against Rusden by one Bryce, a member of the New Zealand legislature, respecting whose action during the Maori wars the historian had used severe and unguarded criticism. Some of the most eminent counsel at the bar were engaged, and the case lasted eight days during March 1886. A jury cast Rusden in 5000l. damages, afterwards reduced by consent to about half that amount on a new trial at which Rusden himself conducted his case with marked ability. At the second hearing Rusden retracted his statements. The press was on the whole unfavourable to Rusden, who was held to be guilty of serious indiscretion.

About 1893 Rusden returned to Melbourne to spend the rest of his life. He divided his time between his literary work and municipal affairs; but his health gradually failed, and he died at his house, Cotmandene, South Yarra, on 23 Dec. 1903. Rusden was of striking appearance and was a genial and interesting companion. Rusden's chief works were his 'History of Australia' (3 vols. 1883) and ’History of New Zealand' (3 vols. 1883); revised editions of both were published at Melbourne in 1895-7. These works offer a broad survey of the growth of two great colonies, but Rusden's defect of critical faculty better adapts them to the use of the public man than of the student. Rusden also published: 1. 'Moyarra, an Australian Legend,' a poem, Maitland, 1851. 2. 'National Education,' 1853. 3. 'Discovery, Survey, and Settlement of Port Phillip,' 1872. 4. 'Curiosities of Colonisation,' 1874. 6. 'William Shakespeare : his Life, Work and Teaching,' Melbourne, 1903. Among many pamphlets which he issued under his own name or the pseudonyms of 'Vindex' or 'Yitta-davin' the most interesting are his 'Character of Falstaff' (1870) and a ’Letter to "The Times" on the Law of Libel' (1890).

 RUSSELL, HENRY CHAMBERLAINE (1836–1907), astronomer, born at West Maitland, New South Wales, on 17 March 1836, was son of the Hon. Bourne Russell. After education at the West Maitland grammar school and at Sydney University, where he graduated B.A. in 1858, he was appointed (1 Jan. 1859) an assistant at the Sydney observatory, and succeeded to the position of government astronomer in August 1870. The first years of his directorship were devoted to the enlargement and re-equipment of the observatory, and to the establishment throughout the colony of a very large number of meteorological stations, furnished in great part with instruments designed and made by him, and maintained by volunteer observers who were drawn into the work by Russell's enthusiasm. Throughout his life he devoted much time to the discussion of the great mass of observations furnished by these volunteers. His proof that the River Darling loses very much more water than can be accounted for by discharge and evaporation led to important gain in knowledge of the underground water systems of the country.

Russell's first great service to astronomy was the organisation of the Australian observations of the transit of Venus in 1874. He equipped four parties, and prepared the account of the whole work which appeared in 1892. He represented Australia at the congress summoned to meet in Paris in 1887 to consider the construction of a photographic chart of the sky. He promised the co-operation of the Sydney observatory, and at once ordered the necessary objective, but with characteristic resource decided to construct the mounting at his observatory. To Sydney the committee of the astrographic chart entrusted the zone of south dechnation 54° to 62°. The carrying forward of this work, very considerable for an observatory of modest resources, fully occupied the later years of Russell's directorship. He could not complete it, but he left it well established, and on the way to completion.

Russell took an active part in initiating technical education in New South Wales; he was a fellow of the University of Sydney, and vice-chancellor in 1891. He was four times president of the Royal Society of New South Wales, and first president of the Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science. He was elected F.R.S. in 1886, and was created C.M.G. in 1890. 