Page:History of Adelaide and vicinity.djvu/600

 574 ADELAIDE AND VICINITY Professor Ralph Tate, F.G.S,, F.L.S. ALNWICK, in Northumberland, Englaiul, famous for its castle, was the birthplace of the subject of this brief notice, who first saw the light in 1840. He began the study of geology at the early age of 12, and in 1858 he won a free exhibition of ^80 per annum to the Government School of Mines in London. In the capital he conducted geological classes at the Royal Polytechnic. After filling, in succession, several important scientific positions at home and abroad, he was, in 1876, appointed to his present position on the Adelaide University staff — Elder Professor of Natural Science. At that early period the duties of the post were many and various, and the Professor found himself a kind of maid-of-all-work, the scientific instruction necessarily being discursive, and consequently wanting of due full effect. Since then the instructive work has been better organised, and now Professor Tate is able to confine his educative efforts to their legitimate sphere of Geology and Mineralogy as principal subjects, with Botany as a subordinate pursuit. In Geology (Part I.). 32 students; in Geology and Mineralogy (Part 11.), 10 students; in Botany, 32 students; and in Palaeontology, 4 students, form the present clas.ses (April, 1900) under Professor Tate's tuition. The high quality of the essays on field-work submitted by four of these students in competing for the Angas Scholarship in 1900 was made the subject of s])ecial notice. A feature of Professor Tate's method of instruction is the organisation of pleasant and instructive trif)s (some e.xtending over several days) with his students to parts of the country presenting interesting opportunities for geological and botanical study. Professor Tate is an honorary member of the Royal Society of New South Wale.s, the Natural History and Philosophical Societies of Belfast and Whitby, and the Field Naturalists' Clubs of Belfast, Melbourne, and Geelong. He is a corresponding member of the Academv of Science, Philadelphia, U.S. A, of the Linniean .Society of New South W'ales, and of the Royal Society of Tasmania. He was an associate of the Linn^ean Society of London from 1865 to 1885; and he is a Clarke Medallist of the Royal Society of New South Wales. In connection with the Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science, he was President of Section D in 1887, President of Section C in 1900, and General President in 1893. He is a member of the Board of Governors of the Public Library; has served on the Council of the School of Mines from the beginning; and is chairman of the Museum Committee. The following works are from his pen : — " The orkshire Lias" (in joint authorship with Professor J. F. Blake), (1876); "A Class-book of Geology" (1872) ; " British Molluscs" (1866) ; " Plora Belfastiensis " (1863); " Appendi.K to Woodward's Manual of Mollusca " (1867); and "Handbook of the Flora of South Australia" (1890). Profe.ssor Tate has been a prolific contributor to the leading scientific publications, his record of papers |)ublished through these media standing at present as follows :- Geology, 85; Botany, 34; Zoology, 46; making a total of no fewer than 165. He is the sole survivor of the original four professors (appointed in ILngland) of the Adelaide University. Outside his profe.ssorial duties, Professor Tate has rendered highly-appreciated service to the cause of science in .South Australia by re-organising the Royal Society of the Province in 1887, thus extending its utility and field of action.