The Society met on the ist September, with the Mayor as Chairman, and the following officers were elected:— P R E S I D E N T . — M r . Charles J. Griffiths. V I C E - P R E S I D E N T S . — M e s s r s . John Carre Riddell, AVilliam C. Haines, John Aitken, AVilliam Rutledge, William Firebrace, James Moore, James Austin, J. Stanley Carr, and Thomas Learmonth. D I R E C T O R S . — M e s s r s . R e d m o n d Barry, AVilliam Westgarth, William Stawell, Augustus F. A. Greeves, Francis Bryant, Claud Farie, Colin Campbell, R a w d o n P. Greene, William T. Mollison, John Bear, A. C. AVallace Dunlop, and Alfred J. Thompson. T R E A S U R E R . — M r . Charles Bradshaw. THE VICTORIAN INDUSTRIAL SOCIETY'S FIRST EXHIBITION
Was held on the 29th and 30th January, 1851. It was divided into two branches, viz. :—Manufactures and products yvere shown at St. Patrick's Hall (Bourke Street), and live stock at the Auction Yards of Messrs. Bear and Son, Station and Stock Auctioneers, situated at the south-eastern corner of Bourke and Queen Streets. Hore's Saxhorn Band yvas there in full blast, and there yvas a large attendance of the public. T h e hall presented an extensive display of exhibits, if times and circumstances are taken into consideration, and some of the articles yvere yvell worthy of special notice. The establishment of Mr. Rolleston exhibited a locally built phaeton made to order for £ 1 5 0 . Mr. McCracken exhibited a turn rest plough, specially adapted for land on the slope of a declivity, as the share turned on a rotary axis, thereby facilitating the veering of the plough. There were some excellent samples of leather from the tannery of Messrs. Smith and Kirk, flax seed grown by Mr. Joseph Raleigh, and a pocket of hops by Mr. H . James. Messrs. Raleigh and Fyfe, and Messrs. AVatson and Wight, showed some prime tierced beef; that belonging to the latterfirm,though cured in 1849, was in a state of good preservation and sweetness. T h e most admired exhibit was a tableaux by a lady (no name) of a beautiful bouquet of flowers wrought in Berlin wool, and most artistically framed by Mr. Shotfort, of Geelong. T h e gem of the Exhibition was, hoyvever, a marvel of ingenious handicraft by Mr. AVilliam Broughton, a Collingwood mechanic. This was a writing desk composed of the following eighteen colonial woods :—Pie-oak, tartarra, honeysuckle, sassafras, Murray pine, H u o n pine, forest oak, blackwood, box, teak, musk, tulip-wood, silk-wood, red-gum, dog-yvood, Cypress pine, cherry-tree, and myall. It was purchased by Mr. Henry M o o r as a Melbourne curio, and sent to England. Another Collingyvood man, a German, named Frietzon, was very successful in earthenyvare. A s this yvas thefirstattempt of the kind in Victoria, it m a y not be uninteresting to quote from the official catalogue the prize adjudications :— CATTLE.
Gold medals for best imported bull, and best colonial bred coyv, Mr. R. M'Dougall, of Glenroy; home-bred cow for dairy purposes, Mr. T h o m a s Miller. Silver medals for best colonial three years heifer, Mr. R. M'Dougall; best colonial three-year-old steer, Mr. James Robertson, Keilor. PIGS.
Best boar of any age—Mr. R. M'Dougall, gold medal. Best s o w — J . Kyle, silver medal, the same to Mr. T. H . Power, Yarra, for best hog: HORSES.
Imported stallions—Premier—Mr. Jeffries, gold medal. Colonial best mares—Miss Letty—Mr. T. H . Power, gold medals. Imported cart stallion—Mr. Ryan ; Colonial bred cart stallion—Mr. R a w d o n Greene, gold medals. Cart m a r e s — M r . James Austin, and Mr. R a w d o n Greene, gold medals.
