Collection RS147 - Tasmanian Society : minutes

The Tasmanian Society was founded by Governor Sir John Franklin in 1838. It had no definite name, however, until 1842 when it was referred to in its journal, The Tasmanian Journal of Natural Science, Agriculture, Statistics etc: The first secretary was Ronald Campbell Gunn, Private Secretary to Sir John Franklin, succeeded in 1841 by the new Private Secretary, Francis Hartwell. The Rev. Philip Gell (who came to act as headmaster to the proposed new college) became secretary in 1842. On 3rd October 1843 the new Governor Sir Eardley Wilmot was elected president but on 14 October 1843 he convened a meeting with the object, of amalgamating with the Horticultural Society and the Mechanics Institute. All except five members withdrew, accepted the resignation of Sir Eardley Wilmot and re-elected Sir John Franklin as President. The Society then centred itself on Launceston where Ronald Gunn continued publishing the Tasmanian Journal, the last volume being number 3 (1846-1849). The Journal contains minutes of meetings, the last being 10 May 1848.
In 1847 an unsuccessful attempt was made to unite with the new Royal Society of Tasmania and in 1849 the rules of the latter Society were altered to allow easy election of members of the Tasmanian Society.