DOCSLIB.ORG

The Leichhardt Diaries: Early Travels in Australia During 1842–1844

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
The Leichhardt Diaries: Early Travels in Australia During 1842–1844 Memoirs of the Queensland Museum | Culture Volume 7 Part 1 The Leichhardt diaries: Early travels in Australia during 1842–1844 Minister: Ian Walker MP, Minister for Science, Information Technology, Innovation and the Arts CEO: I.D. Galloway, PhD Editor in Chief: J.N.A. Hooper, PhD Editors: Thomas A. Darragh, Roderick J. Fensham Managing Editor: Sarah Verschoore, BA Issue Editors: Geraldine Mate, PhD, Tracy Ryan, PHA(Q) PUBLISHED BY ORDER OF THE BOARD 30 June 2013 © Queensland Museum PO Box 3300, South Brisbane 4101, Australia Phone: +61 (0) 7 3840 7555 Fax: +61 (0) 7 3846 1226 Web: qm.qld.gov.au National Library of Australia card number ISSN 1440-4788 VOLUME 7 IS COMPLETE IN 2 PARTS COVER Images on book cover: Conrad Martens (1801–78) Forest, Cunningham’s Gap, 1856 © Queensland Art Gallery IMAGES Unless otherwise stated, images used within the book are sketches by Ludwig Leichhardt 1842-1844. NOTE Papers published in this volume and in all previous volumes of the Memoirs of the Queensland Museum may be reproduced for scientific research, individual study or other educational purposes. Properly acknowledged quotations may be made but queries regarding the republication of any papers should be addressed to the CEO. Copies of the journal can be purchased from the Queensland Museum Shop. A Guide to Authors is displayed on the Queensland Museum website qm.qld.gov.au A Queensland Government Project Typeset by Tanya Edbrooke, Queensland Museum Printed by Harding Colour The Leichhardt Diaries. Early travels in Australia during 1842–1844 Foreword The disappearance of the German explorer intentions to mount the first expedition across and scientist Ludwig Leichhardt has become the north-eastern quarter of the continent. a grand Australian legend. Much more On his successful return from Port Essington poorly appreciated, but equally mysterious in 1846 Leichhardt was heralded as a hero is the precise nature of his character and and his name would become imprinted achievements. Hovenden Hely described on the minds of generations of spellbound him as ‘the most selfish greedy man I ever school children tantalised by the romantic saw’, while Henry Turnbull who was with and tragic sagas of the Australian explorers. Leichhardt on the same expedition urged Given the eminence of Leichhardt in our for a memorial to be built ‘not of bronze, cultural imagination it seems incredible however, but of marble—pure marble—pure that the most revealing archive from his as the unsullied reputation of the man whose first formative years in Australia has been memory it would perpetuate!’. The passage essentially inaccessible for 170 years. of time has done nothing to moderate the The Leichhardt of the diaries is far-removed divergent impressions of his acquaintances from Voss. Here is a young man unburdened and Leichhardt’s polarized character has by the pressures and expectations of fame. become magnified by the historical lens. He will be found in periods of depression The ambiguities of Leichhardt’s personality and indecision, wrestling with his emotions and motivations invite his reinvention. In and a developing philosophy of life. Like 1959 Patrick White published a literary Voss he is introspective, but the Leichhardt masterpiece about an explorer who pits of the diaries is intimately engaged with the himself against a merciless land. Throughout world and the people he meets. the novel there could be no mistaking the The diaries reveal how Leichhardt navigated identity of Voss and the genius of White’s his way through Sydney society and choice. Not only did White have the drama then found his confidence as a scientific of the expeditions at his disposal, but the traveller, along the way acquiring the array quixotic character of Leichhardt was the of skills that define a ‘bushman’. The pages perfect vehicle for dissecting the destructive illuminate the state of European settlement, force of obsessive pride and exposing the the nature of aboriginal culture and the discord of the European psyche in the geography of the Australian east coast with Australian landscape. Voss is a stoic, single- detailed observations on the natural world. minded megalomaniac estranged from His earnest intent as a scholar of science and people, like a desert himself, and hell-bent his outstanding ability are demonstrated on sacrificing his body and soul for the sake beyond all doubt. Amidst the detailed of his mission. scientific notes are sections that allow an During the 30 months covered by the diaries intimate acquaintance with the author. he arrived in Australia as a diligent student Without the affectation of his letters or the from the lower strata of Prussian society grandiloquence of his expedition journals the without connections, capital or prospects; diaries bear witness to the essential character and by the closing passages he reveals his of Leichhardt. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum | Culture 7(1) 2013 | i Darragh and Fensham In the period immediately after the diaries he on the Darling Downs. A side journey to the wrote a treatise on Australian geology and Maranoa District recovered some sense of prepared his substantial body of specimens achievement, but the more enduring legacy and despatched a portion of them to Europe. At from this second expedition came from the same time he was exercising his charisma the derogatory stories told by his fellow amongst the wealthier citizens of Sydney to expeditioners. Leichhardt was portrayed secure financial patronage for his long and as selfish and incompetent, and devoid of hazardous journey. This was a remarkable the inspirational or commanding qualities fundraising exercise for a foreigner with no required for successful leadership. More family or business connections in a colony than any others it is these accounts that have in the grips of a depression. Further he propagated Leichhardt’s derision. selected his party of men and purchased and Leichhardt was mortified but responded to prepared the necessary equipment. It seems his failure by re-equipping another party almost impossible that these achievements of expeditioners and headed out again as were finalised in only three months between though the first attempt was merely a false May and August 1844. start. They left the last outpost of settlement Leichhardt calculated a route to Port at Mount Abundance in April 1847 and were Essington that skirted the harsh desert never seen again. The disappearance of environments and wove around the north- Leichhardt, his band of men and their vast eastern quarter of the continent to the tiny array of animals and equipment inspired a garrison of Port Essington. The expedition flood of historical inquiry, speculation and was not without tragedy as the ornithologist mythologising which continues to this day. John Gilbert was killed and Roper and This publication sheds little light on the Calvert were dreadfully wounded during mystery of Leichhardt’s death but reveals an attack by Aborigines on the Nassau River much about his life. The essays accompanying in north Queensland. When their pack- the diaries explore how the Leichhardt horses drowned crossing the Roper River, legacy has permeated Australian science and Leichhardt had to abandon most of his culture. These erudite analyses only scratch botanical specimens and with them a large the surface of the material. Leichhardt’s measure of his prestige as a scientist. medical practice, his struggle to understand On return to Sydney, the rewards for the culture and plight of the Aborigines, his the exalted Leichhardt allowed him to experience with the fledgling winemakers, choose his future. Instead of resting on his zoological insights, his developing his laurels and developing his scientific religious philosophy and his frustrated interests he immediately begun planning love-life are all fodder for future readers. a journey of outrageous ambition — an Hopefully this publication will invigorate east-west crossing of the continent. With renewed interest in the misunderstood and brilliant, but ultimately mysterious Ludwig a full appreciation of geography this was a Leichhardt, as well how his legacy informs suicidal mission. His first attempt was an our history. unmitigated disaster marred by appalling weather, errant livestock, plagues of insects and debilitating illness. The party achieved little more than retracing the previous route Roderick J. Fensham as far as Peak Downs in central Queensland Queensland Herbarium / before returning to the frontier of settlement University of Queensland ii | Memoirs of the Queensland Museum | Culture 7(1) 2013 The Leichhardt Diaries. Early travels in Australia during 1842–1844 Acknowledgements Martin Beckett assisted access to the Smith carefully processed the images to manuscript and Paul Brunton, Elizabeth Ellis, ensure they are as faithful to the originals Richard Neville, and the other staff of the as possible. Robbie Clarkson of Sydney Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW, have checked one of Leichhardt’s notebooks been generous supporters. Rod Fensham was and provided copies of relevant pages. the recipient of a Nancy Keesing Fellowship Rob Bower and Sara Maroske commented from the Mitchell Library which assisted on drafts of the translation. Museum his ongoing involvement and allowed him Victoria provided facilities to enable Tom to scope out the geographical locations of Darragh to undertake the work, and the Leichhardt’s travels provided in Appendix 3. Queensland Herbarium did likewise for Rod Fensham. Tanya Edbrooke performed
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The Young Leichhardt's Diaries in the Context of His Australian Cultural
    Memoirs of the Queensland Museum | Culture Volume 7 Part 2 The Leichhardt papers Reflections on his life and legacy © Queensland Museum PO Box 3300, South Brisbane 4101, Australia Phone: +61 (0) 7 3840 7555 Fax: +61 (0) 7 3846 1226 Web: qm.qld.gov.au National Library of Australia card number ISSN 1440-4788 NOTE Papers published in this volume and in all previous volumes of the Memoirs of the Queensland Museum may be reproduced for scientific research, individual study or other educational purposes. Properly acknowledged quotations may be made but queries regarding the republication of any papers should be addressed to the CEO. Copies of the journal can be purchased from the Queensland Museum Shop. A Guide to Authors is displayed on the Queensland Museum website qm.qld.gov.au A Queensland Government Project 30 June 2013 The young Leichhardt’s diaries in the context of his Australian cultural legacy Angus NICHOLLS Nicholls, Angus 2012, The young Leichhardt’s diaries in the context of his Australian cultural legacy. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum – Culture 7(2): 541-559. Brisbane. ISSN 1440-4788 This paper examines Ludwig Leichhardt’s early Australian diaries, spanning from April 1842 until July 1844, in relation to his cultural legacy. Although Leichhardt’s standing as an explorer was initially established following the success of his journey to Port Essington in 1844-46, his reputation in Australia was later damaged by controversies arising from rival accounts of both this first journey and particularly of the second expedition of 1846-47. These controversies, at times informed by anti-Prussian and later by anti-German prejudices, have dominated Leichhardt’s reception in Australia, while at the same time diverting attention from his German cultural background and the ways in which it may have influenced his writings on Australia.
    [Show full text]
  • A Re-Examination of William Hann´S Northern Expedition of 1872 to Cape York Peninsula, Queensland
    CSIRO PUBLISHING Historical Records of Australian Science, 2021, 32, 67–82 https://doi.org/10.1071/HR20014 A re-examination of William Hann’s Northern Expedition of 1872 to Cape York Peninsula, Queensland Peter Illingworth TaylorA and Nicole Huxley ACorresponding author. Email: [email protected] William Hann’s Northern Expedition set off on 26 June 1872 from Mount Surprise, a pastoral station west of Townsville, to determine the mineral and agricultural potential of Cape York Peninsula. The expedition was plagued by disharmony and there was later strong criticism of the leadership and its failure to provide any meaningful analysis of the findings. The authors (a descendent of Norman Taylor, expedition geologist, and a descendent of Jerry, Indigenous guide and translator) use documentary sources and traditional knowledge to establish the role of Jerry in the expedition. They argue that while Hann acknowledged Jerry’s assistance to the expedition, his role has been downplayed by later commentators. Keywords: botany, explorers, geology, indigenous history, palaeontology. Published online 27 November 2020 Introduction research prominence. These reinterpretations of history not only highlight the cultural complexity of exploration, but they also During the nineteenth century, exploration for minerals, grazing demonstrate the extent to which Indigenous contributions were and agricultural lands was widespread in Australia, with expedi- obscured or deliberately removed from exploration accounts.4 tions organised through private, public and/or government spon- William Hann’s Northern Expedition to Cape York Peninsula sorship. Poor leadership and conflicting aspirations were common, was not unique in experiencing conflict and failing to adequately and the ability of expedition members to cooperate with one another acknowledge the contributions made by party members, notably in the face of hardships such as food and water shortages, illness and Jerry, Aboriginal guide and interpreter.
    [Show full text]
  • MITCHELL Versus LEICHHARDT
    179 A STUDY IN COMPARISONS: MITCHELL versus LEICHHARDT [By KATHLEEN EMMERSON] Comparisons are odious, is an old saying, but often they give us valuable "measuring sticks." The century-old argument as to which inland discoverer gave to what became Queensland its greater areas of valu­ able country: viz., Surveyor-General T. Mitchell or free­ lancing Ludwig Leichhardt, has never been answered. To give a correct reply, the work of a computer would be needed, to take down aU the summaries to be found in Pugh's Almanacs, Year Books, and others since 1860. LEICHHARDT'S NO. 1 BLACKFELLOW, "CHARLEY" ON JOURNEY TO PORT ESSINGTON, 1844-45. Charley's Creek, a tributary of the lower Condamine River, was named after him. "A man of uncertain temper but a first class 'cutter of bends,' also a peerless tracker." Sketch copied ftom Leichhardt's Journal of Overland Expedition to Port Essington. The beautiful Fitzroy Downs country (which enchanted young Tom Archer and his mates in 1847) as well as land adjoining the Balonne River and its northern tributaries, have in a hundred years yielded much wool and all that went with it as well as, in the course of time, beef, which had to be 180 overlanded for sale at Wodonga on the Murray, timber also (mostly in this century). The oil from Moonie, gas from Roma (both of tremend­ ous value these modern days), also their wheat, wine and grapes are items not to "be sneezed at." These and other developments make up a vast contribu­ tion from Mitchell's Country. "A BLANKY COASTER" It is not presumptuous to assert that Leichhardt's efforts— and how much more difficult his journeys were than those of the well-equipped Government servant, Mitchell—have yielded more and greater results than his rival.
    [Show full text]
  • We Would Rather Be Ruined Than Changed We Would Rather Die in Our Dread Than Climb the Cross of the Moment and Let Our Illusions Die W.H
    SOME EARLY ILLUSIONS CONCERNING NORTH QUEENSLAND Ray Sumner Department of Geography James Cook University of North Queensland We would rather be ruined than changed We would rather die in our dread Than climb the cross of the moment And let our illusions die W.H. Auden Our assessment of any landscape results as much from how we view it as from the reality of what is actually there. As Brookfield said "decision makers operating in an environment base their decisions on the environ- ment as they perceive it, not as it is". 1 The Europeans who explored tropical Queensland entered an unknown land which they were required to examine and then offer an assessment of its potential. Since the environment confronted the explorers with a situation of complete uncertainty, a subjective error component was inevitable in their description and analysis, but in fact their reaction to the new environment was affected by what they wanted to see, or thought they saw, as much as by what was actually there. The image of new country recounted by each explorer resulted largely from his response to visual stimuli in the new environment. Since observation and interpretation are enhanced by some degree of familiarity, a history of prior exploration in the south might be expected to improve the performance of explorers in the Tropics, but this was no criterion for an objective appraisal of the new areas. After three successful journeys of exploration in southern states, the Surveyor-General Major (later Sir) Thomas Mitchell concluded his trip to central Queensland with a spectacular blunder; Edmund Kennedy had a background of inland journeys, but died in a disastrous attempt on Cape York.
    [Show full text]
  • The Natural History of Upper Sturt, South Australia Part I
    THE NATURAL HISTORY OF UPPER STURT, SOUTH AUSTRALIA PART I: VEGETATION HISTORY, FLORA AND MACROFUNGI OF A MESSMATE STRINGYBARK FOREST Tony Robinson and Julia Haska PO Box 47 UPPER STURT SA 5156 Email: [email protected] ABSTRACT: An area of Eucalyptus obliqua, Messmate Stringybark Forest in Upper Sturt, Mt Lofty Ranges, South Australia was studied over a 38 year period. The land use history since the area was first settled by Europeans in 1843, to the present day is summarized. The area is now known to support 249 species of plants of which 105 species are introduced and 64 species of macrofungi of which at least 3 are introduced. Although the area has undergone many changes since European settlement it remains an important area of remnant native vegetation. There are ongoing challenges from weed invasion, overgrazing by over-abundant kangaroos and introduced koalas and from potential damage by severe wildfire KEY WORDS: Upper Sturt, land use history, forest, flora, fungi, vegetation INTRODUCTION: This is the first of three papers describing revegetation of cleared land adjacent to areas of relatively natural remnant native vegetation. In this paper, elements of the vegetation, flora and fungi are described in a study area at 16 Pole Road, Upper Sturt in the Mt Lofty Ranges. The second paper describes the vertebrate and invertebrate fauna of the area, while the third paper provides results of fauna and vegetation monitoring in sample sites established in both the re-vegetated area and the remnant natural vegetation in the Upper Sturt study area. A second series of three papers will cover the flora and fauna and a more extensive revegetation program on a study area on the western end of Kangaroo Island (in prep.).
    [Show full text]
  • Ludwig Leichhardt: a German Explorer’S Letters Home from Australia
    Ludwig Leichhardt: A German Explorer’s Letters Home from Australia Heike Hartmann Seventeen letters sent by Ludwig Leichhardt from 1842–48 vividly depict his stay in Australia. In this exhibition curated by historian Heike Hartmann, we are introducing a brand new English translation of the letters and a timeline tool with which to view those, this virtual exhibition documents Leichhardt’s adventurous stay in Australia and opens up new perspectives for the environmental history of the land, Europeans’ engagement with its indigenous population, and international scientific networks at the time. Click here to read the letters. Exhibition texts by Heike Hartmann (2015) under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 International license. This refers only to the text and does not include any image rights. For copyright information on the above images, please click here. http://www.environmentandsociety.org/exhibitions/leichhardt/copyright-information How to cite: Hartmann, Heike. “Ludwig Leichhardt: A German Explorer’s Letters Home from Australia.” Commentaries translated by Brenda Black. Environment & Society Portal, Virtual Exhibitions 2015, no. 1. Rachel Carson Center for Environment and Society. doi.org/10.5282/rcc/6348 . ISSN 2198-7696 Environment & Society Portal, Virtual Exhibitions Source URL: http://www.environmentandsociety.org/node/6348 PDF created on: 27 January 2021 12:38:07 About Ludwig Leichhardt’s life is inextricably bound with the European exploration of Australia. His first expedition (1844–1845) found a viable route between the east and north coasts of the colony and established Leichhardt’s reputation as the “Prince of Explorers.” In 1848 he set out on an expedition to cross the continent from east to west; the entire expedition party disappeared and was never found.
    [Show full text]
  • Ludwig Leichhardt in the Valley of the Lagoons: the Discovery of a Leichhardt-Tree in North Queensland
    Ludwig Leichhardt in the Valley of the Lagoons: The discovery of a Leichhardt-tree in North Queensland Bernd Marx At the beginning of May 1845, the first Ludwig-Leichhardt-expedition came closer and closer to the headwaters of the Burdekin River. Today, this is the region around the settlement of Greenvale, situated on the Gregory Developmental Road between the regional town Charters Towers and the Forty Mile Scrub National Park. The Valley of the Lagoons can be reached in an easterly direction via a 100 kilometre long track through the outback. One has, however, to ford all the rivers and creeks. The members of the Ludwig-Leichhardt-expedition had hitherto followed the Condamine River (3 days), the Dawson River (10 days), the Robinson Creek in the Expedition Range (6 days), the Comet River (16 days), the Mackenzie River (8 days), the Isaac River (20 days), the Suttor River (28 days) and the Burdekin River (42 days) and had conducted geological, botanical as well as zoological research. When the group reached the Valley of the Lagoons, it had completed 212 days and a distance of approximately 2000 kilometres through the Australian wilderness. The expedition still had 10 bullocks and 15 horses with it. During that seven-month overland journey, six cows had so far been slaughtered. The first had been butchered at Dry Beef Creek on 28 October 1844. The party had by then covered approximately 430 kilometres since leaving its starting point at Jimbour Station. The weight of the dried meat the men carried was approximately 40 kilograms. On 18 December 1844, a second ox was slaughtered for additional provisions at their campground “Brown’s Lagoons” in the Expedition Range.
    [Show full text]
  • The Granite Belt Naturalist
    Monthly Newsletter of the Stanthorpe Field Naturalist Club Inc. –November 2019 Vol The Granite Belt Naturalist Mail Address: Stanthorpe Field Naturalist Club Inc, PO Box 154, Stanthorpe Qld. 4380 [email protected] Web site https://mysd.com.au/fieldnats/ AIMS OF THE CLUB 1. To study all branches of Natural History 2. Preservation of the Flora and Fauna of Queensland 3. Encouragement of a spirit of protection towards native birds, animals and plants 4. To assist where possible in scientific research 5. To publish a monthly newsletter and post it to members Meetings 4th Wednesday of each month at QCWA Rooms, Victoria Street, Stanthorpe, at 7.30pm Outings: The Sunday preceding the 4th Wednesday of each month The Pyramids, Girraween National Park (Saturday outings as pre-arranged) Subs: Single $20.00, Family $30.00 per annum, July to June CLUB OFFICE BEARERS – 2019/2020 The Club thanks the Queensland Country Credit Union for President Jeff Campbell 46811420 their donation that enabled us to buy a printer. Vice-presidents Kris Carnell 46835268 Peter Haselgrove 46837255 Secretary Rob McCosker 46835371 Stanthorpe Field Naturalists is a group member of Granite Treasurer Gunter Maywald 46810674 Borders Landcare. Newsletter Editor Margaret Carnell 46835268 Publicity Officer Jeff Campbell 46812008 Librarian Laura Maywald 46810674 Management Committee: President, Vice-Presidents, Secretary, Treasurer The Granite Belt Naturalist 2019 Vol. 524 SCALE OF DIFFICULTY FOR WALKS Coming Up ON NATS OUTINGS th 1. Flat walking, road or track Sunday 24 November: Basket Swamp with 2. Road or track, gentle hills Jeff Campbell 3. Track, some hilly sections th 4.
    [Show full text]
  • On the Flora of Australia
    L'IBRARY'OF THE GRAY HERBARIUM HARVARD UNIVERSITY. BOUGHT. THE FLORA OF AUSTRALIA, ITS ORIGIN, AFFINITIES, AND DISTRIBUTION; BEING AN TO THE FLORA OF TASMANIA. BY JOSEPH DALTON HOOKER, M.D., F.R.S., L.S., & G.S.; LATE BOTANIST TO THE ANTARCTIC EXPEDITION. LONDON : LOVELL REEVE, HENRIETTA STREET, COVENT GARDEN. r^/f'ORElGN&ENGLISH' <^ . 1859. i^\BOOKSELLERS^.- PR 2G 1.912 Gray Herbarium Harvard University ON THE FLORA OF AUSTRALIA ITS ORIGIN, AFFINITIES, AND DISTRIBUTION. I I / ON THE FLORA OF AUSTRALIA, ITS ORIGIN, AFFINITIES, AND DISTRIBUTION; BEIKG AN TO THE FLORA OF TASMANIA. BY JOSEPH DALTON HOOKER, M.D., F.R.S., L.S., & G.S.; LATE BOTANIST TO THE ANTARCTIC EXPEDITION. Reprinted from the JJotany of the Antarctic Expedition, Part III., Flora of Tasmania, Vol. I. LONDON : LOVELL REEVE, HENRIETTA STREET, COVENT GARDEN. 1859. PRINTED BY JOHN EDWARD TAYLOR, LITTLE QUEEN STREET, LINCOLN'S INN FIELDS. CONTENTS OF THE INTRODUCTORY ESSAY. § i. Preliminary Remarks. PAGE Sources of Information, published and unpublished, materials, collections, etc i Object of arranging them to discuss the Origin, Peculiarities, and Distribution of the Vegetation of Australia, and to regard them in relation to the views of Darwin and others, on the Creation of Species .... iii^ § 2. On the General Phenomena of Variation in the Vegetable Kingdom. All plants more or less variable ; rate, extent, and nature of variability ; differences of amount and degree in different natural groups of plants v Parallelism of features of variability in different groups of individuals (varieties, species, genera, etc.), and in wild and cultivated plants vii Variation a centrifugal force ; the tendency in the progeny of varieties being to depart further from their original types, not to revert to them viii Effects of cross-impregnation and hybridization ultimately favourable to permanence of specific character x Darwin's Theory of Natural Selection ; — its effects on variable organisms under varying conditions is to give a temporary stability to races, species, genera, etc xi § 3.
    [Show full text]
  • Remembering John Gould's Martyred Collectors
    “Sons of Science”: Remembering John Gould’s Martyred Collectors Patrick Noonan The Victorian era has been described as “The Heyday of Natural History” (Barber 2). It was a period of intense popular and academic enthusiasm for natural history that spanned the otherwise rigid divides of class and gender. Victorian natural history combined aesthetic, romantic and literary elements with a strong empirical focus on the collection and category- isation of specimens. For the elites and aspiring elites of Victorian Britain, the accumulation of vast collections of plant, animal and geological specimens from the far flung corners of empire also served as symbols of social legitimation, respectability and self-improvement. This emerging demand also created new markets and commercial opportunities for astute businessmen like the taxidermist, publisher and ornithologist, John Gould, who prospered by providing both physical specimens and published information to an extensive and growing list of collectors and subscribers. To supply these expanding domestic markets, Gould (like other natural history entrepreneurs) relied upon an extensive global network of collectors, correspondents and contributors. Bruno Strasser has observed that collecting was essentially “a collective practice,” with natural history specimens “travelling as gifts along social networks [as well as] . commodities that were purchased and distributed through commercial networks” (313). Being located at the centre of these networks, Gould and the other patrons and interpreters of Imperial science unquestioningly assumed a critical role as the definers, arbiters and namers of new species within their particular fields of expertise. The grand ambition of Victorian natural historians was nothing less than to document and classify “the entirety of nature” (Farber 51), and this bold task required a ceaseless supply of new and exotic species.
    [Show full text]
  • Burdekin, Queensland
    Biodiversity Summary for NRM Regions Species List What is the summary for and where does it come from? This list has been produced by the Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities (SEWPC) for the Natural Resource Management Spatial Information System. The list was produced using the AustralianAustralian Natural Natural Heritage Heritage Assessment Assessment Tool Tool (ANHAT), which analyses data from a range of plant and animal surveys and collections from across Australia to automatically generate a report for each NRM region. Data sources (Appendix 2) include national and state herbaria, museums, state governments, CSIRO, Birds Australia and a range of surveys conducted by or for DEWHA. For each family of plant and animal covered by ANHAT (Appendix 1), this document gives the number of species in the country and how many of them are found in the region. It also identifies species listed as Vulnerable, Critically Endangered, Endangered or Conservation Dependent under the EPBC Act. A biodiversity summary for this region is also available. For more information please see: www.environment.gov.au/heritage/anhat/index.html Limitations • ANHAT currently contains information on the distribution of over 30,000 Australian taxa. This includes all mammals, birds, reptiles, frogs and fish, 137 families of vascular plants (over 15,000 species) and a range of invertebrate groups. Groups notnot yet yet covered covered in inANHAT ANHAT are notnot included included in in the the list. list. • The data used come from authoritative sources, but they are not perfect. All species names have been confirmed as valid species names, but it is not possible to confirm all species locations.
    [Show full text]
  • Biodiversity Summary: Burnett Mary, Queensland
    Biodiversity Summary for NRM Regions Species List What is the summary for and where does it come from? This list has been produced by the Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities (SEWPC) for the Natural Resource Management Spatial Information System. The list was produced using the AustralianAustralian Natural Natural Heritage Heritage Assessment Assessment Tool Tool (ANHAT), which analyses data from a range of plant and animal surveys and collections from across Australia to automatically generate a report for each NRM region. Data sources (Appendix 2) include national and state herbaria, museums, state governments, CSIRO, Birds Australia and a range of surveys conducted by or for DEWHA. For each family of plant and animal covered by ANHAT (Appendix 1), this document gives the number of species in the country and how many of them are found in the region. It also identifies species listed as Vulnerable, Critically Endangered, Endangered or Conservation Dependent under the EPBC Act. A biodiversity summary for this region is also available. For more information please see: www.environment.gov.au/heritage/anhat/index.html Limitations • ANHAT currently contains information on the distribution of over 30,000 Australian taxa. This includes all mammals, birds, reptiles, frogs and fish, 137 families of vascular plants (over 15,000 species) and a range of invertebrate groups. Groups notnot yet yet covered covered in inANHAT ANHAT are notnot included included in in the the list. list. • The data used come from authoritative sources, but they are not perfect. All species names have been confirmed as valid species names, but it is not possible to confirm all species locations.
    [Show full text]