William Legrand: A Study Joan Frances Holloway A thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at The University of Queensland in November 2010 English, Media Studies, and Art History Declaration by author This thesis is composed of my original work, and contains no material previously published or written by another person except where due reference has been made in the text. I have clearly stated the contribution by others to jointly-authored works that I have included in my thesis. I have clearly stated the contribution of others to my thesis as a whole, including statistical assistance, survey design, data analysis, significant technical procedures, professional editorial advice, and any other original research work used or reported in my thesis. The content of my thesis is the result of work I have carried out since the commencement of my research higher degree candidature and does not include a substantial part of work that has been submitted to qualify for the award of any other degree or diploma in any university or other tertiary institution. I have clearly stated which parts of my thesis, if any, have been submitted to qualify for another award. I acknowledge that an electronic copy of my thesis must be lodged with the University Library and, subject to the General Award Rules of The University of Queensland, immediately made available for research and study in accordance with the Copyright Act 1968. I acknowledge that copyright of all material contained in my thesis resides with the copyright holder(s) of that material. Statement of Contributions to Jointly Authored Works Contained in the Thesis No jointly-authored works. Statement of Contributions by Others to the Thesis as a Whole No contributions by others. Statement of Parts of the Thesis Submitted to Qualify for the Award of Another Degree Chapter 1 submitted for admission to candidature MPhil, University of Queensland, 2006; thesis project converted to candidature for PhD. Published Works by the Author Incorporated into the Thesis i ―Curiosity, Collections, and William Legrand: Aspects of a Colonial Career, 1855 to 1902.‖ Tasmanian Historical Studies 13 (2008): 43–110. Partially incorporated as paragraphs in Chapters 1, 4, 5, and 6. Additional Published Works by the Author Relevant to the Thesis but not Forming Part of it None. Acknowledgements Researching the life of Legrand has required me to travel across disciplines and taken me to many different libraries, collections, and other resources, and I am greatly indebted for the assistance so generously available to me. The rich holdings of the Archives Office of Tasmania, the Tasmaniana Library at the State Library of Tasmania, and the present Tasmanian Archive and Heritage Office have been a central resource during my research. Specialist staff familiar with these collections have provided valuable assistance on many occasions. From the Auckland Public Libraries Manuscripts Collections in New Zealand, Kate de Courcy has provided speedy and valuable access to copies of original correspondence in the Sir George Grey Special Collections; she also examined on my behalf a key item originally supplied by Legrand. At the Australian Museum in Sydney, Ian Loch gave generously of his time in providing access to Legrand‘s personal copy of the first published book on Tasmanian shells and to other important print resources. At the Maritime Museum of Tasmania, Basil Smee was enlightening on the subject of cutters and other nautical topics relevant to Legrand‘s colonial experience. At the Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales, Jennifer Broomhead, Alan Davies, and Arthur Easton led me to archival materials which have proved central to my research project. At the Morris Miller Special and Rare Collection, University of Tasmania, Emelia Ward was welcoming and resourceful in enabling my access to original documents crucial to the research. Associates of Museum Victoria, Hope Black and Robert Burn, individually have provided information ii relevant to Australian shell science of Legrand‘s day. The unexpected coincidence that Bob and I were researching Legrand‘s scientific career concurrently, though separately and from very different perspectives, has led to an enjoyable and mutually useful discussion by correspondence, an interchange of ideas and information about our long-obscure biographical subject. At the Tasmanian Art Gallery and Museum, Vicki Farmery gave helpful advice and the opportunity to examine useful rare resources in the photography collection. Joanne Huxley sent me a copy of a relevant recently-published history paper written by herself. In the initial stages of my project, Elizabeth Turner, Curator of Invertebrate Zoology at TMAG, armed me with key references which have proved invaluable throughout my investigation of Legrand‘s scientific career. From the Queen Victoria Museum in Launceston, the late Brian Smith gave his enthusiastic endorsement of the usefulness of my intended project, and this remained a source of encouragement during its implementation. I am grateful to Caroline Evans as editor, and to Tony Marshal and an anonymous second peer-reviewer, who all gave constructive comments on drafts of my article about Legrand for Tasmanian Historical Studies 13 (2008). For permission to reproduce key images referred to in the thesis, I am grateful to Peter Andrews; the Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Wildlife, and Environment, Tasmania; Dr. Bernd Herckner, Head of Museum Department, Senckenberg Forschungsinstitut und Naturmuseum, Frankfurt; Maurice Mishkell in Canada; the Mitchell Library; the TMAG; the TAHO; and the custodians of Bruce Poulson‘s map. Other researchers have been helpful along the way, several in particular. From England, Claire Le Grand and Sue Prideaux, separately, were generous correspondents during my search for Legrand‘s family origins. From Tasmania, Kim Simpson sent useful snippets noticed in archival print materials during his own research on an unrelated topic. Lesley McCoull retrieved several reference items I needed between my visits to Hobart. iii Elsewhere, Peter Arnold, Alison Briggs, Ann Briggs, and Alison Bozoky contributed family information helpful during my attempts to trace Legrand‘s Tasmanian associates. Online membership of both the VICTORIA list and the AUS-Tasmania list gave me access to information and discussion of relevance to my project. During the latter part of my research, significant digitisation projects were rapidly transforming access to archival resources central to my study of Legrand. In particular, the National Library of Australia‘s ongoing Newspapers Digitisation Project provided timely and valuable access to numerous small details helpful in my efforts to find further traces of Legrand and to gain fuller understanding of his times and his enduring significance. At the University of Queensland, I have greatly appreciated the helpful suggestions given me by Robert Dixon, Veronica Kelly, and Joan Leach. My research has drawn heavily on the superb resources of the Social Sciences and Humanities Library and the Fryer Library, and on the excellent collection of old scientific journals in the Biological Sciences Library. My project would not have been accomplished without the support of the University of Queensland, through the funding of a Postgraduate Research Scholarship, and the approval of a six-month extension. I am grateful to administrative staff of EMSAH for help given during my candidacy, especially to Angela Tuohy, whose wisdom, efficiency, and sense of humour helped keep my project on track. Above all, I am deeply grateful to my advisor Gillian Whitlock, who has seen me through my Legrand journey and more, and has been a constant source of encouragement, erudition, and inspiration. It was a privilege and a continuing pleasure to work with her, and the thesis has benefited immeasurably from her suggestions and advice, and her critical reading of my many drafts of each chapter. Last but not least, I am grateful to friends and family for their patience and support during my long absorption in the topic of Legrand, and for their encouragement and helpful comments. My finished work is dedicated in memory of Frances Ida Gellie (née Seeley). iv Abstract This thesis is a scholarly biography of the nineteenth-century Hobart bookseller, William Legrand (ca.1818 –1902). Currently an iconic figure, once a well-known amateur scientist, antiquarian, and local ―character,‖ Legrand produced the first book on Tasmanian land shells and secured scarce colonial materials for important collections of Australiana. This study argues that Legrand‘s past and continuing Tasmanian presence has greater significance than currently recognised. My archival research substantially increases existing knowledge about him. Applying theoretical knowledge in detailed analysis of existing and fresh material, I probe the cultural significance of Legrand‘s previously untraced links with historical figures, places, events, and intellectual movements. His many-faceted career offers valuable insights to developments in early Australian science and notions of national identity. The Introduction considers relevant theoretical concepts about biography, foregrounding issues influencing this biography‘s eventual hybrid form. The diversity of objects significantly associated with Legrand has called for the adoption of theoretical viewpoints other than those of biography in several sections. Chapter 1 explores the Legrand photographic portraits, several recently