Curious minds : the discoveries of Australian naturalists / Peter Macinnis.

By:

Macinnis, Peter

Contributor(s):

Material type: Text

9780642277541 (paperback)

Other title:

Discoveries of Australian naturalists

Subject(s):

DDC classification:

508.94 23

Contents:

Australian nature discovered -- The fussy pyrate and the hippo : William Dampier (1651-1715) -- Wherein philosphers are puzzled : Willem de Vlamingh (1640-c.1698) -- The French connection : Jacques La Billardiere (1775-1834) and Claude Riche (1762-1798) -- Naturalising in an Age of Revolution : Charles-Alexandre Lesueur (1778-1846) and Francois Peron (1775-1810) -- Putting Australian nature on the map -- A taste of the devil, the kangaroo and Parkinson's fig : Joseph Banks (1743-1820), Sydney Parkinson (c.1745-1771) and James Cook (1728-1779) -- An unheralded young man : Charles Darwin (1809-1882) -- Scrubbed from the map : Ferdinand Bauer (1760-1826), Robert Brown (1773-1858) and Matthew Flinders (1774-1814) -- Pioneering ladies : Amalie Dietrich (1821-1891) and Georgiana Molloy (1805-1843) -- Australia expanded -- The pursuit of platypuses : George Bennett (1804-1893) -- The mystery of the Watling Collection : John White (c.1756-1832) and Thomas Watling (1762-c.1814) -- The pursuit of glittering prizes : Thomas Henry Huxley (1825-1895) and John Macgillivray (1821-1867) -- Makers of their own fates -- Curiosity killed the botanist : Allan Cunningham (1791-1839) and Richard Cunningham (1793-c.1835) -- Death in the North : Ludwig Leichardt (1813-c.1848) and John Gilbert (1812-1845) -- Boomerang screws and big wombats : Sir Thomas Mitchell (1792-1855) -- The case of the large-bellied fish : William Blandowski (1822-1878) -- A victim of fighting men : Gerard Krefft (1830-1881) -- True-blue naturalists -- The excellent baron : Ferdinand von Mueller (1825-1896) -- Marketing Australian nature : Louisa Anne Meredith (1812-1895) -- Sisters with honorary status among the chaps : Harriet Scott (1830-1907) and Helena Scott (1832-1910) -- A voice from the bush : Louisa Atkinson (1834-1872) -- A mere flower painter : Ellis Rowan (1848-1922) -- Bagging the bunyip : William Sharp Macleay (1792-1865) -- Australia live -- A painting coroner : John Lewin (1770-1819) -- The business of nature : John Gould (1804-1881) and Elizabeth Gould (1804-1841) -- The gentleman painter : George French Angas (1822-1886) -- The mammalian egg's tale : William Hay Caldwell (1859-1941) -- The value of a curious mind.

Summary: This book looks at the long line of naturalists who have traversed Australia in search of new plants and animals. This book looks at the long line of naturalists who have traversed Australia in search of new plants and animals. Identifying and classifying the unfamiliar plants and animals was their biggest challenge -- the early ones were frequently wrong but later naturalists were able to build on and learn from previous mistakes. In time, a new breed of homegrown naturalists emerged. They would help to foster pride in a developing nation, as well an interest in the preservation of natural history. This book brings to life the stories of the naturalists and settlers who made the unfamiliar familiar and who contributed to developments in natural science. Among the names are Joseph Banks, Charles Darwin, Amalie Dietrich, Ludwig Leichhardt, Ferdinand von Mueller, Ellis Rowan, John Lewin and John and Elizabeth Gould.

Holdings ( 1 )
Title notes ( 7 )

Holdings
Item type	Current library	Collection	Call number	Copy number	Status	Date due	Barcode
Book	State Botanical Collection	RBG	508.94 CUR (Browse shelf(Opens below))	1	Available		RBG00011452

"Foreword by Emeritus Professor R.W. Home, AM"--Cover.

Includes bibliographical references (p. 192-199) and index.

This book looks at the long line of naturalists who have traversed Australia in search of new plants and animals. This book looks at the long line of naturalists who have traversed Australia in search of new plants and animals. Identifying and classifying the unfamiliar plants and animals was their biggest challenge -- the early ones were frequently wrong but later naturalists were able to build on and learn from previous mistakes. In time, a new breed of homegrown naturalists emerged. They would help to foster pride in a developing nation, as well an interest in the preservation of natural history. This book brings to life the stories of the naturalists and settlers who made the unfamiliar familiar and who contributed to developments in natural science. Among the names are Joseph Banks, Charles Darwin, Amalie Dietrich, Ludwig Leichhardt, Ferdinand von Mueller, Ellis Rowan, John Lewin and John and Elizabeth Gould.

English.

RBG copy donated by Phil Moors, April 2018.

Print version record