S u p e r in te u d e n t, who h a s m ad e e x te n s iv e in v e s tig a t io n s , e sp e c ia lly o n th e e c o n om ic v a lu e o f tb e v e g e ta
b le p r o d u c ts o f N ew S o u th AYales.
O f th e a c tu a l d a te o f th e fo u n d a tio n o f th e S y d n e y B o ta n ic a l G a rd en s I h a v e n o in fo rm a t
io n . M r . H ew a rd , w h o h a s k in d ly en d ea v o u r ed t o tru c e it s h is to r y fo r m e in th e re co rd s o f th e
C o lo n ia l Office, fin d s tb e eai-lie st offic ia l m e n tio n th e r e , h e a r in g d a te o f 1 8 1 7 , b u t h e th in k s it was
p robably fo u n d ed sh o r t ly a fte r G o v e rn o r AI'Quai'ie ’s a rr ival, in 1 8 0 9 . T h e r e are th r e e o th e r
b o ta n ic a l g a rd en s in A u s t r a lia ; tb a t o f V ic to r ia , a t A le lb o u rn e , u n d e r tb e d ir e c tio n o f th e in d e fa
tig a b le D r . M u e lle r ; th a t o f A d e la id e , u n d e r Air. F r a n c is ; a n d tb a t o f B r isb a n e , su p e r in ten d ed
b y A ir . W . H ill, w h o h a s a lr ead y m a d e som e in t e r e s tin g an d im p o r ta n t d isc o v e r ie s in th e F lo ra
o f h is d is tr ic t.
IV. PRIVATE TRAVELLERS, AND COLLECTORS SENT OUT BY HORTICULTURAL ESTABLISHMENTS
OR BY PRIVATE INDIVIDUALS.
I u 1 7 8 8 , A ir . J o h n W h it e la n d ed in B o ta n y B a y , w h e r e , o r a t S y d n e y , b e w a s r e s id e n t for s e v e n
y e a r s as S u r g e o n -G e n e r a l to th e n ew s e t tlem e n t. H e c o lle c te d a c o n sid e ra b le n um h e r o f p la n ts , and
m a d e d raw in g s o f o th e r s, w h ich w e r e s e n t to A ir . W ilso n , A ir . L am b e r t, and S ir J am e s Sm ith , and
p u b lish e d b y tb e la tt e r b o ta n is t in ‘ A S p e c im e n o f tb e B o ta n y o f N ew H o lla n d ,’ tb e ‘ E x o t ic
B o ta n y ,’ e t c ., in W h it e ’s ‘ J o u rn a l o f a V o y a g e t o N ew S o u th W a le s ,’ and o th e r w o rk s.
A b o u t 1 8 0 0 , Air. G e o r g e C a le y w a s s e n t to N ew S o u th W a le s b y S ir J o s ep h B a n k s , an d b o ta n
iz ed th e r e d u r in g th e t im e o f B r ow n ’s sta y . A c c o r d in g to C ap ta in S tu r t, h e w as th e fir st p er son
w h o a tt em p t e d to s c a le th e B lu e A lo u n ta in s . H e r e s id ed t e n y e a r s in th e c o lo n y , an d m a d e e x t e n s iv e
c o lle c tio n s , w b ic h are pre served in th e B r itish A lu s eum . A ft e r h is r e tu rn to E n g la n d , h e w a s sen t
t o th e AVest I n d ie s a s S u p e r in te n d e n t o f th e B o ta n ic - G a rd en o f S t. V in c e n t ’s, w h e r e h e died .
C o lo n e l P a t e r so n h e ld a m ilita r y a p p o in tm en t in N ew S o u th AVales p r ev io u s to 1 7 9 4 , w h en th e
c om m a n d o f th e tr o o p s in th e c o lo n y d ev o lv ed u p o n h im as C ap ta in o f th e N ew S o u th W a le s Corps
(afte rwards 1 0 2 n d F o o t ). H e z e a lo u s ly d e v o ted h im s e lf to in v e s t ig a tin g th e b o ta n y o f th e c o lo n y ,
an d a lso o f th e n o r th e rn p a r ts o f T a sm an ia , w h e r e h e was L ie u te n a n t-G o v e r n o r fr om 1 8 0 4 t i l l 1 8 1 0
d u r in g w h ich t im e h e fo u n d ed L a u n c e s to n . H is p la n ts w e r e s e n t to S ir J . B a n k s an d M r . B row n ,
an d som e are p u b lish ed iu th e S u p p lem e n t to th e ‘ P r o d r om u s ’ an d elsew h e r e .
I h a v e a lr ead y a llu d ed t o A ir. P e t e r G o od , w h o a c com p a n ied A ir . B r ow n in th e ca p a c ity o f g a r den
e r iu F lin d e r s ’s v o y a g e . H e w a s an in d e fa tig a b le a s s is ta n t as c o lle c to r o f p la n ts, au d s e n t a vast
n um b e r o f se ed s h om e to th e R o y a l G a rd en s o f K ew , th e p la n ts o f w h ich are d esc rib ed in A lto n ’s
‘ H o r tu s K ew e n s is .’
A ir. D a v id B u r to n b o ta n iz ed in N ew S o u th AVales in 1 8 0 2 , b u t u n d e r w h a t c ir cum s ta n c e s I have
n o m ean s o f d e te rm in in g .
I n 1 8 2 3 - 5 an d 1 8 2 9 , th e v ic in ity o f K in g G eo rg e ’s S o u n d , AVilson’s P r om o n to r y , Cap e A r id ,
an d L u c k y B a y w e r e exp lo r ed b o ta n ic a lly b y M r . B a x te r , a g a rd en er s e n t o u t b y p r iv a te en terp rise
to c o lle c t se ed s an d r o o ts o f A u s tr a lia n p la n ts . A lan y o f h is sp e c im en s are in S ir W . H o o k e r ’s c o lle
c t io n s , an d o th e r s in Air. B r ow n ’s , th e P ro te a c eæ o f w h ic h are in c lu d ed in th e S u p p lem e n t to th e
‘ P ro d rom u s Florae N o væ -H o lla n d iæ .’
I n 1 8 2 3 , F r a n z AVilhelm S ieb e r , o f P r a g u e , a b o ta n ica l c o lle c to r , fo rm ed c o n sid e ra b le c o lle c tio n s
d u r in g a sev en m o n th s ’ so jo u rn in N ew S o u th W a le s , w h ic h wer e so ld in n um b e r ed se ts , b ea r in g th e
la b e l, “ F io r . N o v . H o ll.”
I n 1 8 2 0 , Air. R o b e r t W illiam L aw r en c e , a s e ttle r in T a sm a n ia , c om m en c ed ex p lo r in g th e
n o r th e rn p a r ts o f th a t isla n d , an d fo rm in g c o lle c tio n s , w h ich w e r e c om m u n ic a ted to S ir AV. H o o k e r
u p t ill 1 8 3 2 , w h en h e died . S om e o f th e s e p la n ts w e r e p u b lish e d in th e ‘ C om p a n io n to th e
B o ta n ic a l A la g a z in e ,’ ‘ J o u rn a l o f B o ta n y ,’ ‘ le o n e s P la n ta r um ,’ au d e lsew h e r e .
I n 1 8 3 0 , A ir . J o h n L h o tsk y v is ite d N ew S o u th W a le s , th e a lp s o f V ic to r ia an d T a sm an ia . H is
c o lle c tio n s are disp e r sed .
R o n a ld C am p b e ll G u n n , E s q .,'F .R .S . a n d L .S ., t o w h o se lab ou r s th e T a sm a n ia n F lo r a is so
la r g e ly in d eb ted , was th e fr ien d au d c om p a n io n o f th e la te Air. L aw r en c e , from w h om h e im b ib ed
h is lo v e o f b o ta n y . B e tw e e n 1 8 3 2 an d 1 8 5 0 , M r . G u n n c o lle c ted in d e fa tig a b ly ove r a g r e a t p o r tio n
o f T a sm an ia , bu t e sp e c ia lly a t Cir cu la r H e a d , E m u B a y , R o c k y Cape, th e A sb e s to s a n d H am p sh ir e
H ills , A Vesteni M o u n ta in s , F lin d e r s an d o th e r is la n d s in B a s s ’ S tr a its , th e ea st c o a st, th e w h o le v a lle y
o f th e D e rw e n t, from it s so u r c e s to R e ch e r ch e B a y , th e la k e d is tr ic ts o f S t . C lair, E c h o , A r th u r ’s
L a k e s , an d th e c o u n tr y w estw a rd o f th em to Ala cq u a r ie H a rb ou r , a n d th e F r a n k lin a n d H u o n r iv er s.
T h e r e are few T a sm a n ia n p la n ts th a t M r . G u n n h a s n o t s e en a liv e , n o ted th e ir h a b its in a liv in g s ta te ,
an d c o lle c te d la rg e su ite s o f sp e c im en s w ith s in g u la r ta c t an d ju d gm e n t . T h e s e h a v e a ll b e en tr a n s m
itt e d t o E n g la n d in p e r fe c t pr e se rv a tion , an d are accom p an ied w ith n o t e s th a t d isp la y r em a rk ab le
p ow e r s o f ob se rv a tio n , a n d a fa c ility for s e iz in g im p o r ta n t ch a ra c te r s in th e p h y s io g n om y o f p la n ts ,
su c h a s few e x p e r ien c ed b o ta n is ts p osse ss.
I h a d th e p lea su r e o f m a k in g A ir. G u n n ’s a cq u a in ta n c e a t H o b a r to n , in 1 8 4 0 , an d am in d eb ted
to h im for n e a r ly a ll I k n ow o f th e v e g e ta tio n o f th e d is tr ic ts I th en v is ite d ; for w e e ith e r s tu d ied
to g e th e r in th e fie ld or in h is lib r a r y ; o r w h en h e co u ld n o t a c com p an y m e h im s e lf, h e d ir e c ted one
o f h is se rv an ts, wJio w as an e x p e r ien c ed g u id e an d p la n t- c o lle c to r , to a ccom p a n y m e an d ta k e ch a rg e
o f m y sp e c im en s . I can r e c a ll n o h appier w e ek s o f m y v a r io u s w a n d e r in g s ove r th e g lo b e , th a n th o se
sp e n t w ith A ir. G u n n , c o lle c t in g in th e T a sm a n ia n m o u n ta in s an d fo r e sts, or s tu d y in g ou r p la n ts in
h is lib ra ry , w ith th e w o rk s o f o u r p red e c e sso r s L a b illa rd ie r e an d B row n .
M r . G u n n m a d e a sh o r t v is it to P o r t P h illip an d AVilson’s P r om o n to r y , an d c o lle c ted la r g e ly ,
n o t in g a ll th e d iffer en c es b e tw e en th e v e g e ta tio n o f tb e o p p o site sh or e s o f B a s s ’ S tra its.
Air. C o llie , o n e o f th e n a tu r a lis ts in C ap ta in B e e c b e y ’s v o y a g e to th e w e s t co a s t o f N o r th A m e rica,
v is ite d S o u th -w e s t em A u s tr a lia a b ou t th e y ea r 1 8 3 2 , au d m a d e c o lle c t io n s in Sw a n R iv e r and
L e u w in ’s L a n d .
Air . J am e s B a ck h o u s e v is ited A u s t r a lia iu 1 8 3 2 , and sp en t s ix y e a r s th e r e . T h e jo u r n e y was
u n d e r ta k en , a s h is n a r ra tiv e in fo rm s u s, “ s o le ly for th e p u rp o se o f d isch a r g in g a r e lig io u s d u ty ,”
b u t ow in g to b is k n ow led g e o f b o ta n y , h is c o n n e c t io n w ith a fin e h o r ticu ltu r a l e s ta b lishm e n t (the
N u r s e r y , Y o rk ), au d h is lo v e o f o b s e r v in g an d c o lle c tin g , th e r e su lts o f h is jo u r n e y h a v e proved
e x tr em e ly v a lu ab le in a s c ien tific p o in t o f view , an d added m u ch t o o u r fam ilia r ity w ith A u str a lia n
v e g e ta tio n .
Mr . B a c k h o u s e first la n d ed a t H ob a i'ton , and th e n , and o u tw o fu tu r e o c c a sio n s, v is ited n um e rou s
p a r ts o f T a sm an ia , o n th e D e rw e n t au d C ly d e , Ala cq u a r ie H a rb o u r , P o r t A r th u r , S p r in g B a y , va r io
u s sta tio n s on tb e n o r th co a st, an d th e m o u n ta in o u s in te r io r ; h e a lso tw ic e v isited N ew S o u th AVales,
an d m ad e ex cu r sio n s to th e B lu e A lo u n ta in s , B a th u r s t, A lo r e to n B a y , N ew c a s t le , A la itla n d , P o r t
A lacq u arie, Illaw a r ra , and G o u lb u r n ; an d afterw a rd s w en t to P o r t P liillip , A d e la id e , K in g G e o r g e ’s
S o u n d , a n d Sw a n R iv e r . T h e jo u rn a ls o f th e s e va r iou s ex ten s iv e jo u r n e y s are e x t r em e ly g o o d , and
th o u g h sp e c ia lly dev o ted t o p h ila n th r o p ic ob je c ts, th e y om it n o o b se rv a tio n s o n n a tu ra l h is to r y , an d
e sp e c ia lly o f b o ta n y , th a t th e ir ta le n te d au th o r con sid e r ed m ig h t b e w o r th y o f su c h a record. A ir .
y