Dr Richard Schomburgk and Adelaide Botanic Garden 1865-1891

705 Pages·2015·22.92 MB·English

by  Pauline Payne

Dr Richard Schomburgk
and Adelaide Botanic Garden
865 891
1 T 1
Pauline Payne
Thesis presented as requirement for the degree of
Doctor of Philosophy in the Faculty of Arts,
University of Adelaide
992
1
For Jean Mary Schomburgk
with affection and gratitude
Contents
lllu stratio n s
Abbreviations ¡¡¡
Abstract iv
Declaration VI
vll
Acknowledgements
iii
I n trod u ctio n v
Chapter The role of the Botanic Garden
1 1
Garden
Chapter 2 A new settlement and a new Botanic 3 3
Chapter 3 Richard Moritz Schomburgk 103
4
Chapter Developing the Botanic Garden site 167
Chapter 5 Scientif ic and utilitarian gardening 245
I
Part Grasses and fodder plants
Chapter 6 Scientif ic and utilitarian gardening 321
ll
Part Other useful plants
7
Chapter Schomburgk and the plant sciences 433
Chapter B Adelaide Botanic Garden as an
educational institution 532
Chapter 9 Schomburgk as Director 574
Conclusion 630
Bibliography 645
ILLUSTRATIONS
1. Entrance to the Botanic Garden following p. 92
2. The first Main Gates in North Terrace following p. 100
3 Richard Moritz Schomburgk following p. 102
4. Botanic Gardens centre walk following p. 166
5. Plan of Botanic Garden site 1874 following p. 170
6. The Aquarium following p. 170
7. Cages for animals and birds following p. 171
8. Parterre near the entrance gate following p. 173
o View across Botanic Garden towards
the Royal Adelaide Hospital following p. 180
10 The Rose Garden following p.182
11. View of eastern part of Garden following p. 188
12. Victoria House following p. 195
13 Palm House following p. 224
14 Interior of Palm House following p. 227
15 View from Palm House terrace following p. 228
16 Museum of Economic Botany following p. 232
17.' The large fountain on Main Walk following p. 233
18. Experimental Garden following p. 320
[Photographs from Botanic Garden archival collection with kind
permission of the Director and Board of Adelaide Botanic Gardens.
Engravíngs from Richard schomburgk's catatogue of plants under
cultivation in Adelaide Eotanic Garden, Adeiaicie 1979, Botanic
Gardens centre walk illustration from Annual Report 1gg6.l
ill
Abbrev¡ations
A.B.G. Adelaide Botanic Garden
cwt. hundredweight (weight)
ft. oot/f eet
f
tb. pounds (weight)
M.LC. Member of the Legislative Gouncil
N.S.W. New South Wales
N.T. Northern Territory
Qld. Queensland
S.A. South Australia
sp. species
spp. species (plural)
Tas. Tas man ia
var. variety
Vic. V icto r ia
W.A. Western Australia

v
It will be argued that there were certain cultural factors in Adelaide soc¡ety that played
an important part in the support given to Schomburgk and the gardens. This case study
demonstrates how the cultural milieu atfected the work of a colonial scientist. Of these
factors relating to cultural milieu, three stand out: openess to new ideas, a desire to
obtain 'the best available' for South Australia and alongside this a desire for
'respectability'.
A further theme of the thesis relates to the transfer of plant mater¡al: its importance to
Australia and its place in British imperial development. Schomburgk's approach was an
international one. Probably the largest importer of plant mater¡al in Australia in his day
he used international botanical contacts to obtain plant material (e.9. for wheal, sultanas,
almonds) which benefited all Australian colonies. His contacts with colleagues in
Germany, where he had been a prolégé of the great nineteenth century geographer and
scientist, Alexander von Humboldt, provided a link belween scientific developments in
Australasia and research in Germany. While scientific links with British colleagues
were of great importance, Schomburgk's pragmatic approach saw him forging extra-
imperial links with colleagues in continental Europe, North and South America and Java.
The. Botanic Garden, one of the earliest scientific institutions in Australia, provided a
beachhead for scientific development. A study of Schomburgk's career provides some
insight ¡nto the role of one of Australia's first professional scientific workers and into a
worldwide network of exchange for information and plant material.

vlt
Acknowledgements
I am very grateful to the staff and Board of the Adelaide Botanic Garden, and especially for
the help of Dr Brian Morley, Dr Lauri Haegi, Dr Bill Barker, Robin Barker, Nigel
Turner, Trevor Christensen, Theckla Reichstein and the Technical Section. David Symon
and Gaye Denny made a special contribution. Their help and support and that of their
colleagues made the years of research at Adelaide Botanic Garden very happy ones and I
thank them all.
I would also like to acknowlege the help of Professor lan lnkster, Professor R. W. Home,
Professor Brian Dickey, Professor Roy Macleod, Dr Bill Gammage, Associate Professor
Tony Denholm, Dr Linden Gilchrist, Dr Ann Moyal, Dr Ann Daughtry, Margaret Hosking,
Dorothy Hudson, Nigel Hart, Vera Baghurst, Danielle James, Doris Turner, Elaine
Barker, Jean Schomburgk and lan Schomburgk, each of whom made particular
contributions at various stages of the project.
Very special thanks are owed to Emeritus Professor Austin Gough whose scholarship and
cheerful support played such an important part ¡n making the production of the
dissertation so enjoyable. My thanks too, to the staff and post-graduate group in the
H¡story Department of the University of Adelaide. Finally, sincere thanks to Peter Payne,
Penelope Deutscher and Pepita Payne for their faith that this project would reach
completion.