Biographical entry Angas, George French (1822 - 1886)

Summary

George Angas, a painter by profession, served as Secretary of the Australian Museum, Sydney 1853-1960. T. Iredale called him the Father of Australian Conchology.

Details

Studied under Waterhouse Hawkins, a natural history artist. Arrived Adelaide 1844, accompanied the Governor, Sir George Gray, on expeditions into the country, where he sketched the scenery, aborigines, flora and fauna, held exhibitions of his work in Adelaide and Sydney 1845, England 1845-1850, Bathurst Gold Diggings 1851, Secretary and Accountant, Australian Museum 1853-1860, supervising the work of classifying and arranging the first public collection of Australian specimens, especially shells, chairman of Angaston District Council, South Australia 1860-1863, explored colony for new shells, moths and butterflies 1861-1862, England 1863-1886. Presented the British Museum with 1500 shells, chiefly Australian, between 1870 and 1886. Wood engravings from his drawings illustrate the journals of John McDouall Stuart (q.v.), published in 1864, and the travels of John Forrest (q.v.), published in 1875.

Events

1844

Life event - Arrived in Australia (Adelaide)

1853 - 1860

Career position - Secretary and Accountant at the Australian Museum, New South Wales

1860 - 1863

Career position - Chairman of Angaston District Council, South Australia

1861 - 1862

Career position - Explored the Australian colony for new shells, moths and butterflies

1863 - 1886

Career position - Exploration in England for new shells, moths and butterflies

Archival resources

National Library of Australia Manuscript Collection

• George French Angas - Records, 1838 - 1877, MS 3934; National Library of Australia Manuscript Collection. Details

South Australian Museum Archives

• George French Angas - Records, 1850 - 1886, AA8; South Australian Museum Archives. Details

Published resources

Book Sections

• Baigent, Elizabeth, 'George French Angas, 1822-1886', in Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2004. Details
• Morgan, E. J. R., 'Angas, George French (1822-1886)', in Douglas Pike (ed.), Australian Dictionary of Biography, vol. 1, Melbourne University Press, Melbourne, 1966, pp. 18-19. Also available at http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A010019b.htm. Details

Journal Articles

• Iredale, R., 'Angas, George French: the Father of Australian Conchology', Australian Zoologist, vol. XII, 1959, pp. 362-371. Details
• Maiden, J.H., 'A Century of Botanical Endeavor in South Australia', Australasian Association for Advancement of Science, vol. xi, 1907, pp. 158-199. Details

Online Resources

• National Library of Australia, 'Angas, George French', Trove, National Library of Australia and the Australian National Maritime Museum Darling Harbour, 2009, http://nla.gov.au/nla.party-787362. Details