Biographical entry Armit, William Edington (1848 - 1901)

Summary

William Armit led an expedition to New Guinea in 1883 which included the eccentric American scientist, Professor W. Denton. He worked as a journalist and naturalist in North Queensland until 1893 when he returned to New Guinea to a succession of public service posts.

Details

Born Liège, Belgium, 10 May 1848. Died New Guinea, 3 January 1901. Arrived Australia ca 1870. Stockman, Cleveland Bay, Queensland 1870-72, sub-inspector, Queensland Native Police 1872-82, Melbourne "Argus" special correspondence in command of expedition to New Guinea 1883, journalist and naturalist, Port Douglas and Cooktown 1883-93, private secretary to the administrator of New Guinea 1893-95, sub-collector of customs, Sumarai 1895-97, assistant resident magistrate, northern division 1899, resident magistrate 1899-1900.

Archival resources

Mitchell and Dixson Libraries Manuscripts Collection, State Library of New South Wales

• Edward Pearson Ramsay - Records, 1860 - 1912, ML MSS 563; Mitchell and Dixson Libraries Manuscripts Collection, State Library of New South Wales. Details

Published resources

Book Sections

• Gibbney, H. J., 'Armit, William Edington (1848-1901), policeman, journalist, explorer and public servant', in Douglas Pike (ed.), Australian Dictionary of Biography, vol. 3, Melbourne University Press, Melbourne, 1969, p. 48. Also available at http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A030047b.htm. Details

Journal Articles

• Maiden, J.H., 'Records of Queensland Botanists', Australasian Association for Advancement of Science, vol. xii, 1909, pp. 373-383. Details

Online Resources

• National Library of Australia, 'Armit, William Edington', Trove, National Library of Australia and the Australian National Maritime Museum Darling Harbour, 2009, http://nla.gov.au/nla.party-1469664. Details