Biographical entry Bennett, George (1804 - 1893)

Summary

George Bennett visited Australia in 1829-32 and published "Wanderings in New South Wales...Journal of a Naturalist" (London 1834). He returned to Australia in 1836 as a medical practitioner and became associated with the Zoological Society and the Australian Museum.

Details

Born Plymouth, 31 January 1804. Died Sydney, 29 September 1893. Educated Middlesex Hospital and Hunterian School of Medicine (MRCS 1828, FRCS 1834, MD, Glasgow 1859). Largely at sea 1819-21; wanderings throughout the Pacific 1828-35, visiting Australia 1829, 1832; moved to Australia permanently 1836; private medical practice, Sydney; leading figure in the Australian Museum, the Acclimatization Society and the Zoological Society. Clarke Memorial Medal, Royal Society of New South Wales 1890. A number of plants and animals are named after him.

Related entries

Archival resources

Adolph Basser Library, Australian Academy of Science

• Australian Botanists - Biographies, MS 064; Adolph Basser Library, Australian Academy of Science. Details

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

• George Bennett - Records, 1877 - 1879, UNCAT MSS 362; Mitchell and Dixson Libraries Manuscripts Collection, State Library of New South Wales. Details
• George Bennett - Records, 1833 - 1840, Uncatalogued MSS set 361 and microfilm FM 3/238; Mitchell and Dixson Libraries Manuscripts Collection, State Library of New South Wales. Details
• George Bennett - Records, 1844 - 1888, Uncatalogued MSS set 301 and microfilm FM 4/227-8; Mitchell and Dixson Libraries Manuscripts Collection, State Library of New South Wales. Details

Published resources

Book Sections

• Chisholm, A. H., 'Bennett, George (1804-1893), medical practitioner and naturalist', in Douglas Pike (ed.), Australian Dictionary of Biography, vol. 1, Melbourne University Press, Melbourne, 1966, pp. 85-86. Also available at http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A010084b.htm. Details

Journal Articles

• Coppleston, V., 'The Life and Times of Dr. George Bennett.', Bull. Post-Grad. Comm. Med. Univ. of Syd., 1955, pp. 207-264. Details
• Maiden, J.H., 'Records of Australian Botanists - (a) General, (b) New South Wales', Journal and Proceedings of The Royal Society of New South Wales, vol. xlii, 1908, pp. 60-132. Details
• Whitley, Gilbert P., 'Some Early Naturalists and Collectors in Australia', Journal of the Royal Australian Historical Society, vol. xix, 1933, pp. 291-304. Details

Online Resources

• 'Bennett, George', Trove, National Library of Australia, 2009, http://nla.gov.au/nla.party-631339. Details

See also

• Newland, Elizabeth, 'Dr George Bennett and Sir Richard Owen: a Case Study of the Colonisation of Early Australian Science', in R. W. Home and Sally Gregory Kohlstedt (eds), International Science and National Scientific Identity: Australia between Britain and America, Kluwer Academic Press, Dordrecht, 1991. Details