Person

Wilson, Francis Robert Muter (1832 - 1903)

Born
15 March 1832
Low Waters, Lanarkshire, Scotland
Died
9 June 1903
Canterbury, Victoria, Australia
Occupation
Lichenologist and Minister of religion

Summary

Francis Wilson, having completed his theology course in 1856, migrated to Victoria and was called to minister successively to the Presbyterian congregations at Camperdown and Kew. His interest in lichens developed during a visit to Scotland in 1884. On returning to Melbourne he became one of the leading lichenologists in Australia, spending the next ten years collecting widely in eastern Australia and nearby Pacific islands. In the course of identifying and publishing papers about his collections, Wilson established working relationships with other Australian lichenologists (Flora Martin, John Shirley and Daniel Sullivan), Charles Knight in New Zealand, and Jean Müller in Geneva. Müller described over 200 new species from Wilson's collections. Wilson sold approximately 20,000 specimens to the New South Wales Government; these are now in the New South Wales National Herbarium. Wilson's widow sold a further 5,000 specimens to the National Herbarium of Victoria, most of which were lost en route to Italy for identification.

Details

Chronology

1857
Life event - Migrated to Victoria
1877
Career position - Minister, Presbyterian Church, Kew
1887
Career position - Member, Field Naturalists Club of Victoria
1897
Life event - Retired from the ministry

Related Corporate Bodies

Published resources

Journal Articles

  • Ralston, Kathleen, 'Francis Robert Muter Wilson: pioneer Australian lichenologist', Bibliotheca lichenologica, 78 (2001), 369-88. Details

Resources

Helen Cohn

EOAS ID: biogs/P005525b.htm

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