A000831 revised AU-VU:EOAS Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation

All key entry types: Awards; Concepts; Corporate Bodies (Organisations); Cultural Artefacts; People; etc

These key entries are listed separately below with other indexes and lists.

 English AACR2 Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules Corporate Body created 2000-11-28 human Gavan McCarthy [P004098] and Helen Cohn updated 2026-02-10 human https://www.eoas.info/biogs/A000831b.htm corporateBody Philosophical Society of Australasia AACR2 Philosphical Society of Australia June 1821 1822 Start Place Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Location New South Wales Natural history Learned society The Philosophical Society of Australasia was founded in June 1821, with the object of investigating various branches of science (including mineralogy and geology) relating to Australia and adjacent regions. The exchange of books and formation of a museum were also stated intentions. This was the first attempt to create such a society in Australia. It survived for a little over one year. Those who attended the first meeting in June 1821 were: James Bowman, Henry Douglass, Barron Field, Frederick Goulburn, Francis Irvine and Edward Wollstonecraft. Incoming Governor Thomas Brisbane became President in November 1821. Other members included: John Oxley (joined at the second meeting), Partick Hill, William Howe, Alexander Berry, Donald Macleod, Christian Rümker and Phillip Parker King. The Society had an ambitious program of weekly meetings, held in rotation at member's homes, research papers to be presented monthly. Some of these papers were included by Field in his Geographical memoirs of New South Wales (1825). No minutes of the Society seem to exist after August 1822. The demise of the Society was apparently caused by political dissentions, prompting some members to found the Agricultural Society of New South Wales

Extract from letter from Michael van Leeuwen to Gavan McCarthy 26 May 2004:

"The Philosophical Society was established in June 1821, with just seven members:
They were:

Judge Barron Field (1786-1846)
Dr Henry Grattan Douglas (1790-1865)
Frederick Goulburn (1788-1837)
John Oxley (1785-1828)
Edward Woolstonecraft (1783-1832)
Captain John Irvine
John Bowman

Governor Brisbane later accepted the position of patron of the Society.

A central initiative of the society was the establishment of a Museum of Natural History. Created in July 1821, it collected examples of the novel geological and animal specimens located in the Colony. Several donations were made by the Rev John Youl (1773-1827) of Port Dalrymple in Tasmania including 'a variety of fossils, petrifactions, etc.'* He also donated a case of minerals. Society members agreed that copies of all scientific papers given by society Members should be deposited in the Museum, which was located in the Colonial Secretary's office. Unfortunately, the infant Museum was to share in the fate of its parent organisation, which collapsed in disinterest and mutual acrimony little more than a year after its inception."

* Philosophical Society of Australasia Minute Book, (29 June 1821 - 14 August 1822), (ML), Minutes reproduced in Journal and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New South Wales, LV 1921, p.xciv [Note: these pages are at the end of the volume not the front). The minutes record their actual donation at the next meeting in April 1822 ibid., xcviii.

 Townson, Robert (1762? - 1827)

Nominated as a Member 1822

 Field, Barron (1786 - 1846)

Foundation Member 1821 - 1822

 Agricultural Society of New South Wales (1822 - 1891)

There was significant overlap of membership between these two societies.

 Rümker, Christian Carl Ludwig (1788 - 1862)

Member 1822

 Douglass, Henry Grattan (1790 - 1865)

Member 1821 - 1822

 Bowman, James (1784 - 1846)

Member 1821 - 1822

 King, Phillip Parker (1791 - 1856)

Member May - ?August 1822

 Oxley, John Joseph William Molesworth (1784 - 1828)

Member 1821 - 1822

 Brisbane, Thomas Makdougall (1773 - 1860)

President November 1821 - 1822

 Goulburn, Frederick (1788 - 1837)

Foundation Member 1821 - 1822

 Hill, Patrick (1794 - 1852)

Member 1821 - 1822

 Wollstonecraft, Edward (1783 - 1832)

Member 1821 - 1822

 Berry, Alexander (1781 - 1873)

Member 1821 - 1822

Trove

 'Philosophical Society of Australasia', in Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation, Centre for Transformative Innovation, Swinburne University of Technology Philosophical Society of Australasia Swinburne University of Technology, Centre for Transformative Innovation Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation Journal Article: Words, actions, people: 150 years of the scientific societies in Australia Branagan, D. F. Words, actions, people: 150 years of the scientific societies in Australia 1972 Journal and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New South Wales 104 123-41 Journal Article: Sir Thomas Brisbane - Patron of Colonial Science Tyler, Peter J. Sir Thomas Brisbane - Patron of Colonial Science 2012 Journal and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New South Wales 145 128-35 Journal Article: Science for Gentlemen: the Royal Society of New South Wales in the Nineteenth Century Tyler, Peter J. Science for Gentlemen: the Royal Society of New South Wales in the Nineteenth Century 2010 Journal and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New South Wales 143 1/2 29-43 Journal Article: Astronomical and Meteorological Workers in New South Wales, 1778-1860 Russell, H.C. Astronomical and Meteorological Workers in New South Wales, 1778-1860 Sydney, NSW Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science 1888 Report of the first meeting of the Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science 1 45-94 Journal Article: Biographical Sketches of Some of the Members of the Philosophical Society of Australasia Cambage, R.H. Biographical Sketches of Some of the Members of the Philosophical Society of Australasia 1921 Proceedings of the Royal Society of New South Wales lv xxxiii-xlii Journal Article: Inaugural Address to the Royal Society, delivered at its first meeting, 9th July, 1867 Clarke, W. B. Inaugural Address to the Royal Society, delivered at its first meeting, 9th July, 1867 1868 Transactions of the Royal Society of New South Wales 1 1-27 Book: Knowledge for a nation: origins of the Royal Society of New South Wales Coote, Anne Knowledge for a nation: origins of the Royal Society of New South Wales St Leonards, N.S.W. Royal Society of New South Wales 2024 Edited Book: Geographical memoirs on New South Wales Field, Barron Geographical memoirs on New South Wales London John Murray 1825 Book Section: On the astronomy of the southern hemisphere Rumker, Charles Stargard On the astronomy of the southern hemisphere London John Murray 1825 Geographical memoirs on New South Wales Barron Field 255-68 Book Section: On the maritime geography of Australia King, Philip Parker On the maritime geography of Australia London John Murray 1825 Geographical memoirs on New South Wales Barron Field 269-96 Book Section: On the Aborigines of New Holland and Van Diemen's Land Field, Barron On the Aborigines of New Holland and Van Diemen's Land London John Murray 1825 Geographical memoirs on New South Wales Barron Field 193-229 Book Section: On the geology of the coast of New South Wales Berry, Alexander On the geology of the coast of New South Wales London John Murray 1825 Geographical memoirs on New South Wales Barron Field 231-54 Journal Article: A Contribution to a History of the Royal Society of New South Wales, with Information in Regard to Other New South Wales Societies Maiden, J. H. A Contribution to a History of the Royal Society of New South Wales, with Information in Regard to Other New South Wales Societies 1918 Journal and Proceedings of The Royal Society of New South Wales lii 215-361 Journal Article: Centenary oration: the challenge to science, 1866; the challenge of science, 1966, part 1 Elkin, A. P. Centenary oration: the challenge to science, 1866; the challenge of science, 1966, part 1 1966 Journal and Proceedings of The Royal Society of New South Wales 100 3/4 105-18