P000367 revised AU-VU:EOAS Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation

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 English AACR2 Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules Person created 1993-10-20 human McCarthy, G.J. updated 2025-11-07 human https://www.eoas.info/biogs/P000367b.htm person Diggles Silvester AACR2 24 January 1817 21 March 1880 Place of Birth Liverpool, England Place of Death Kangaroo Point, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia Naturalist Musician Ornithological artist Sylvester Diggles was a musician, artist and naturalist who actively progressed the cultural and scientific development of Queensland in the 1850s. He was founder of the Brisbane Choral Society, the Brisbane Philharmonic Society and co-founder of the Queensland Philoscientific Society. Diggles and this society established the Queensland Museum in 1862.

One year after arriving in Australia (Sydney), Sylvester Diggles moved his family to Queensland (1854). There he worked as a music and drawing teacher and musical instrument repairer. He founded the Brisbane Choral and Brisbane Philharmonic Societies and was dubbed 'the father of music in Brisbane'.

Diggles was a very religious man and joined, then lead, the New Jerusalem Church. He was also interested in science, especially ornithology and entomology. He helped establish Queensland's first scientific institute, the Queensland Philoscientific Society, which lead to the development of the Queensland Museum. Sylvester Diggles wrote many publications, but his most applauded work was the 21 part The Ornithology of Australia. He also drew 325 lithographed hand-coloured plates (many of which were used in the book) and developed a fine entomology collection (particularly moths, butterflies and beetles).

c. 1846 c. 1846 Career position - Leader of the New Jerusalem Church in Queensland Nov 1853 Nov 1853 Life event - Arrived in Australia (Sydney) Nov 1854 Nov 1854 Life event - Moved to Brisbane 1859 1859 Career position - Founder of the Brisbane Choral Society 1 Mar 1859 1 Mar 1859 Career position - Co-founder of the Queensland Philoscientific Society 1861 1861 Career position - Founder of the Brisbane Philharmonic Society 1862 1862 Career position - Co-founder of the Queensland Museum 1865 1870 Publication - "The Ornithology of Australia", published in 21 parts Queensland Museum

Co-founder 1862

 Birkett, Rowena (1860 - 1915)

Silvester Diggles was the uncle of Rowena Birkett

 Philosophical Society of Queensland (1859 - 1884)

Co-founder 1859

 Gulliver, Thomas Allen (1848 - 1931)

Examined Gulliver's bird collections

Wikidata

VIAF - Virtual International Authority File

 Diggles, Silvester (1817-1880)

Trove

 'Diggles, Silvester', in Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation, Centre for Transformative Innovation, Swinburne University of Technology Diggles, Silvester Swinburne University of Technology, Centre for Transformative Innovation Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation CD Rom: Diggles Down Under: Brisbane via Sydney from Merseyside 1855-80 Fisher, Rod Diggles Down Under: Brisbane via Sydney from Merseyside 1855-80 Brisbane Brisbane History Group 2003 Book Section: Diggles, Silvester (1817-1880), naturalist, artist and musician Marks, E. N. Diggles, Silvester (1817-1880), naturalist, artist and musician Melbourne Melbourne University Press 1972 Australian dictionary of biography, volume 4: 1851 - 1890 D-J Douglas Pike 73-74 Journal Article: Notes on Diggles 'Ornithology of Australia' Marks, Elizabeth N. Notes on Diggles 'Ornithology of Australia' 1965 Queensland Naturalist 17 5/6 99-102 Journal Article: Silvester Diggles - a Queensland Naturalist One Hundred Years Ago Marks, Elizabeth N. Silvester Diggles - a Queensland Naturalist One Hundred Years Ago 1963 Queensland Naturalist 17 1/2 15-25 Journal Article: A short account of the rip to Cape Sidmouth and bacl in the Governor Blackall, S.S. Diggles, Silvester A short account of the rip to Cape Sidmouth and bacl in the Governor Blackall, S.S. 1872 Transactions of the Philosophical Society of Queensland 1 1-8 Journal Article: Silvester Diggles, ornithologist Mathews, Gregory M. Silvester Diggles, ornithologist 1917 Austral avian record 3 4 98-108 Journal Article: Diggles' ornithology of Australia and other works Mathews, Gregory M. Diggles' ornithology of Australia and other works 1915 Austral avian record 2 7 137-53 Journal Article: Sylvester Diggles (1817-1880), Australian ornithologist Piggott, L. J. Sylvester Diggles (1817-1880), Australian ornithologist 2004 Archives of natural history 31 2 253-74 Review: Archives of Natural History Jones, Darryl 2012 Archives of Natural History 39 372 Book: The Bird Man of Brisbane : Silvester Diggles and his Ornithology of Australia Piggott, Louis J. The Bird Man of Brisbane : Silvester Diggles and his Ornithology of Australia Moorooka (Qld) Boolarong Press 2010 Edited Book: Eclipse chasers Lomb, Nick; and Stevenson, Toner Eclipse chasers Clayton South, Vic CSIRO Publishing 2023 Journal Article: Australian solar eclipse expeditions: the voyage to Cape York in 1871 Lomb, Nick Australian solar eclipse expeditions: the voyage to Cape York in 1871 2016 Journal of Astronomical History and Heritage 19 1 79-95 Silvester Diggles - Records National Library of Australia Manuscript Collection Silvester Diggles - Records MS 1551 1871 - 1877 Letter-book containing correspondence on subjects of entomologyand ornithology c1871-77 [1 item, MS 1551]. 1 item Silvester Diggles - Records Mitchell and Dixson Libraries Manuscripts Collection, State Library of New South Wales Silvester Diggles - Records 1870 Original manuscript of the published work "The Ornithology of Australia" (Brisbane 1866-70) with original water-colour drawings by Diggles and his niece Rowena Birkett, and 1 volume of notes [6 volumes]. A facsimile edition of "The Ornithology of Australia" Volume 1 (Parts 1-7) was published in August 1990 by State Publishing South Australia [ISBN 0724365567]. Artwork Edward Pearson Ramsay - Records Mitchell and Dixson Libraries Manuscripts Collection, State Library of New South Wales Edward Pearson Ramsay - Records ML MSS 563 1860 - 1912 Correspondence and miscellaneous papers 1860-1912, containing letters dealing with natural history received from scientific colleagues, including, W.T. Denison, W. Woolls, W.B. Clarke, S. Diggles, A.W. Scott and his daughters Harriett and Helena, C. French (senior), K.H. Bennett, J. MacGillivray, G.W. Barnard, W.E. Armit, K. Broadbent, J.T. Cockerell, J. Rainbird, R. Grant, T.A. Gulliver, S. White, J.F. Wilcox, Count Castlenau [Laporte, François] and F. Mueller. 7 volumes Gregory Macalister Mathews - Records National Library of Australia Manuscript Collection Gregory Macalister Mathews - Records MS 1465 1900 - 1949 Manuscript and typescript material relating to Mathews's published and projected work including photographs and original drawings, offprints of articles, press-cutting books 1910-43 and photographs; correspondence 1928-35, 1929, and personal letters and papers; overall dates c1900-49. Also includes some papers of Roy Bell, T. H. Bowyer-Bower, Sylvester Diggles, John Gould, G. R. Gray, Tome Iredale, Richard Bowdler Sharpe and C. J. Temminck. 4.1 m