Gilbert, John

P000437 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 Gavan McCarthy [P004098] and Helen Cohn updated 2025-09-25 human https://www.eoas.info/biogs/P000437b.htm person Gilbert John AACR2 14 March 1812 28 June 1845 Place of Birth Clerkenwell, England Place of Death Near Dunbar Creek, Cape York Peninsula, Queensland, Australia Naturalist Explorer John Gilbert was the principal, and only salaried, collector for John Gould in Australia. During his visits to Australia Gilbert collected hundreds of specimens, mostly birds and mammal and many of them unknown species. He also became an expert bushman. Gilbert was working as a taxidermist for the Zoological Society of London when he met Gould and agreed to travel to Australia with him. They were together for five months in Tasmania in 1838 before Gilbert travelled to Fremantle, Swan River Colony (later Western Australia), to continue on his own. After a successful ten months of collecting, he travelled to Sydney where, finding Gould had already returned to the United Kingdom, Gilbert's own journey home included visits to Port Essington in northern Australia and Timor. He made a second visit to Western Australia for Gould, based at Fremantle from July 1842 to January 1844. During his visits to Western Australia Gilbert was often in the field with James Drummond. After a period in Sydney and collecting in northern New South Wales and southern Queensland, Gilbert joined Ludwig Leichhardt on his first overland exploring expedition to Port Essington. Gilbert was killed when the party reached Cape York Peninsula. Among the animals and geographical features names in Gilbert's honour are the endangered Gilbert's potoroo (Potorous gilbertii) and the Gilbert River (Queensland). 1838 1838? Career position - Zoological assistant to John Gould in Tasmania March 1839 January 1840 Life event - Collecting in Western Australia for John Gould 1841 1841 Taxonomy event - Hypsiprymnus gilbertii (= Potorous gilbertii) Gould was named in his honour 1841 1841 Life event - Returned to the United Kingdom July 1842 January 1844 Life event - Collecting in Western Australia for John Gould September 1844 July 1845 Career position - Naturalist with Ludwig Leichhardt's first overland expedition to Port Essington 1953 1953 Taxonomy event - Eucalyptus gilbertensis (Maiden & Blakely) S.T.Blake was named in his honour Drummond, James (c. 1786 - 1863) Leichhardt, Friedrich Wilhelm Ludwig (1813 - 1848?)

Naturalist with Leichhardt's overland expedition to Port Essington September 1844 - July 1845

Gould, John (1804 - 1881)

Zoological assistant and collector 1838 - 1844

Wikidata

VIAF - Virtual International Authority File

Gilbert, John (1810-1845)

Trove

'Gilbert, John', in Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation, Centre for Transformative Innovation, Swinburne University of Technology Gilbert, John Swinburne University of Technology, Centre for Transformative Innovation Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation Book Section: Gilbert, John (1810?-1845), naturalist and explorer Chisholm, A. H. Gilbert, John (1810?-1845), naturalist and explorer Melbourne Melbourne University Press 1966 Australian dictionary of biography, volume 1: 1788 - 1850 A-H Douglas Pike 441-442 Book: An Explorer and His Birds. John Gilbert's Discoveries in 1844-5 Chisholm, A. H. An Explorer and His Birds. John Gilbert's Discoveries in 1844-5 Melbourne Brown, Prior, Anderson 1945 Journal Article: Birds of the Gilbert Diary, part [1-] 2 Chisholm, A. H. Birds of the Gilbert Diary, part [1-] 2 1944-1945 Emu 44 2-3 131-150, 183-200 Journal Article: The Story of John Gilbert. Chisholm, A. H. The Story of John Gilbert. 1940 Emu 39 156-176 Journal Article: The Visits of John Gilbert, Naturalist, to Swan River Colony Whittell, H. M. The Visits of John Gilbert, Naturalist, to Swan River Colony 1949 Journal of the Western Australian Historical Society 4 23-53 Journal Article: A Review of the Work of John Gilbert in Western Australia Whittell, H. M. A Review of the Work of John Gilbert in Western Australia 1941 Emu 41 2 112-29 Book: Strange New World: the Adventures of John Gilbert and Ludwig Leichardt Chisholm, A. H. Strange New World: the Adventures of John Gilbert and Ludwig Leichardt Sydney Angus & Robertson 1955 Book: The Incredible Year Chisholm, A. H. The Incredible Year Sydney Angus & Robertson 1940 Journal Article: John Gilbert's Notebook on Marsupials Whittell, H. M. John Gilbert's Notebook on Marsupials 1954 Western Australian Naturalist 4 104-114 Journal Article: John Gilbert (1812-1845), the Australian Naturalist and Explorer: New Light on his Work in England Torrens, H. S. John Gilbert (1812-1845), the Australian Naturalist and Explorer: New Light on his Work in England 1987 Archives of Natural History 14 2 211-219 Journal Article: Some Early Letters in Australian Ornithology Chisholm, A. H. Some Early Letters in Australian Ornithology 1964 Emu 63 Conference Paper: Retracing the Botanical Steps of Leichhardt and Gilbert in June 1845 Jackes, Betsy R. Retracing the Botanical Steps of Leichhardt and Gilbert in June 1845 Melbourne Australian Systematic Botany Society 1990 History of Systematic Botany in Australasia: Proceedings of a Symposium Held at the University of Melbourne, 25-27 May 1988 Short, P.S. 165-170 Journal Article: Mr Gilbert's Beautiful Parrakeet Olsen, Penny Mr Gilbert's Beautiful Parrakeet 2005 National Library of Australia News Book Section: John Gilbert, 1812-1845 Fisher, Clemency Thorne John Gilbert, 1812-1845 Oxford Oxford University Press 2004 Oxford Dictionary of National Biography Journal Article: A review of the work of John Gilbert in Western Australia, part III Whittell, H. M. A review of the work of John Gilbert in Western Australia, part III 1951 Emu 41 4 289-305 Book Section: A man of great zeal and assiduity: the pioneering naturalist John Gilbert in Australia 1838-1845 Fisher, Clemency A man of great zeal and assiduity: the pioneering naturalist John Gilbert in Australia 1838-1845 Cambridge, Massachusetts Nuttall Ornithological Club 2008 Contributions to the history of Australasian ornithology Davis, W. E.; Recher, H.F.; Boles, W. E.; and Jackson, J. A. 1-119 Book: The Top of the Top End: John Gilbert's Manuscript Notes for John Gould on Vertebrates from Port Essington and Cobourg Peninsula (Northern Territory, Australia); with Comments on Specimens Collected during the Settlement Period 1838 to 1849, and Subsequently Fisher, Clemency and Calaby, John The Top of the Top End: John Gilbert's Manuscript Notes for John Gould on Vertebrates from Port Essington and Cobourg Peninsula (Northern Territory, Australia); with Comments on Specimens Collected during the Settlement Period 1838 to 1849, and Subsequently Darwin Museum and Art Gallery Northern Territory 2009 Review: Natural History Collecting at Port Essington Short, P. S. Natural History Collecting at Port Essington 2010 Australian Systematic Botany Society Newsletter 143 13-7 Edited Book: Contributions to the History of Australasian Ornithology Davis, William E.; Recher, Harry E.; Boles, Walter E.; and Jackson, Jerome A. Contributions to the History of Australasian Ornithology Cambridge (Mass.) Nuttall Ornithological Club 2008 Journal Article: John Gilbert. Some Letters to Gould Chisholm, A. H. John Gilbert. Some Letters to Gould 1938 Emu 38 2 186-99 Journal Article: A review of the work of John Gilbert in Western Australia: part II Whittell, H. M. A review of the work of John Gilbert in Western Australia: part II 1941 Emu 41 3 216-42 Journal Article: Two previously unpublished letters with the correct version of a third from John Gilbert to John Gould Fisher, C. T. Two previously unpublished letters with the correct version of a third from John Gilbert to John Gould 1985 Australian zoologist 22(1): 7-14 22 1 7-14 Journal Article: The "Gilbert country" of Western Australia Conigrave, C. Price The "Gilbert country" of Western Australia 1938 Emu 38 2 233-5 Thesis: The importance of early Victorian natural historians in the discovery and interpretation of the Australian fauna, with special reference to John Gilbert Fisher, Clemency Thorne The importance of early Victorian natural historians in the discovery and interpretation of the Australian fauna, with special reference to John Gilbert Liverpool Polytechnic 1992 Journal Article: John Gilbert's missing months McAllan, Ian John Gilbert's missing months 1994 Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 35 1 155-79 Review: Historical Records of Australian Science Longmore, N. W. 2011 Historical Records of Australian Science 22 1 180-1 Journal Article: "Sons of science": remembering John Gould's martyred collectors Noonan, Patrick "Sons of science": remembering John Gould's martyred collectors 2016 Australasian journal of Victorian studies 21 1 28-42 Book: Curious Minds: the Discoveries of Australian Naturalists MacInnis, Peter Curious Minds: the Discoveries of Australian Naturalists Canberra National Library of Australia 2012 Journal Article: John Gould's Associates Whitley, G. P. John Gould's Associates 1938 Emu 38 2 141-67 Journal Article: A review of the work of John Gilbert in Western Australia: part IV Whittell, H. M. A review of the work of John Gilbert in Western Australia: part IV 1951 Emu 51 1 17-29 Book: Idling in green places: a life of Alec Chisholm McGregor, Russell Idling in green places: a life of Alec Chisholm North Melbourne Australian Scholarly Publishing 2019 Book: Dictionary of Australian biography Serle, Percival Dictionary of Australian biography Sydney Angus & Robertson 1949 Journal Article: Bird seeking in Queensland 1779 - 1922 (part 1-2) Chisholm, A. H. Bird seeking in Queensland 1779 - 1922 (part 1-2) 1922 Queensland naturalist 3 5 66-70, 93-101 Journal Article: Records of Queensland Botanists Maiden, J. H. Records of Queensland Botanists Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science 1910 Report of the twelfth meeting of the Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science 12 373-383 John Gilbert - Records Western Australia Herbarium John Gilbert - Records 58(044) Gil 1842 Letter to J. Gould 13 September 1842, copied by Rica Erickson [9 pages, 58(044) Gil]. 9 pages John Gilbert - Records JS Battye Library of West Australian History, State Library of Western Australia John Gilbert - Records LBWA/155A .. 1839 - 1842 8 letters from Gilbert to various correspondents concerning natural history 1839-42; 3 letters from John Gould relating to Gilbert's work in Western Australia 14 July 1842, 28 January 1845 and 2 February 1846 (Typescript copies of originals held in the Mitchell Library) [LBWA/155A and 364A]. 8 items John Gilbert - Records John Oxley Library, Manuscripts and Business Records Collection, State Library of Queensland John Gilbert - Records OM81-100 1843 - 1845 An envelope and visiting card addressed to J. Gould [1 item, OM81-100]. Microfilm of a diary kept during Leichhardt's expedition to Port Essington 1844-45 from the original in the Mitchell Library. Microform John Gilbert - Records Mitchell and Dixson Libraries Manuscripts Collection, State Library of New South Wales John Gilbert - Records 1839 - 1845 Diary of the Leichhardt Expedition to Port Essington 18 September 1844 - 28 June 1845, original manuscript and typescript copy [3 volumes with volume 1 on microfilm]. 8 letters to various correspondents concerning natural history. Australian Botanists - Biographies Adolph Basser Library, Australian Academy of Science Australian Botanists - Biographies MS 064 Hunt Institute Biographies. Short biographies, averaging 2 pages, of Australian botanists, botanical collectors or artists. 0.24 m, 3 boxes John Gould - Records Mitchell and Dixson Libraries Manuscripts Collection, State Library of New South Wales John Gould - Records ML MSS 547 1839 - 1843 Correspondence and other records of J. Gould and J. Gilbert 1839, 1842-3 mainly concerning natural history. 1 volume Artwork, Microform