P000487 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 2026-03-31 human https://www.eoas.info/biogs/P000487b.htm person Helms Richard AACR2 12 December 1842 17 July 1914 Place of Birth Altona, Hanover, Germany Place of Death Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Naturalist Bacteriologist Botanical collector Richard Helms was naturalist and botanical collector on the Elder Scientific Exploring Expedition 1891 - 1892 during which time he collected many specimens including two as yet unclassified eucalypts. He migrated to Victoria in 1862 and between then and 1888 fluctuated between Australia and New Zealand, employed in occupations as varied a dentist and watchmaker. During this time he became very knowledgeable as a zoologist, collecting many new species of insects and shells, some of which were named after him. After the Elder Scientific Exploring Expedition he was employed as a biologist with the Western Australian Department of Agriculture and Bacteriologist with the New South Wales Department of Mines and Agriculture. The majority of the botanical specimens collected on the Elder Expedition are now in the South Australian Herbarium: over 1,300 of Helms's specimens are in the National Herbarium of Victoria. 1858 1858 Life event - Migrated to Melbourne, Victoria 1888 1890 Career position - Collector for the Australian Museum May 1891 January 1892 Career event - Naturalist and botanical collector with the Elder Scientific Exploring Expedition to Central Australia 1896 1898 Career position - Biologist, Weatern Australian Bureau of Agriculture 1898 1899 Career position - Biologist, Western Australia Department of Agriculture 1900 1908 Career position - Bacteriologist, New South Wales Department of Mines and Agriculture 1929 1929 Taxonomy event - Eucalyptus helmsii Maiden & Blakely was named in his honour 1936 1936 Taxonomy event - Eucalyptus trivalvis Blakely. Helms collected the type 1936 1936 Taxonomy event - Eucalyptus gongylocarpa Blakely. Helms collected the type Lipfert, Herman Franz Otto (Otto) (1864 - 1942) Western Australian Bureau of Agriculture, Colony of Western Australia (1894 - 1898)

Biologist 1896 - 1989

 Western Australian Department of Agriculture, Colony and State of Western Australia (1898 - 2006)

Biologist 1898 - 1899

 Elder Scientific Exploring Expedition (1891 - 1892)

Naturalist and botanical collector on the Expedition

 National Herbarium of Victoria (1896 - )

The Herbarium holds over 1,300 of Helms's specimens

 State Herbarium of South Australia (1954 - )

The Herbarium holds most of Helms's botanical specimens collected on the Elder Scientific Exploring Expedition

 Australian Museum (1827 - ) 1888 1890

Collector of specimens for the Australian Museum

Wikidata

VIAF - Virtual International Authority File

 Helms, Richard (1842-1914)

Trove

 'Helms, Richard', in Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation, Centre for Transformative Innovation, Swinburne University of Technology Helms, Richard Swinburne University of Technology, Centre for Transformative Innovation Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation Journal Article: Obituary: Mr. Richard Helms Alexander, W. B. Obituary: Mr. Richard Helms 1914 Proceedings of the Royal Society of Western Australia 49 Book Section: Helms, Richard (1842-1914), zoologist and botanist Chisholm, A. H. Helms, Richard (1842-1914), zoologist and botanist Melbourne Melbourne University Press 1972 Australian dictionary of biography, volume 4: 1851 - 1890 D-J Douglas Pike 374 Journal Article: Anthropology of the Elder Expedition, 1891 - 1892 Helms, Richard Anthropology of the Elder Expedition, 1891 - 1892 1896 Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia 16 237-332 Journal Article: Some early Australian plant collections : Robert Helms and the Elder Expedition collection Anon Some early Australian plant collections : Robert Helms and the Elder Expedition collection 1951 Australasian herbarium news 7 10-14 Journal Article: Misleading labels: Richard Helms and the Elder Exploring Expedition Lucas, A. M.; and Home, R. W. Misleading labels: Richard Helms and the Elder Exploring Expedition 2018 Australasian Systematic Botany Society Newsletter 174 14-8 Journal Article: Contributions to a history of New Zealand lichenology 4: Richard Helms (1842-1914) Galloway, David J.; and Vitikainen, Orvo Contributions to a history of New Zealand lichenology 4: Richard Helms (1842-1914) 2013 Australasian Lichenology 73 12-44 Resource: Australian Plant Collectors and Illustrators Fagg, Murray Australian Plant Collectors and Illustrators Council of Heads of Australian Herbaria (CHAH) 2010 Book: The discovery and exploration of Australia Feeken, Erwin H. J.; Feeken, Gerda E. E.; and Spate, O. H. K. The discovery and exploration of Australia Melbourne Thomas Nelson (Australia) 1970 Journal Article: Records of Australian botanists (second supplement) Maiden, J. H. Records of Australian botanists (second supplement) 1921 Journal and Proceedings of The Royal Society of New South Wales 55 150-169 Richard Helms - Records Mitchell and Dixson Libraries Manuscripts Collection, State Library of New South Wales Richard Helms - Records ML MSS 3839 1879 - 1887 Manuscript papers read before the Royal Geographical Society of Australasia on the botanical and zoological features of the Snowy River area 1887 (contained in the Royal Geographical Society of Australasia papers). Six certificates awarded to Helms for his collections of insects and ferns 1879-84. Richard Helms - Records Mitchell and Dixson Libraries Manuscripts Collection, State Library of New South Wales Richard Helms - Records A2575-6 1891 Records of Helms as naturalist on the Elder Scientific Exploring Expedition 1891 including a sketch of the journey of the expedition written for the Geographical Congress 1891 (2 drafts), a report to the Royal Geographical Society, South Australia, on the botanical and zoological features of country and 'originals or tentative sketches of plates' for the published report. 0.73 m, 2 volumes Artwork 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