P000594 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/P000594b.htm person MacGillivray John AACR2 18 December 1821 6 June 1867 Place of Birth Aberdeen, Scotland Place of Death Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Naturalist Botanist Natural history collector John MacGillivray was a naturalist and botanist who participated on three naval expeditions surveying Australian and Pacific waters. The first was as collector for the Earl of Derby on H.M.S. Fly, under the command of Francis Blackwood 1842 - 1845, in the seas of the Australian east coast and New Guinea. MacGillivray's next voyage was on H.M.S. Rattlesnake, 1847 - 1850, under the command of Captain Owen Stanley. His fellow naturalists on this occasion were Thomas H. Huxley and James Fowler Wilcox. During this voyage Macgillivray took notes on the languages of the indigenous people he encountered. His last appointment as naturalist was on H.M.S. Herald, commanded by Henry Denham, from 1853. MacGillivray left the expedition in early 1855, apparently because of his intemperence. He remained in New South Wales. In the early 1860s he worked on the shell collection of noted conchologist James C. Cox. In 1864 MacGillivray joined his former shipmate, James Wilcox, in partnership to collect natural history specimens. Most of the specimens MacGillivray collected on his voyages are in the herbarim of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and in the Natural History Museum, London. He was recognised as a skilled collector and field observer. 1842 1845 Career position - Botanist and natural history collector for the Earl of Derby, H.M.S. Fly 1847 1850 Career position - Naturalist, H.M.S. Rattlesnake 1853 1855 Career position - Naturalist, H.M.S. Herald Jukes, Joseph Beete (1811 - 1869) Yule, Charles Bampfield (1806 - 1878) Cox, James Charles (1834 - 1912) Stanley, Owen (1811 - 1850) Wilcox, James Fowler (1823 - 1881) Huxley, Thomas Henry (1825 - 1895) Denham, Henry Mangles (1800 - 1887) Blackwood, Francis Price (1809 - 1854) H.M.S. Rattlesnake, Royal Navy (1822 - 1860)

Naturalist 1847 - 1850

 Franklin, Jane (1791 - 1875) H.M.S. Herald, Royal Navy (1822 - 1862)

Naturalist 1852 - 1855

 H.M.S. Fly, Royal Navy (1831 - 1903)

Naturalist 1841 - 1846

Wikidata

VIAF - Virtual International Authority File

 MacGillivray, John (1821-1867)

Trove

 'MacGillivray, John', in Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation, Centre for Transformative Innovation, Swinburne University of Technology MacGillivray, John Swinburne University of Technology, Centre for Transformative Innovation Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation Book: From the edge: Australia's lost histories McKenna, Mark From the edge: Australia's lost histories Melbourne The Miegunyah Press (University of Melbourne Publishing Ltd) 2016 Book Section: MacGillivray, John (1821-1867), naturalist Calaby, J. H. MacGillivray, John (1821-1867), naturalist Melbourne Melbourne University Press 1967 Australian dictionary of biography, volume 2: 1788 - 1850 I-Z Douglas Pike 167-168 Book Section: John MacGillivray, 1821-1867 Ralph, Robert John MacGillivray, 1821-1867 Oxford Oxford University Press 2004 Oxford Dictionary of National Biography Journal Article: Letters from J. MacGillivray, Esq., naturalist to H.M Surveying Ship Rattlesnake, Capt.Stanley, R.N. (Communicated by Professor Edward Forbes.) MacGillivray, John Letters from J. MacGillivray, Esq., naturalist to H.M Surveying Ship Rattlesnake, Capt.Stanley, R.N. (Communicated by Professor Edward Forbes.) 1848 Annals and magazine of natural history, series 2 2 2 21-32 Book: Narrative of the voyage of H.M.S. Rattlesnake: commanded by the late Captain Owen Stanley, R.N., F.R.S., etc., during the years 1846 - 1850, including discoveries and surveys in New Guinea, the Louisade Archipelago, etc., to which is added the account of Mr E. B. Kennedy's expedition for the exploration of the cape York Peninsula MacGillivray, John Narrative of the voyage of H.M.S. Rattlesnake: commanded by the late Captain Owen Stanley, R.N., F.R.S., etc., during the years 1846 - 1850, including discoveries and surveys in New Guinea, the Louisade Archipelago, etc., to which is added the account of Mr E. B. Kennedy's expedition for the exploration of the cape York Peninsula London T. & W. Boone 1852 Journal Article: An account of Raine's Islet, on the N.E. coast of New Holland MacGillivray, John An account of Raine's Islet, on the N.E. coast of New Holland 1846 Zoologist: a popular miscellany of natural history 4 1473-81 Journal Article: Ornithological excursion to the north coast of New Holland MacGillivray, John Ornithological excursion to the north coast of New Holland 1846 Zoologist: a popular miscellany of natural history 4 1481-4 Journal Article: Letter from John MacGillivray, Esq., naturalist of H.M Surveying-Ship Herald, commanded by Captain Denham; dated Sydney, March 3rd, 1854 Macgillivray, John Letter from John MacGillivray, Esq., naturalist of H.M Surveying-Ship Herald, commanded by Captain Denham; dated Sydney, March 3rd, 1854 1854 Hooker's journal of botany and Kew Garden miscellany 6 353-63 Journal Article: Notes on Australian natural history MacGillivray, John Notes on Australian natural history 1846 Zoologist: a popular miscellany of natural history 4 1485-91 Thesis: On such a full sea: John MacGillivray (1821 - 1867) Jensen, Sophie Alice On such a full sea: John MacGillivray (1821 - 1867) Australian National University 2010 Journal Article: The Last Letters of John MacGillvray Iredale, T. The Last Letters of John MacGillvray 1937 The Australian Zoologist 9 40-63 Journal Article: John MacGillivray - his life and work Ralph, Robert John MacGillivray - his life and work 1993 Archives of natural history 20 2 185-95 Journal Article: A brief account of the researches in natural history of John MacGillivray, Esq, the naturalist attached to H.M. Surveying-Ship the Rattlesnake, on the north-eastern coasts of Australia, New Guinea, etc. Gould, John A brief account of the researches in natural history of John MacGillivray, Esq, the naturalist attached to H.M. Surveying-Ship the Rattlesnake, on the north-eastern coasts of Australia, New Guinea, etc. 1850 Contributions to ornithology [3/4] 92-105 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: Losing it in New Guinea: the Voyage of HMS Rattlesnake Goodman, Jordan Losing it in New Guinea: the Voyage of HMS Rattlesnake 2005 Endeavour 29 60-5 Journal Article: Early Naturalist in Queensland [John MacGillivray] Whitley, G. P. Early Naturalist in Queensland [John MacGillivray] 1973 North Queensland Naturalist 41 162 3-4 Book: The Rattlesnake: a Voyage of Discovery to the Coral Sea Goodman, Jordan The Rattlesnake: a Voyage of Discovery to the Coral Sea London Faber and Faber 2005 Book Section: Stanley, Owen (1811-1850), naval officer West, Francis Stanley, Owen (1811-1850), naval officer Melbourne Melbourne University Press 1967 Australian dictionary of biography, volume 2: 1788 - 1850 I-Z Douglas Pike 470-471 Book: A very secret trade: the dark story of gentlemen collectors in Tasmania Pybus, Cassandra A very secret trade: the dark story of gentlemen collectors in Tasmania Sydney Allen & Unwin 2024 Book: Narrative of the surveying voyage of H.M.S. Fly, commanded by Captain F. P. Blackwood, R.N., in Torres Strait, New Guinea, and other islands of the Eastern Archipelago, during the years 1842 - 1846 Jukes, J. B. Narrative of the surveying voyage of H.M.S. <span style="font-style:italic">Fly</span>, commanded by Captain F. P. Blackwood, R.N., in Torres Strait, New Guinea, and other islands of the Eastern Archipelago, during the years 1842 - 1846 London T. and W. Boone 1847 Resource: Australian Plant Collectors and Illustrators Fagg, Murray Australian Plant Collectors and Illustrators Council of Heads of Australian Herbaria (CHAH) 2010 Book: The Voyage of HMS Herald to Australia and the South-west Pacific 1852-1861 under the command of Captain Henry Mangles Denham David, Andrew The Voyage of HMS Herald to Australia and the South-west Pacific 1852-1861 under the command of Captain Henry Mangles Denham Melbourne Melbourne University Press at Miegunyah Press 1995 Book: Malaysian plant collectors and collections: being a cyclopaedia of botanical exploration in Malaysia and a guide to the concerned literature up to the year 1950 Van Steenis-Kruseman, M. J. Malaysian plant collectors and collections: being a cyclopaedia of botanical exploration in Malaysia and a guide to the concerned literature up to the year 1950 Djakarta Noordhoff-Kolff NV 1950 Book: Owen Stanley, R.N., 1811 - 1850, captain of the Rattlesnake Lubbock, Adelaide Owen Stanley, R.N., 1811 - 1850, captain of the Rattlesnake Melbourne: London Heinemann 1968 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 Book: Thomas Henry Huxley's Diary of the Voyage of H.M.S. Rattlesnake Huxley, J. Thomas Henry Huxley's Diary of the Voyage of H.M.S. Rattlesnake London 1935 Book: The Great Barrier Reef: History, Science, Heritage Bowen, James; Bowen, Margarita The Great Barrier Reef: History, Science, Heritage Cambridge Cambridge University Press 2002 John MacGillivray - Records Mitchell and Dixson Libraries Manuscripts Collection, State Library of New South Wales John MacGillivray - Records FM 4/2092 1852 - 1855 Microfilm of a private journal kept by MacGillivray while on the HMS "Herald" 1852-1855. 1 reel Microfilm John MacGillivray - Records Mitchell and Dixson Libraries Manuscripts Collection, State Library of New South Wales John MacGillivray - Records FM 4/2231 1844 - 1849 Microfilm of notebooks containing copies of letters to E. Forbes, J. Gould, W.J. Hooker and A. White and notes on the natural history of Cape York and Northern Australia written while on HMS "Rattlesnake" 1844-1849. 1 reel John MacGillivray - Records National Library of Australia Manuscript Collection John MacGillivray - Records mfm G 24785 1847 - 1849 Includes: 'Voyage of H.M. Rattlesnake. Correspondence 1847-49', containing copies of letters on natural history to Professor Edward Forbes, 1847-1849, John Gould, 1848-1849, Sir W.J. Hooker, 1848-1849, Dr Hooker, 1848 and Adam White, 1848; Notebook containing notes on natural history of Cape York and Northern Australia. 1 reel Microfilm John MacGillivray - Records Archives Office of Tasmania John MacGillivray - Records NS 534 1847 - 1849 Photocopies of 'Voyage of HMS "Rattlesnake". Correspondence 1847-9' containing letters on natural history to E. Forbes, John Gould, W.J. Hooker, J.D. Hooker and Adam White [3 cm, NS 534]. 0.03 m John MacGillivray - Records National Library of Australia Manuscript Collection John MacGillivray - Records mfm G 1881 1844 - 1855 Includes: "Voyage of H. M. S. Rattlesnake. Correspondence 1847-1849" containing copies of letters on natural history to Professor Edward Forbes 1847-1849, John Gould 1848-1849, Sir William J. Hooker 1848-1849, Dr. J. D. Hooker 1848 and Adam White 1848; Notebook containing notes on natural history of Cape York and Northern Australia; "Voyage of H.M.S. Herald under the command of Captain H. Mangles Denham R.N., being private Journal kept by John MacGillivray, naturalist" 21 February 1852 - January 1855. Also included are extracts from Mr. Calvert's manuscript 26 July 1853. The journal is illustrated with small sketches. 1 reel Microfilm John MacGillivray - Records Mitchell and Dixson Libraries Manuscripts Collection, State Library of New South Wales John MacGillivray - Records A3925 24 September 1846 - 27 August 1848 Log of HMS "Rattlesnake" 24 September 1846 - 27 August 1848 (doubt as to authorship). Microform 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 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