Australian National Botanic Gardens

R.D. Fitzgerald - biographical and botanical sources Last updated September 1997

Biographical notes

Born 30/11/1830 at Tralee, Ireland (Roberts & Whitten 1980?)

Died 13/8/1892 (Mueller 1892) or ?12/8/93 (Maiden 1908). Buried in Balmain Cemetery.

Emigrated to Australia in 1856

Became Deputy Surveyor General of NSW in 1873, retired in 1887.

Botanist, artist, ornithologist, taxidermist and poet.

Bronze medal from Agricultural Society of NSW in 1871 for his work on orchids

Gold medal from the Exhibition Internationale de Paris in 1878 for the forthcoming Australian orchids.

Other awards - heavy [sic] bronze medal from the Sydney International Exhibition in 1879, a silver medal from the Melbourne International Exhibition in 1880, the Amsterdam Medal D'Or in 1883, and a bronze medal from the Colonial and Indian Exhibition in London in 1886. (all medal info from Messmer 1932).

Honorary member of Field Naturalists' Club of Victoria (Anon 1892).

Elected a fellow of the Linnean Society of London in 1874 (Gilbert 1972)

Elected a member of the Royal Society of New South Wales in 1876 (Gilbert 1972)

Portraits

On glass - in ANBG Library Rare Book Room

See also photographic reproduction in Maiden (1908), Messmer (1932).

Sketch in Rogers (1911) and Anon in Sydney Mail (1892).

"Funereal" poem

Woolls, W. (1892) In Memory of R.D. FitzGerald, F.L.S. who died August 12, 1892. [Publ?, place?]. N.b. This poem is reprinted in Gilbert (1985, pp. 82-83)

Eponymy

Caladenia fitzgeraldii Rupp (Orchidaceae)

Sarcochilus fitzgeraldi F.Muell. (Orchidaceae)

Dracophyllum Fitzgeraldi F.Muell. (Epacridaceae) - Fitzgerald discovered this on Lord Howe Island.

Eugenia fitzgeraldi F.Muell. & F.M.Bailey (Myrtaceae)

His name

Confusion re surname - was it FitzGerald or Fitzgerald ? [Suggest Fitzgerald as in Australian orchids or FitzGerald as in the facsimile reprint]

Also Christian names - was it Robert David or Robert Desmond ? [not yet resolved. Grandson cites him as Robert David in the facsimile reprint]

Acquaintances

Walter S. Campbell (1844-1935) Public servant - draftsman, clerk for Dept of Dept of Mines & Agriculture, chief inspector of agriculture. Friend of Fitzgerald. with deep interest in botany (collected for Mueller & Woolls). Fitzgerald accompanied Scott to Wallis Lake, NSW in 1864 where his enthusiasm for orchids was kindled. See Campbell (1924) and Fitzgerald (1888)

William Carron (1821-1876) Botanist and explorer, Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney. Sole European survivor from Kennedy's expedition from Rockingham Bay to Cape York. On trip to Lord Howe Island with Moore and Fitzgerald. Gave botanical lectures to Lands Dept officers (Messmer 1932)

Charles Darwin (1809-1882) correspondence regarding orchids, several refs to Fitzgerald in Darwin (1877), first volume of Australian orchids dedicated to Darwin.

Henry Deane (1847-1924) MA, FLS, railway surveyor and engineer and also a botanist, was associated with the survey and construction of the Transcontinental Railway between Port Augusta and Kalgoorlie. Friend of Fitzgerald. Completed vol 2, part 5, of Australian Orchids posthumously from Fitzgerald's notes.

Charles Moore (1820-1905) Botanist and director of Botanic Gardens Sydney. Fitzgerald visited Lord Howe Island with Moore and William Carron in 1869.

Ferdinand von Mueller (1825-1896) Fitzgerald collected for Mueller.

Sir Henry Parkes (1815-1896) Gave Departmental support to Fitzgerald's efforts to reserve public land at Katoomba, Leura and Wentworth Falls (Messmer 1932)

Arthur James Stopps (1833-1931) Lithographer and draughtsman for NSW Lands Dept.. Lithographer for Australian Orchids (Messmer 1932).

William Woolls (1814-1893) Clergyman, schoolmaster and botanist. Composed a poem on Fitzgerald's death. Pterostylis woollsii named by Fitzgerald in his honour.

Correspondence/records

Letters by Fitzgerald to F. von Mueller, about Australian plants and their identification, with references in herbarium specimens (1871-1892) at National Herbarium, Melbourne. (from McCarthy 1991)

1 letter from G.H. Druce to Fitzgerald. MSS M9 at National Herbarium, Melbourne. (from McCarthy 1991)

Records at NSW Department of Lands (cited in Gilbert 1972).

1 box of "manuscript notes on botanical species" at NLA. See below under Drawings

Specimens

Fitzgerald left no herbarium. He made some orchid collections, specimens of which are at MEL and BM - information from Desmond (1977) Stafleu & Cowan (1976) and Maiden (1908) and Fitzgerald (1883)

Orchid drawings and art work

Originals of published drawings and unpublished drawings of Australian orchids at Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales - include 196 watercolour and pencil drawings with Fitzgerald's pencilled notes. See Rupp (1946) and Rogers (1933).

"Ninety-two drawings remain unpublished" (Betts & FitzGerald 1977)

"Manuscript notes on botanical species including watercolour sketches and diagrams with botanical annotations in Fitzgerald's hand. n.d. MS 826." at National Library of Australia Manuscript Section McCarthy (1991) (RAAM 1997)

NLA has large collection - Accn nos R5775-5939 Large collection of original annotated watercolours, mostly plants other than orchids. Another smaller collection of 8 large sheets of incomplete pencil drawings of orchids. FitzGerald linked to copy of Goerge Bentham's Flora Australiensis at Monash University (George & Jordan 1993).

5 additional unpublished drawings of orchids at the Herbarium, Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney (White 1940). **Mark Clements suggests these are printed plates rather than original drawings. See also Rupp (1939) = 5 unpublished lithographs.

Sketches of vegetation on Lord Howe Island reproduced in Mueller (1869-71) Fragmenta phytographiae Australiae, vol. VII cited in Anon (1892)

Several of FitzGerald's natural history drawings were reproduced in the Horticultural Magazine and the Sydney Mail (George & Jordan 1993).

All drawings in Australian Orchids made by Fitzgerald, almost invariably from fresh specimens (Stafleu & Cowan 1976)

Son, R.D. Fitzgerald, had collection of drawings of native flowers, all made from living specimens (Messmer 1932). ?subsequently donated to one of above institutions ?

Biographical references

(*****indicates copies/details being obtained - CJ

Anon (1892)The late Robert David Fitzgerald. Sydney Mail (Illustrated supplement) 3 Sept: [p. 2]

[Includes portrait (line drawing) from a photo by JH Newman]

Anon (1892) The late R.D. Fitzgerald. Victorian Naturalist 9(5):75.

Anon (1892) Mr R.D. Fitzgerald. Gardeners' Chronicle 3s. v 12(October 1): 405.

[Information in this article "from the Sydney Daily Telegraph of August 16"]

Anon (1892) Proceedings of the Linnean Society of London 1892-93: 23 Obituary notices.

[Section on p. 23 Robert Douglas Fitzgerald]

***** (1892) Daily Telegraph (Sydney) August 16: ?? (Cited in Reinikka 1995)** Could not find this in Aug 16 issue at NLA 9/12/97.

**** R.S.C. 9: 878 ??? (cited in Britten & Boulger 1931)

**** Bentham, G. (18??) "Thanks to you the Australian Orchideae are now better known than those of any other country outside of Europe" quote from Gilbert (1972)

Betts, J.J. & Fitzgerald, R.D. (1977) Introduction to the work of Robert David FitzGerald F.L.S. (1830-1892), in, Fitzgerald, R.D. Australian orchids, Lansdowne Editions, East Melbourne, pp. ??-??

[Grandson contributed information - note the upper case "G" in the surname]

Campbell, W.S. (1924) Seeking Australian orchids : R.D. Fitzgerald's great work : reminiscences from field and study. Daily Telegraph (Sydney) May 10: 13.

[Includes small portrait].

Deane, H. (1897) President's address. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 21: 827.

[Refers to intention to continue with publication of Australian Orchids following Fitzgerald's death]

Desmond, R. (1994) Fitzgerald, Robert David. Dictionary of British and Irish botanists and horticulturists, including plant collectors, flower painters and garden designers. [3rd edn] Taylor & Francis and the Natural History Museum, London, p. 249.

Erickson, R. (1965) Orchids of the West. 2nd edn. Paterson Brokensha, Perth, pp. 48-49, 64.

[Describes Fitzgerald's trip to Wilson's Inlet in WA. Herbarium specimens not collected until RS Roger's trip there in 1919. Also describes Fitzgerald's notes on his experiments with the labellum of Drakea spp.]

George, A. & Jordan, C. (1993) A heritage of botanical art. Voices: quarterly journal of the National Library of Australia 3(1): 92-106.

[Examines pictorial works on Australian plants held in the National Library. FitzGerald's illustrations on pp. 93, 95, text on pp. 96-97.]

Gilbert, L.A. (1972) Fitzgerald, Robert David, in, Nairn, B, Serle, S. & Ward, R. (eds.) Australian dictionary of biography. Volume 4: 1851-1890, D-J. Melbourne University Press, Carlton, Vic, pp. 178-179.

Gilbert, L. (1985) William Woolls, 1814-1893 : "a most useful colonist" Mulini Press, Canberra.

[pp. 78-83, 122]

Gilbert, L. (1992) The orchid man : the life, work and memoirs of the Rev. H.M.R. Rupp, 1872-1956. Kangaroo Press, Kenthurst, NSW.

[pp 93, 120, 228, 230, 232,237.]

*****Hooker, J.D. (18??) Considered Australian orchids "a work which would be an honour to any country and to any Botanist" quoted in Gilbert (1972)

McCarthy, G. (1991) Fitzgerald, Robert David, in, Guide to the archives of science in Australia. Thorpe in association with Australian Science Archives Project and National Centre for Australian Studies, Port Melbourne, p. 65.

[Original drawings, letters, manuscript notes at Mitchell Library, National Herbarium Melbourne, and National Library of Australia]

McLean, D. (19??) The surveyor who loved orchids. ??Sydney Morning Herald ???? [photocopy or article supplied by Karina's mother, Elizabeth Fitzgerald].**** Need to track down details****

Maiden, J.H. (1908) Fitzgerald, Robert Desmond, in, Records of Australian botanists - (a) General, (b) New South Wales. Journal and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New South Wales 42: 102, pl.XII.

[Includes portrait]

Messmer, C.A. (1932) The biography of Robert David FitzGerald, F.L.S., and Arthur James Stopps, F.L.S. Victorian Naturalist 48: 233-245, pl. XI.

[Includes portrait. Lots of chatty details in this paper, much info sourced from son RD Fitz.]

Mueller, F. von (1892) [Obituary note] Journal of Botany, British and Foreign 30: 320.

Norton, J. (1901) Presidential address. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 25: 763-794.

[Includes biogr. notes on Fitzgerald on pp. 784-785. Inspired by Darwinian theory " to study the family (Orchideae) with more than ordinary zeal, in the hope of adding, as it were, a single stone to the great pile constructed by the boldest speculator of the age". No renumeration with publication of Australian Orchids. Only one part issued after his death, the rest of the money voted by Parliament to support Maiden's "Flowering Plants and Ferns of Australia"]

Reinikka, M.A. (1995) Robert David Fitzgerald (1830-1892), in, A history of the orchid. Timber Press, Portland, Oregon, pp. 236-240.

[Includes description of Fitzgerald's hi-tech fernery/orchid house, and mentions his opinion that no accurate description of any orchid could be gained from a dried and pressed specimen.]

Roberts, R. & Whitten, M. (1980??) Fitzgerald, Robert David. Biographies of Australian botanists. Hunt Library, ??, 4 pp.

Rogers, R.S. (1911) Robert Desmond Fitzgerald, in, An introduction to the study of South Australian orchids. Government Printer, Adelaide, pp. 51-52.

[Includes portrait - sketch]

Rupp, H.M.R. (1943) Historical, in, The orchids of New South Wales. National Herbarium, Sydney, pp. ix-xi.

[Includes mention of Fitzgerald's habit of throwing away specimens rather than drying/preserving them]

Rupp, H.M.R. (1952) Robert David Fitzgerald. Australian Orchid Review 17(1): 22-23.

Stafleu, F.A. & Cowan, R.S. (1976) Fitzgerald, Robert Desmond, in, Taxonomic literature. Volume 1: A-G. 2nd edn. Bohn, Scheltema & Holkema, Utrecht, pp. 841-842.

White, C.T. (1940) A history of Australian orchids. Australian Orchid Review 5(4): 108-111. [Information on Fitzgerald p. 111. Mentions there are 5 additional unpublished drawings of Australian orchids at the Herbarium, Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney.]

Fitzgerald's publications

Fitzgerald, R.D. (1875-1894) Australian orchids. Charles Potter, Sydney. 2 vols. [More than 200 species illustrated. Copy held in ANBG Library]

Fitzgerald, R.D. (1876) New dendrobium. Sydney Morning Herald 18 November: 7.

[Description of the beech orchid, Dendrobium falcorostrum in a letter to the Editor. "Eyebrows were raised in professional circles when he described the orchid in this newspaper" (Gilbert 1972)]

***** Fitzgerald (18??-??) drawings in Horticultural Magazine (mentioned in George & Jordan 1993)

***** Fitzgerald (18??-??) Drawings in Sydney Mail (mentioned in George & Jordan 1993)

Fitzgerald, R.D. (1879) [Letter to the Editor of the Herald] Sydney Morning Herald Sept 24: 3.

[Description of new species Dendrobium fuscum]

Fitzgerald, R.D. (1879) New garden plants. Gardeners' Chronicle n.s. v 12(no. 309, November 29): 680

[Description of Dendrobium fuscum, quoting from the SMH article of Sept 24th.]

Fitzgerald, R.D. (1880) New garden plants. Gardeners' Chronicle n.s. v 14(no. 341, July 10): 38

[Includes descriptions of Dendrobium phalaenopsis, Sarcochilus rubricentrum]

Fitzgerald, R. (1882) New Australian orchids. Gardeners' Chronicle 1 (April 8, April 15) or v 17?: 461-462, 494-495.

[pp. 461-462: Caladenia paniculata, C. unita, C. plicata, C. lobata, C. leptochila, C. reticulata, C. macrostylis, C. tenuis, Glossodia intermedia; p. 494: Drakea glyptodon; p. 495: Diuris laertis*[?D. laevis], Prasophyllum attenuatum, P. plumaeforme, P. triangulare, Thelymitra grandiflora, T. luteocilium, T. mucida, T. rubra, T. urnalis.

Fitzgerald, R.D. (1883) New Australian orchids. Journal of Botany, British and Foreign 21: 203-205.

[Cymbidium gomphocarpus, Chiloglottis trilabra, Cirrhopetalum clavigerum, Bolbophyllum punctatum[sic - should read Bulbophyllum]

Fitzgerald, R.D. (1885) New Australian orchids. Journal of Botany, British and Foreign 23: 135-138.

[Prasophyllum viride, P. densum, P. eriochilum, P. ansatum, P. longisepalum, P. attenuatum, P. laminatum, P. reflexum, P.filiforme, Diuris tricolor, Pterostylis clavigera]

Fitzgerald, R.D. (1888) Notes on the nidification of Sphecotheres maxillaris, (Lath.), and of Campephaga leucomelaena, (V.&H.), with descriptions of their eggs. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 2: 970-971.

[Only bird publication ?]

Fitzgerald, R.T*. (1890) Pavonia hastata Cav. Journal of Botany, British and Foreign 28: 217-218.

[From family Malvaceae. *Author cited as Robert T. Fitzgerald - typo or diff author ?]

Fitzgerald, R.D. (1891) Two new Australian orchids. Journal of Botany, British and Foreign 29: 152-153.

[Adelopetalum gen. nov., Adelopetalum bracteatum, Sarcochilus eriochilus]

Subsequent botanical publications

Darwin, C. (1877) The various contrivances by which orchids are fertilised by insects. 2nd edn, rev. Murray, London.

[Several references to Fitzgerald's observations, pp. 89-91, 115, 127, 279-281.]

Mueller, F. von (1869-71) plates [61-62 = two sketches by R. Fitzgerald depicting vegetation on Lord Howe Island], in, Fragmenta phytographiae Australiae. Vol VII. Government Printer, Melbourne.

Rogers, R.S. (1933) FitzGerald's drawings (Mitchell Library). Unpublished 2 & 22p. ms. held at the Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales, Sydney.

Rupp, H.M.R. (1939) Fitzgerald's "Australian orchids" : unpublished plates brought to light : the mysterious Cymbidium gomphocarpum. Australian Orchid Review 4: 65.

Rupp, H.M.R. (1939) Fitzgerald's "Australian orchids". North Queensland Naturalist 8(60): 3-4.

[Describes five lithographs of unpublished plates donated to the North Queensland Naturalists' Club from the NSW National Herbarium. Rupp notes that four of these are not included in the Mitchell Library's collection: 1. uncoloured drawing of a Cymbidium (?C. gomphocarpum); 2. colour plate of Diuris carinata & D. lonifolia; 3. colour plate of Prasophyllum Frenchii and P. Fitzgeraldii; 4. uncoloured plate of Microtis alba and M.atrata.]

Rupp, H.M.R. (1944) A critical revision of R.D. Fitzgerald's "Australian orchids". Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 69: 274-278.

Rupp, H.M.R. (1946) The unpublished plates of R.D. Fitzgerald's "Australian orchids" in the Mitchell Library, Sydney. Unpublished 22p. typescript at Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales, Sydney.

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