Armit, William Edington de Margrat   (1848 - 1901)

An officer of the Queensland Mounted Police who collected in northern Queensland (e.g. Gilbert, Lynd, Herbert and Burdekin Rivers) for F.Mueller. He left Queensland about 1882 and became an official (Sub-collector of Customs, Resident Magistrate) in New Guinea.  His Queensland collections are in Melbourne (MEL).

Extracted from: A.E.Orchard (1999) A History of Systematic Botany in Australia, in Flora of Australia Vol.1, 2nd ed. ABRS. [consult for source references]

Policeman, public servant, explorer, journalist. Arr. Australia before 1870. Stockman at Cleveland Bay, Qld, 1871; police sub-inspector & later journalist from June 1872; in July-Sept. 1883 led scientific party to New Guinea (Astrolabe Ra.), then settled at Port Douglas & Cooktown as journalist & naturalist. Collected in Qld at Newcastle Ra. Nov. 1873, L. Lucy near source of Burdekin R. before 1875, Cashmere Mar. 1875, Robinson R. 1876, on Gilbert, Lynd, Herbert & Burdekin Rivers before 1878, Etheridge R. before 1882, 'Mt Bedford' 1883, Einasleigh R, Endeavour R. 1886, Mt Surprise. Wrote paper on medicinal plants of NW Qld (/. Linn. Soc, hot. 20: 69-71, 1883). In 1893[95?] moved to New Guinea, taking se veral jobs in public service. Specimens (usually numbered) at BRI, MEL, NSW. Commemorated in Acacia, Bossiaea, Ficus, Goodenia, Eriachne, Polyporus, Sarchochilus.

Source: George, A.S. (2009) Australian Botanist's Companion, Four Gables Press, WA. [consult for source references]

Collecting localities for 'Armit, W.E.de.M.' from AVH (2021)

Data from 1,766 specimens