Bennett, George (1804 - 1893)

Born at Plymouth, England, 31st January, 1804, died in Sydney, 29th September, 1893.
Visited Ceylon, 1819.
M.R.C.S. 1828, F.R.C.S. and M.D. (Glasgow) in 1859.

Author of �Wanderings in New South Wales. . . during 1832-4" (1834) and "Gatherings of a Naturalist in Australasia" (1860), which works show him to be a good botanical observer. He was in practice in Sydney for many years. He took great interest in the welfare ot the Sydney Botanic Gardens, and greatly interested himself in the cultivation of citrus fruits. He died in Sydney, 29th September, 1893.

He has been honoured in the plant names:
Flindersia bennettiana , F. v.M.
Eupomatia bennettii was also named after him.
He is also commemorated in the beautiful Port Jackson seaweed Claudia bennettiana , Harv., figured in "Phycologia Australica," the second volume of which was dedicated to him by Harvey.

He was CIarke Medallist of Royal Soiciety of New South Wales (1890).
Portrait in F. M. Bladen's Historical Notes on the Public Library of N.S.W., 1906.

Source: Maiden, J.H. (1908) Records of Australian botanists- (a) General, (b) New South Wales. Journal and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New South Wales for 1908 . 42:60-132

Physician, naturalist. On Sophia voyage to Australia & Pacific as surgeon-naturalist, visiting Sydney Jan.-Mar. 1829, then emigrated, Arrived 25 Aug. 1832. Settled in Sydney 1836 as a physician & became a prominent naturalist, involved with Australian Museum, Sydney Botanic Gardens, University of Sydney etc.

Visited Darling Downs 1871, Tas., S.A., Norfolk Is.,N.Z. Visited Europe 1877-79. Collected many plants, animals & fossils; esp.interested in platypus.

Specimens at K?, MEL. Wrote Wanderings in New South Wales, Batavia, Pedir Coast, Singapore and China, ... 1832, 1833, 1834 (1844) (see R.Pethiyagoda, Arch. Nat. Hist. 23: 445-447, 1996, re plagiarism). Published Gatherings of a Naturalist in Australasia ... (1860, facsimile 1982).

FLS; Clarke Medal 1892.

Commemorated in Antiaris, Claudea, Eupomatia, Ficus, Flindersia, Macuna, Sonderia etc.

Portrait: Vic. Nat. 45, pi. VII, facing p. 207 (1928); Ducker (1988) facing p. 241; Pearn (2001) p. 77; Natl Lbr. Australia News 14(3): 3 (2003).

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