Keartland, George Arthur   (1848 - 1926)

Born at Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, England, on 11 June 1848; emigrated to Australia, departing from Plymouth, England on 1 June 1850 with his parents on the Stebonheath, arriving at Port Adelaide, SA, on 15 September 1850; died at his residence 'Illamurta', Cramer Street, Preston (Melbourne), on 21 May 1926.

He completed his education at George Street Public School, Fitzroy (Melbourne). After some training as a photographer and an apprenticeship to a printer, George was employed by the Melbourne Age as a compositor for more than 50 years,14 In 1871, he joined the Melbourne Typographical Society and was twice President of the Australasian Typographical Society.

George married Margaret Jane Nichol at Brunswick (Melbourne). on 11 June 1873. They had 11 chldren.

Although lamed by a childhood accident, George could admirably acquit himself in the field, and he developed a strong interest in natural history, especialy ornithology. He joined the Field Naturalists Club of Victoria (FNCV) in February 1886, was elected President between 1907 and 1909, and led a number of their expeditions.

He participated in the Clutb's expeditions to King Island, Bass Strait in November 1887 and to the Kent Group, Bass Strait in 1890.

George published many articles in the Victorian Naturalist between 1889 and 1925, about his experiences of his numerous excursions to Melton.

George is well-known for his participation as an expedition naturalist:
Firstly, on the successful Horn Expedition, from Oodnadatta, SA, to the MacDonnell Ranges, NT, between May-August 1894.
Secondly on the ill-fated Calvert Expedition to northwest Australia in 1896 where he was listed as "naturalist and botanist".

In 1806 the South Australian Branch of the Royal Geographical Society of Australasia was asked to organise the Calvert Scientific Exploring Expedition on behalf of a London-based gold mining engineer, Albert Calvert, who had interests in Western Australia. He sponsored the expedition to charter the unexplored central north of Western Australia with the hope of finding gold-bearing country. The party of six, Lawrence A Wells (surveyor and leader), Charles F. Wells (surveyor and second-in-command). George A. Keartland (naturalist and botanist), George A. Jones (mineralogist and photographer), James Trainer (cook) and Afghan Bejah Dervish (in charge of camels), set out with 20 camels on 13 June 1896 from Cue and, on leaving Lake Way, headed towards the direction of Joannaa Spring. En route Charles Wells and George Jones left the main party on a side trip 150 km westward to explore uncharted country. They then headed northeast to cut across the tracks of the main party to meet at Joanna Spring. However, they ran out of water, could not find their companions and perished. Meanwthile, George and the remainder of the party continued as planned but were also unable to find Joanna Spring, so as agreed continued towards Fitzroy River. But disaster also overtook them. Within 283 km of their destination most of the camels had perished. Abandoning all equipment, specimens and personal effects not essential for survival they trudged on, reaching 'Noonkanbah' on the Fitzroy River on 6 November. The following year Lawrence A. Wells returned and located the bodies of the missing men.

Source: Extracted from book: 'Passions in Ornithology: A century of Australian Egg Collectors' (2020), Mason & Pfitzner, Canberra. [consult for source references]
Portrait Photo: Extracted from: above, ex Vic. Nat.(1926) 43:plate 2.

Collecting localities for 'Keartland, G.' from AVH (2022)

Data from 21 specimens