Naming and describing species

Throwing the spear. John Heaviside Clark Plate from: Field sports of the native inhabitants of New South Wales London:Edwd.Orme,1813.
Australian Museum Research Library

Naming things that have already been named could be considered a form of intellectual colonisation but, for the new Australians, it was also a way of making their habitat familiar. For a collector like Gould, there was glory in naming a new species that provided international recognition. Gould wrote over 300 scientific articles and identified 377 new species of birds.

Indigenous names collected by Gould

'I am particularly anxious that you should obtain on the east coast and in New South Wales[,] even about Sydney[,] as many of the aboriginal names of Mammals and Birds as you can[,] particularly the origin of the word Kangaroo[,]'
Gould to his collector, Gilbert, in 1844

Gould was unusual in that he actively sought out the Indigenous names of the specimens he collected. He realised the importance of developing relationships with the Aboriginal people as they were a key part of the success of his field work. Knowing the Aboriginal names meant Gould could specify what he wanted collected.

Chart of Indigenous Bird Names of the Hunter Region of New South Wales