Career

Collecting localities

Collections

Literature

Biographical data

 

Brown, George

 

(Source: Flora Malesiana ser. 1, 1: Cyclopaedia of collectors)

 

Born: 1835, Barnard Castle, Durham, England.

 

career:

After some adventurous years of life in his youth, joined the Australian Wesleyan Meth. Miss. Society in 1860, and served for 14 years at Samoa (Fiji). He sailed from Port Jackson at the end of April 1875 for the purpose of extending the mission in the Bismarck Archipelago; he studied the life-histories of the tribes met with.1 In 1886 he was back in England and from 1887-1908 General Secretary of the Foreign Missionary Society at Sydney, N.S.W.

He made large zoological collections together with James Cockerell, further he collected stones and minerals, and probably but few plants.

 

Collecting localities:

Bismarck Archipelago. 1875-76. Duke of York Isl., Port Hunter (Aug. 15, 1875-Aug. 31, 1876) and from there making various trips,2 e.g. to New Britain, New Ireland, the surrounding islands Makadau, Ulu, Utuan, Mioko and Mualim; coastal trips along the opposite part of New Ireland, and crossing the latter island (May 30, 1876); along the E. coast of New Britain from Orford-Nordspitze to Weberhafen on the N. coast; ascent of Ta Wur-Wur (Kaije) Volcano on the peninsula opposite of Duke of York Isl.-1877. Duke of York Isl.: Hunter-Hafen (= Port Hunter; end of the year).-1878. Jan. 1 st sailing in company of Wilfr. Powell to the SE. coast of New Britain.3-1880. Tour to Kurumait on the W. coast of New Ireland, crossing the island for the 2nd time (June 23).4 Some months later he accompanied the voyage of the ‘Beagle’ under Thomas de Hoghton: leaving Makadau Harbour (Oct. 25); Duke of Portland Isl. (Nov. 1); New Hanover (2).5-1890. End of June with W. MacGregor (see there) to Kerepunu, the d'Entrecasteaux Isls and the Louisiades. End of July sailing with some others to Wari (Teste Isl.), Moresby Isl., Slade Isl. (Aug. 1), Normanby Isl., Goulvain Isl. (Dobu), Fergusson Isl. (5-6), Isl. Kwaru Awa (Wagipa), and back to Samarai (8).6-1891. Goulvain Isl. (Dobu) (June-July 12) and from there to Blanche Bay.7-1897. Voyage to several mission stations (May-Sept.): from Sydney via Port Moresby to Samarai; Engineer group, Deboyne Isl., Dobu (longer stay), New Britain, New Ireland, Duke of York Isl. and the isl. Kiriwina.8

 

collections:

?Herb. Melbourne [MEL]. Plants (princ. ferns) collected in the Bismarck Archipelago referred to by F. von Mueller.9

 

literature:

(1) G. Brown: ‘Melanesians and Polynesians, their life-histories described and compared’ (London 1910).

(2) G. Brown: ‘Notes on the Duke of York Group, New Britain and New Ireland’ (Journ. Roy. Geogr. Soc. 47, 1877, p. 137-150).

H. Greffrath: ‘Der Mission dr G. Brown auf Neu-Britannien and Neu-Island’ (Globus 31, 1877, p. 79-80; Peterm. Mitt. 23, 1877, p. 41-42).

(3) cf. Wichmann, Entd. Gesch. N.G., in Nova Guinea vol. 2, p. 243.

(4) G. Brown: ‘A journey along the coasts of New Ireland and neighbouring islands’ (Proc. Roy. Geogr. Soc. Lond. N.S. 3, 1881, p. 213-215).

(5) G. Brown: ‘Excursion to Sandwich Island, Portland Islands and New Hannover’ (Proc. Roy. Geogr. Soc. Lond. N.S. 3, 1881, p. 216-220).

(6) cf. Further Corresp. resp. N.G. April 1891, p. 218-219.

(7) cf. Wichmann, Entd. Gesch. N.G., in Nova Guinea vol. 22, p. 526 and 529.

(8) G. Brown: ‘Notes on a recent journey to New Guinea and New Britain’(Rep. 7th Meeting Australas. Assoc. Adv. Sci. Sydney 1898, p. 790-797).

(9) In Descr. Not. Pap. Pl. pt 4, 1876.

 

biographical data:

G. Brown: ‘Pioneer Missionary and Explorer. An Autobiography’(London 1908, + portr.).