Robert D. FitzGerald

This article is about the early Australian botanist. For his poet grandson, see R. D. Fitzgerald.

Robert D. FitzGerald
Born30 November 1830
Tralee, County Kerry
Died12 August 1892 (1892-08-13) (aged 61)
Hunters Hill, Sydney, New South Wales
Occupation(s)surveyor, ornithologist, botanist and poet
SpouseEmily Blackwell
Childrenthree sons and three daughters
Parent(s)Robert David FitzGerald & Mary Ann, née Bell

Robert David FitzGerald (or possibly Robert Desmond FitzGerald[1]) (30 November 1830 – 12 August 1892) was an Irish-Australian surveyor, ornithologist,[2] botanist and poet.

Whilst working as a public servant FitzGerald's private passion and ability regarding ornithology and botany became so skillful that he communicated directly with Charles Darwin regarding Australian species of plant and was referred to several times in the book The Different Forms of Flowers on Plants of the Same Species of 1877.[3] He also collected orchids for the German-Australian botanist Ferdinand von Mueller.[3]

His extraordinary skills gave rise to a volume of work completed over seven years called Australian Orchids which Joseph Dalton Hooker another botanist, considered "would be an honour to any country and to any Botanist".[4]

  1. ^ "Fitzgerald, Robert D. (1830 - 1892)". Australian National Botanic Gardens. Retrieved 7 July 2016.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference UniMelb was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference DEWR was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference DictBio was invoked but never defined (see the help page).