Description

William Blandowski (1822−78) was a pioneer in many ways. Born in Gleiwitz, Upper Silesia (present-day Gliwice, Poland), he went to Australia in 1849 to compile "a natural history, a botanical classification, and a geological arrangement of this country." He joined an early gold rush in Victoria, where he invented a powerful water pump. Blandowski went on several expeditions, on which he collected numerous specimens and attempted to compile the first checklist of the mammals and birds of Victoria. His drawings are notable for their accuracy and artistic value. Largely ...