A CELEBRATION OF THE HISTORY, CULTURE, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY OF RECHERCHE BAY
CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research Auditorium Hobart, Tasmania
26–28 February 2007

Labillardière and the beginnings of botanical exploration in Tasmania
Dr Gintaras Kantvilas

Gintaras Kantvilas was born and educated in Hobart, graduating with a PhD from the University of Tasmania in 1986. His specialty is the taxonomy and ecology of lichens, a field into which he was introduced by Peter James, from the Natural History Museum, London, who also served as his long distance PhD supervisor. His knowledge in this field has taken him to many parts of the world to present conference papers or take up invitations as a visiting Research Fellow. His work has been published widely in books and scientific journals. Since 1988 Gintaras has worked at the Tasmanian Herbarium, a part of the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery – initially as botanist in charge of non-vascular plants and since 1992, as Head of Herbarium. He continues to maintain an avid interest in Tasmania's vegetation, history and landscape, whenever possible making excursions to beautiful and remote places, preferably out-of-reach of the telephone.

Jacques-Julien de Labillardière (1755–1834) was one of the first European botanists to visit Tasmania, arriving with D'Entrecasteaux's expedition in 1792. He lived and worked at a time of great upheaval and change, amidst the turmoil of post-revolutionary France. It was also the era when the immense diversity of the Australian flora was only just beginning to be revealed. In the course of two extended visits to south-eastern Tasmania, Labillardière became the first European scientist to explore beyond the immediate coastline, and to observe, collect and describe many iconic Tasmanian plants such as the leatherwood, blue gum, climbing heath, celery-top pine and coral lichen. His writings revealed him to be a diligent and sensitive observer of the flora, fauna, landscape and indigenous peoples. For a time his collection of several thousand specimens was war booty, seized first by the Dutch and then by the English in the course of shifting alliances of the Napoleonic Wars. However, through the assistance of his friend, Sir Joseph Banks, Labillardière secured the return of his specimens and these formed the basis of his major publication, Novae Hollandiae Plantarum Specimen (1804–1807), the first comprehensive botanical account for any Australian territory. Labillardière's work and collections remain highly relevant to this day and represent the foundations of the exploration and documentation of Tasmania's unique flora.