"Gulliver's White-eye" (2 Viewers)

[Björn Bergenholtz]

Here´s some additional info on yet another guy I stumbled upon along the way, commemorated in the eponym .....

gulliveri as in:
• the invalid (earlier long-debated subspecies) Gulliver's White-eye Zosterops (luteus) "gulliveri "RAMSAY & CASTELANU 1877 (here) as "Zosterops (Tephras?) Gulliveri" [today most often treated as a synonym of Zosterops luteus GOULD 1843]:

From Mr. Gulliver's collection

= the English (or English-Australian) Botanist Thomas "Tom" Allen Gulliver (1847–1931), who had come to Australia (to collect Plants for "von Mueller"/"von Müller") ... and there he stayed ... later also collector of birds (incl. the "type"), telegraph officer (in the remote telegraph station in Normanton, Gulf of Carpentaria) in Queensland, postmaster, nurseryman, long-time gardener in Townsville ... who died 13 June 1931, at the age of 84 ...when he fell into a goldfish pond in his garden at night!

We apparently missed an interesting speech by Local historian Helen Lucas, of Townsville’s Catholic Archives, held 10 May 2016 (here, with a a photo of old "Tom).

Also see this Master thesis by Ian Fraser, 2003 (p.155). As well as Mr. Gulliver's Obituary, published in Townsville Daily Bulletin, 15th of June 1831 (here) , or see the short notice of his Death in the Brisbane Courier, 18th of June 1931 (here).

Not to confuse with his brother and companion Benjamin Thomas Gulliver.

However: enjoy!

Björn

PS. The same Paper (of the OD) also includes a readworthy reprimand to Mr. Diggles, in "kindly spirit" on "Poephila atropygialis", on the page 382. That´s the way to do it.

 

[l_raty]

PS. The same Paper (of the OD) also includes a readworthy reprimand to Mr. Diggles, in "kindly spirit" on "Poephila atropygialis", on the page 382. That´s the way to do it.

What they are citing is: Poephila atropygialis [here], The Queenslander, 12 Aug 1876.
Zoonomen cites it from the Brisbane Courier of 5 Aug, however: [here].

(In any case, not from Ramsay & Castelnau, notwithstanding the reprimand.)

 

[Taphrospilus]

Of course The Eponym Dictionary of Birds of 2014 have had it less detailed as:

Gulliver's White-eye Zosterops gulliveri Castlenau & E. P. Ramsay, 1877 NCR [Alt. Canary White-eye; JS Zosterops luteus]
T. A. Gulliver (1847–1931) was an employee of the Postal & Telegraph Department in Queensland, and a field natural history collector (1865–1891).

The key is up to date.

 

[Rob Reed]

Here´s some additional info on yet another guy I stumbled upon along the way, commemorated in the eponym .....

gulliveri as in:
• the invalid (earlier long-debated subspecies) Gulliver's White-eye Zosterops (luteus) "gulliveri "RAMSAY & CASTELANU 1877 (here) as "Zosterops (Tephras?) Gulliveri" [today most often treated as a synonym of Zosterops luteus GOULD 1843]:
= the English (or English-Australian) Botanist Thomas "Tom" Allen Gulliver (1847–1931), who had come to Australia (to collect Plants for "von Mueller"/"von Müller") ... and there he stayed ... later also collector of birds (incl. the "type"), telegraph officer (in the remote telegraph station in Normanton, Gulf of Carpentaria) in Queensland, postmaster, nurseryman, long-time gardener in Townsville ... who died 13 June 1931, at the age of 84 ...when he fell into a goldfish pond in his garden at night!

We apparently missed an interesting speech by Local historian Helen Lucas, of Townsville’s Catholic Archives, held 10 May 2016 (here, with a a photo of old "Tom).

Also see this Master thesis by Ian Fraser, 2003 (p.155). As well as Mr. Gulliver's Obituary, published in Townsville Daily Bulletin, 15th of June 1831 (here) , or see the short notice of his Death in the Brisbane Courier, 18th of June 1931 (here).

Not to confuse with his brother and companion Benjamin Thomas Gulliver.

However: enjoy!

Björn

PS. The same Paper (of the OD) also includes a readworthy reprimand to Mr. Diggles, in "kindly spirit" on "Poephila atropygialis", on the page 382. That´s the way to do it.

Hi Bjorn,

I am trying to track down the talk by Helen Lucas but your link now goes to a dead end. Do you have an alternative?

Also, what is the "Thomas Gulliver collection" you refer to?

thanks Rob Reed

 

[Björn Bergenholtz]

Hi Rob,
And, as a 'New Member' welcome to Birdforum, and the Bird Name Etymology section ...

But, sorry, neither I can find the announcement of Helen Lucas's speech any longer (maybe not so strange, it was years since it was held, back in 2016). As I remember it, it was a notice, of an event, of what seemed to bee a lecture in local history, or something like that, titled: "Botanists and Naturalists and their Townsville Gardens" (unfortunately I didn't save a copy).

Either way, I cannot understand where I'm supposed to have written the (exact words) about a: "Thomas Gulliver collection" ... ?

In any case, the quote, above, in post #1: "From Mr. Gulliver's collection" was the words of the original Authors, in the original text (see link in post #1). If it's that phrase you're referring to, I assume it's just a comment, of a stack, a collection, a deliverance (of Birds) that Mr Gulliver had sent/delivered (back in the 1870's) to the (more prominent ornithologists) Ramsay (Curator at the Australian Museum, in Sydney) and/or Castelnau (at that time Consul Général de France, in Melbourne).

I don't know of any actual "Thomas Gulliver collection" (of Birds) being kept anywhere today. There might be one, or not, but even if so I've never heard of it.

Sorry to be of so little assistance, but that's all I can recall.

Good luck finding whatever details of Mr Gulliver you're looking for!

Cheers

Björn

PS. It might be worth to find Helen Lucas herself (in connection to Townsville/Queensland Gardens), and ask her yourself (that is, if she's still around, of course). Maybe she has the answers, who knows?

 

[Rob Reed]

Hi Rob,
And, as a 'New Member' welcome to Birdforum, and the Bird Name Etymology section ...

But, sorry, neither I can find the announcement of Helen Lucas's speech any longer (maybe not so strange, it was years since it was held, back in 2016). As I remember it, it was a notice, of an event, of what seemed to bee a lecture in local history, or something like that, titled: "Botanists and Naturalists and their Townsville Gardens" (unfortunately I didn't save a copy).

Either way, I cannot understand where I'm supposed to have written the (exact words) about a: "Thomas Gulliver collection" ... ?

In any case, the quote, above, in post #1: "From Mr. Gulliver's collection" was the words of the original Authors, in the original text (see link in post #1). If it's that phrase you're referring to, I assume it's just a comment, of a stack, a collection, a deliverance (of Birds) that Mr Gulliver had sent/delivered (back in the 1870's) to the (more prominent ornithologists) Ramsay (Curator at the Australian Museum, in Sydney) and/or Castelnau (at that time Consul Général de France, in Melbourne).

I don't know of any actual "Thomas Gulliver collection" (of Birds) being kept anywhere today. There might be one, or not, but even if so I've never heard of it.

Sorry to be of so little assistance, but that's all I can recall.

Good luck finding whatever details of Mr Gulliver you're looking for!

Cheers

Björn

PS. It might be worth to find Helen Lucas herself (in connection to Townsville/Queensland Gardens), and ask her yourself (that is, if she's still around, of course). Maybe she has the answers, who knows?

Thanks Bjorn
I sent message to Helen Lucas.
I also found this which clarifies much.

https://know.ourplants.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/JABG38P045_Dowe.pdf

Cheers, Rob

 

[Björn Bergenholtz]

Thanks yourself!

Thus, a short amendment (of my own post #1) ... sigh.

According to this/the brand-new Paper: The Gullivers’ travels: Thomas Allen Gulliver (1848–1931), Benjamin John Gulliver (1851–1938) and Susannah Gulliver (1857–1938): their contribution to Australian natural history and horticulture, by John Leslie Dowe & Philip S. Short, published in Swainsona 38: pp. 45–72 (2024). Link in Rob's post #6.

... we find "our guy" (on p.47) as [my blue bold]:

Family Member	Birth date and place	Death date and place
[...]	[...]	[...]
Thomas Allen Gulliver	3 Mar. 1848, Cornwall, England	13 June 1931, Townsville, Queensland
[...]	[...]	[...]

With such a detailed Paper I'd go for the dedicatee of Gulliver's White-eye (and the Scientific name gulliveri) as:
• Thomas "Tom" Allen Gulliver (1848–1931), ... and onwards.

Thanks again!

Björn

PS. Also, with the Risk of confusion, compare with his Father, (that also might have been known as Mr T. A. Gulliver):
Thomas (Allingham) Allen Gulliver, born: "8 Nov. 1807, Dorchestershire, England", died: "1 June 1873, Melbourne, Victoria"
... who'd passed away four years prior to the description of Gulliver's White-eye (1877).

 

[l_raty]

I am trying to track down the talk by Helen Lucas but your link now goes to a dead end. Do you have an alternative?

It probably won't help much more, but the 'wayback machine' of archive.org lets you access a copy of this page:

Discover more Talk – Botanists and Naturalists and their Townsville Gardens – National Trust

web.archive.org