Person

Helms, Richard (1842 - 1914)

Born
12 December 1842
Altona, Hanover, Germany
Died
17 July 1914
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Occupation
Botanical collector, Naturalist and Bacteriologist

Summary

Richard Helms was naturalist and botanical collector on the Elder Scientific Exploring Expedition 1891 - 1892 during which time he collected many specimens including two as yet unclassified eucalypts. He migrated to Victoria in 1862 and between then and 1888 fluctuated between Australia and New Zealand, employed in occupations as varied a dentist and watchmaker. During this time he became very knowledgeable as a zoologist, collecting many new species of insects and shells, some of which were named after him. After the Elder Scientific Exploring Expedition he was employed as a biologist with the Western Australian Department of Agriculture and Bacteriologist with the New South Wales Department of Mines and Agriculture. The majority of the botanical specimens collected on the Elder Expedition are now in the South Australian Herbarium: over 1,300 of Helms's specimens are in the National Herbarium of Victoria.

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Details

Chronology

1858
Life event - Migrated to Melbourne, Victoria
1888 - 1890
Career position - Collector for the Australian Museum
May 1891 - January 1892
Career event - Naturalist and botanical collector with the Elder Scientific Exploring Expedition to Central Australia
1896 - 1898
Career position - Biologist, Weatern Australian Bureau of Agriculture
1898 - 1899
Career position - Biologist, Western Australia Department of Agriculture
1900 - 1908
Career position - Bacteriologist, New South Wales Department of Mines and Agriculture
1929
Taxonomy event - Eucalyptus helmsii Maiden & Blakely was named in his honour
1936
Taxonomy event - Eucalyptus trivalvis Blakely. Helms collected the type
1936
Taxonomy event - Eucalyptus gongylocarpa Blakely. Helms collected the type

Related Corporate Bodies

Related Events

Archival resources

Adolph Basser Library, Australian Academy of Science

  • Australian Botanists - Biographies, MS 064; Adolph Basser Library, Australian Academy of Science. Details

Mitchell and Dixson Libraries Manuscripts Collection, State Library of New South Wales

  • Richard Helms - Records, 1891, A2575-6; Mitchell and Dixson Libraries Manuscripts Collection, State Library of New South Wales. Details
  • Richard Helms - Records, 1879 - 1887, ML MSS 3839; Mitchell and Dixson Libraries Manuscripts Collection, State Library of New South Wales. Details

Published resources

Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation Exhibitions

Book Sections

Journal Articles

  • Alexander, W. B., 'Obituary: Mr. Richard Helms', Proceedings of the Royal Society of Western Australia, 49 (1914). Details
  • Anon, 'Some early Australian plant collections : Robert Helms and the Elder Expedition collection', Australasian herbarium news, 7 (1951), 10-14. Details
  • Galloway, David J.; and Vitikainen, Orvo, 'Contributions to a history of New Zealand lichenology 4: Richard Helms (1842-1914)', Australasian Lichenology, 73 (2013), 12-44. Details
  • Helms, Richard, 'Anthropology of the Elder Expedition, 1891 - 1892', Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia, 16 (1896), 237-332, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/35803693. Details
  • Lucas, A. M.; and Home, R. W., 'Misleading labels: Richard Helms and the Elder Exploring Expedition', Australasian Systematic Botany Society Newsletter, 174 (2018), 14-8. Details

Resources

See also

  • Fagg, Murray, 'Helms, Richard (1842 - 1914)', Australian Plant Collectors and Illustrators, Council of Heads of Australian Herbaria (CHAH), 2010, https://www.anbg.gov.au/biography/helms-richard.html. Details
  • Feeken, Erwin H. J.; Feeken, Gerda E. E.; and Spate, O. H. K., The discovery and exploration of Australia (Melbourne: Thomas Nelson (Australia), 1970), 318 pp. Details
  • Maiden, J. H., 'Records of Australian botanists (second supplement)', Journal and Proceedings of The Royal Society of New South Wales, 55 (1921), 150-169. Details

Gavan McCarthy [P004098] and Helen Cohn

Created: 20 October 1993, Last modified: 6 October 2023

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