Wild, Charles James (1853 - 1923)

Summary

Charles Wild was a joiner by training but was a keen observer of natural history before coming to Queensland in 1883. During his early years he found time to collect natural history specimens, some of which he donated to the Queensland Museum. He found employment with the Museum, initially as an insect collector in 1889. His main collecting areas were in the southeast of Queensland and, between 1890 and 1891, in the region between Cairns and Herberton. Besides insects, Wild collected shells and plants, including bryophytes. The Queensland Museum holds over 800 of his bryophytes, largely from areas which had been poorly collected and which have subsequently been cleared of their native vegetation. Wild remained with the Museum until 1911 and was Acting Director from 1905 to 1910. The moss genus Wildia (family Erpodiaceae) was named in his honour.

Details

Chronology

1883

Life event - Migrated to Queensland

1888 -

Career position - Subscribing Member, Royal Society of Queensland

1889 - 1893

Career position - Insect collector, Queensland Museum

1892 - 1896?

Career position - Member of Council, Natural History Society of Queensland

1893 - 1901

Career position - Messenger, Queensland Museum

1901 - 1905

Career position - Entomologist, Queensland Museum

1905 - 1910

Career position - Acting Director, Queensland Museum

Related entries

Published resources

Journal Articles

• Franks, Andrew J., 'Charles James Wild (1853 - 1923), an ardent collector of Queensland bryophytes', Austrobaileya, 10 (3) (2019), 383-404. Details

See also

• Franks, Andrew J., 'A brief history of bryological exploration in Queensland', Queensland naturalist, 58 (4/6) (2020), 25-47. Details