Person
Von Sommer, Ferdinand (c. 1800 - 1849)
- Born
- c. 1800
Netherlands - Died
- 23 June 1849
Atapeopoe (Atapupu), Timor - Occupation
- Geologist and Mineralogist
Summary
Ferdinand von Sommer had a varied and peripatetic career that encompassed lecturer and teacher, poet, missionary, medical practitioner and geologist. Initially he studied mathematics under Carl Gauss at Göttingen, followed by a period teaching mathematics and nautical science at the university in Berlin and studying medicine in Jena. Between 1839 and 1842 he spent short periods as missionary in India and general practitioner in South Africa. He was again teaching in Berlin during the winter semester of 1842-3. In September 1845 von Sommer arrived in South Australia. During his brief time in the colony he worked for several months at a copper mining venture in the Clare Valley. By January 1847 he was in Western Australia, where he found employment with the Western Australian Mining Company before being appointed Government Geologist. He made several surveying journeys, sending reports to the government that commented on the potential for farming and mineral exploitation. Von Sommer left was in August 1948 for Batavia.
Details
Chronology
- 1822
- Education - MPhil, University of Göttingen
- 1840
- Career event - Established medical practice in Cape Town, South Africa
- 1842 - 1843
- Career event - Teaching, University of Berlin
- September 1845
- Life event - Arrived in South Australia
- October 1845 - February 1846
- Career event - Worked at the Burra Burra Copper Mine, Clare Valley, South Australia
- July 1846
- Career event - Registered to practice medicine in South Australia
- January 1847
- Life event - Arrived in Western Australia
- February 1847 - September 1847
- Career position - Geologist, Western Australian Mining Company
- September 1847 - August 1848
- Career position - Government Geologist, Colony of Western Australia
- August 1848
- Life event - Left Western Australia
Related entries
Published resources
Journal Articles
- Glover, J., 'The enigmatic history of Ferdinand von Sommer, our first government geologist: a preliminary account', West Australian geologist, 450 (2005), 8-10. Details
- Ludewig, Alexandra, 'The mysterious Dr Ferdinand von Sommer (~1800 - 1849): Western Australia's first government geologist', Historical records of Australian science, 36 (2024), 19, https://doi.org/doi.org/10.1071/HR24025. Details
- Von Sommer, F., 'Dr. von Sommer's Report', Perth gazette and Western Australian journal (1847), 3, https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/647887. Details
- Von Sommer, F., 'The late expedition to Cape Rich', Perth gazette and independent journal of policies and news (1848), 3, https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/3170042. Details
Helen Cohn
Created: 15 April 2025