Person
Zietz, Friedrich Robert (Robert) (1874 - 1922)
- Born
- 11 October 1874
Kiel, Germany - Died
- 10 April 1922
Adelaide, South Australia, Australia - Occupation
- Museum curator and Ornithologist
Summary
Robert Zietz was an ornithologist who, on joining the Museum of the South Australian Institute, became assistant to his father Amandus. Father and son were often in the field together. Among their important achievements was the almost complete assembly of a Diprotodon skeleton excavated from Lake Callabonna between 1896 and 1901. In 1908 Robert visited the Naracoorte Caves with Edward Stirling, Director of the Museum, to investigate recently-discovered Pleistocene megafaunal fossils. Zietz was recognised as a skilled curator of Museum specimens. By 1909 he had responsibility for the Museum's ornithological collections. To this was added the lizard collections: he published a catalog of Australian lizards in 1920. After Stirling's death Zietz became responsible for the Museum's ethnological material. Like his father, Zietz was a founding member of the South Australian Ornithological Association and served two terms as President. For seven years from its beginning, he was a member of the Editorial Committee of the Association's journal, the South Australian ornithologist.
Details
Chronology
- 1883
- Life event - Migrated to South Australia with his family
- 1891 - 1897
- Career position - Student Apprentice, South Australian Institute Museum
- 1897 - 1919
- Career position - Museum Assistant, South Australian Institute Museum
- 1899 - 1922
- Career position - Foundation Member, South Australian Ornithological Association
- 1904 - 1905
- Career position - Vice-President, South Australian Ornithological Association
- 1905 - 1906
- Career position - President, South Australian Ornithological Association
- 1912 - 1913
- Career position - Vice-President, South Australian Ornithological Association
- 1913 - 1914
- Career position - President, South Australian Ornithological Association
- 1914 - 1921
- Career position - Member, Editorial Committee, South Australian ornithologist
- 1919 - 1922
- Career position - Ornithologist, South Australian Institute Museum
Related entries
Colleague
Parent
Published resources
Journal Articles
- Anon, 'Obituary. Mr. F.R. Zietz, R.A.O.U.', Emu, 22 (1922), 76-7. Details
- Paton, Penelope, 'Amandus Heinrich Christian Zietz (1840-1921) and Friedrich Robert Zietz (1874-1922) - father and son museum ornithologists, part 2', The birder, 277 (2025), i-iv, https://resources.birdssa.au/wp-content/uploads/HIST-SERIES-INSERT-94-for-website.pdf. Details
- Paton, Penelope, 'Amandus Heinrich Christian Zietz (1840-1921) and Friedrich Robert Zietz (1874-1922) - father and son museum ornithologists, part 1', The birder, 726 (2025), i-iv, https://resources.birdssa.au/wp-content/uploads/HIST-SERIES-INSERT-93-for-website.pdf. Details
- Zietz, F. R., 'The avifauna of Melville Island, Northern Territory', South Australian ornithologist, 1 (1) (1914), 11-8, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/103952#page/21/mode/1up. Details
- Zietz, F. R., 'A catalogue of Australian lizards', Records of the South Australian Museum 1:181-228, 1 (3) (1920), 181-228. Details
Helen Cohn
Created: 28 July 2026