> [!cite] BHL link: this entry starts at [page 229](https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/33259733) of TL-2 Suppl. VII > Author links: [IPNI](https://www.ipni.org/a/12499-1) LSID 12499-1, [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3281581) QID Q3281581 > Support pages: [[Abbreviations|abbreviations]], [[Layout key|layout key]], [[Cite TL-2|cite TL-2]] > [!example] See also [[Fitzgerald, Robert Desmond|first entry]] for this author ### Author \* Fitzgerald \[FitzGerald\], Robert David (1830-1892), Irish-born Australian botanist, artist, ornithologist and taxidermist, born 30 Nov 1830 in Tralee (Co. Kerry), studied civil engineering, Queen's College, Cork, Ireland, emigrated to Australia 1856, Deputy Surveyor General of New South Wales 1873, Chief Mining Surveyor 1874-1882, retired 1887, F.L.S. 1874, Royal Society New South Wales 1876, received a number of awards for his work on orchids, died 13 Aug 1892 at Hunter's Hill, Sydney. **Abbreviated name**: *Fitzg.* \[standard form in IPNI: *Fitzg.*\] #### Note Confusion persists concerning both his surname (1) Fitzgerald vs. FitzGerald, and (2) his Christian names, Robert David vs. Robert Desmond. His grandson and namesake (1902-1987), a well-known Australian poet, cited him as Robert David FitzGerald. However, Fitzgerald would be the more usual form of the surname in Ireland. Records of Univ. College, Cork (formerly Queen's College, Cork), give his full name as Robert David Fitzgerald, junior; his father being Robert David Fitzgerald. He matriculated at Queen's College on 21 Oct 1851. E. Charles Nelson (pers. comm.) also has a record of him matriculating at Trinity College, Dublin, on 1 Jul 1847. In neither college is there a record of his graduation. The former school only has him matriculating in the Faculty of Engineering. Robert David Fitzgerald also is easily confused with Robert Desmond Fitzgerald (1914-1990), a Canadian botanist. #### Herbarium and types [[Collection BM|BM]], [[Collection MEL|MEL]], [[Collection NMW|NMW]]. – Mss. materials in [[Collection MEL|MEL]]; orig. drawings (ca. 92) of Australian orchids in Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales and (ca. 5) in Natl. Herb., Botanic Gardens Sydney; and mss. notes and drawings in the Natl. Library of Australia (Sydney). Also, some corr. with C. Darwin in Mitchell Library. #### Bibliography and biography ADB(2) 4: 178-179 (as "FitzGerald, Robert David"); APN p. 202 (as "Desmond (David))"; Backer p. 650; Barnhart 1: 547 (as "Desmond"); BB p. 109 (as "David"); Blunt ed. 2: 312 (as "Douglas"); BM 2: 580 (as "Douglas"); BN p. 173; Bossert p. 127; CSP 9: 878 (as "R.D."), 12: 240 (as "Douglas"), 15: 3 (as "D\[ouglas\]."); Desmond p. 224 (as "David"), ed. 2: 249 (as "David"); GFB p. 56; Herder p. 287; Hist. Coll. BMNH p. 148 (as "David"); Hortus 3: 1193 (as "Desmond"); IH 2: 199 (as "David"); Jackson p. 399; Kew 2: 277; NI 2: 60 (as "David"); Portr. 3: 432 (as "David"); TL-1: 154 (as "Desmond"); TL-2/1: 841-842 (as "Desmond"); Zander ed. 17: 947 (as "Desmond (David)"). #### Biofile - Anon., Sydney Mail (Illus. Suppl.) \[newspaper\] 3 Sep: \[p. 2\]. 1892. (n.v.); Gard. Chron., ser. 3, 12: 405. (1 Oct) 1892; Proc. Linn. Soc. London 1892-1893: 23. 1892 (as "Douglas"); Victorian Naturalist 9: 75-76. 1892. - Betts, J., 1975. Orchadian 5(2): 10-12. (as "Robert David") (n.v.) - Campbell, W.S., 1924. Daily Telegraph (Sydney) \[newspaper\] 10 Mai: 13. (n.v.) - Deane, H., 1896. Proc. Linn. Soc. New South Wales 21: 827. \[re. posthumous publ. final part *Austral. orch.*\] - \[Engelmann, W.\], 1891. Botanisches Adressbuch: 152. - Erickson, R., 1965. Orchids of the West, ed. 2: 48-49, 64. (as "R.D.") - George, A., 2006. Arch. Nat. Hist. 33(2): 351-353. \[unpubl. illustrs. by RDF for Bentham, *Fl. austral.*\] - George, A. & C. Jordan, 1993. Voices: Quart. J. Natl. Library Australia 3(1): 92-106. (n.v.) - Gilbert, L.A., 1971. Botanical investigation of New South Wales 1811-1880, Ph.D. Thesis, Univ. of New England. Vol. 2: 624; Id. 3: 6. - \[Lankester, E.R.\], 1904. History colls. natural hist. depts. British Museum 1: 289. - Maiden, J.H., 1908. J. & Proc. Roy. Soc. New South Wales 42: 102. (portr., *pl. 12*) - Messmer, C.A., 1932. Victorian Naturalist 48: 233-242. (as "Robert David") - Messmer, P.R., 1943. Victorian Naturalist 59: 152. \[argues "FitzGerald" is correct\] - Miller, B.E., 1943. Victorian Naturalist 59: 209 \[argues "Fitzgerald" is correct\] - Mueller, F.J.H., 1892. J. Bot. 30: 320. - Norton, J., 1901. Proc. Linn. Soc. New South Wales 25: 784-785. - Orchard, A.E., 1999. Hist. syst. botany in Australia. *In*, Fl. Australia, ed. 2, 1: 44. - Phillips, S., 1990. J. Native Orchid Soc. S. Austral. 14(4): 36. (as "Robert Desmond") (n.v.) - Reinikka, M.A., 1972. A history of the orchid: 236-240 (portr.) (as "David"); 1995. Id., 236-240. (portr.) (as "David") - Rogers, R.S., 1911. An Introduction to the Study of South Australian Orchids, Adelaide (R.E.E. Rogers Govt. Print.), ed. 2: 51-52. (portr.) - Rupp, H.M.R., 1943. Victorian Naturalist 59: 177. \[argues "Fitzgerald" is correct\] - Rupp, H.M.R., 1952. Austral. Orchid Rev. 17: 22-23. - St. George, I., 1988. Orchids New Zealand 14: 85-86. (as "Robert Desmond") - White, C.T., 1940. Austral. Orchid Rev. 5: 111. - Willis, J.H., 1943. Victorian Naturalist 60: 2. \[notes corr. signed as "FitzGerald"\] - Willis, J.H. et al., 1986. Res. Notes W. Austral. Herb. 12: 35. #### Note *Austral. orch.*... \[1875\]-1882\[-1894\], 2 vols. (TL-2/1, nr. 1799). *Ref*.: Rupp, H.M.R., N. Queensland Naturalist 8(60): 3-4. 1939. - Rupp, H.M.R., Proc. Linn. Soc. New South Wales 69: 274-278. 1944. - *Note*: (1) The publication information (in TL-2/1: 842) is not repeated here \[except that quoted in square brackets below\]. The new information concerns only vol. 2, parts 3-5 (at US), utilizing the printing dates in or on the volumes. Note that a date on a plate, as opposed to one on the t.p., is the date that particular plate was printed, not the date of the publication or the date the plate was issued, which still may be obscure. - Vol. 2, part 3: \["Mar 1888 (1886)?"\] Dec 1888. The cover is dated Dec 1888, the publication date reported by Nissen. As pointed out by L. Garay (in litt.), it was reviewed about three months later in Gard. Chron. 5: 299. 9 Mar 1889. - Vol. 3, part 4: \["Mar 1888"\] post Mai 1891, date on the plate of *Dendrobium speciosum*. - Vol. 3, part 5: \["1894"\] post Jun 1893, date on plate of *Phaius grandifolius*. - *Facsimile reprint*: 1977-1979, Australian orchids... with introductory notes by J.J. Betts & Robert D. FitzGerald (grandson of author 1902-1987). "Limited to 350 copies, numbered and signed..." - Vol. 1, parts 1-7:... Melbourne (Lansdowne Editions) 1977. Fol. (elephant)... - Unpaginated \[388 p.\], 72 lvs. of plates (mostly col.). *Copies*: K (n.v.), MO, NY (n.v.). - Vol. 2, parts 1-5:... Melbourne (Landsdowne Editions) 1979. Fol. (elephant)... - Unpaginated \[268 p.\], 46 lvs. of plates (mostly col.). *Copies*: K (n.v.), MO, NY (n.v.). - *Note*: (2) In 2006, a complete copy of *Austral. orch.* was offered by Antiquariaat Junk (Cat. 285) for €12.000.