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RESEARCH ARTICLE (Open Access)
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The mysterious Dr Ferdinand von Sommer (~1800–49): Western Australia’s first government geologist

Alexandra Ludewig https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7060-2814 A *
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A School of Humanities, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia.

* Correspondence to: alexandra.ludewig@uwa.edu.au

Historical Records of Australian Science https://doi.org/10.1071/HR24025
Published online: 7 November 2024

© 2024 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing on behalf of the Australian Academy of Science. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND)

Abstract

Dr Ferdinand von Sommer (~1800–49) was the first government geologist appointed in Western Australia, a state that today owes its prosperity largely to the discovery and development of its rich mineral deposits. During his relatively short life, Ferdinand left a trail of incredible and diverse achievements, exploits and mystery that extended across the continents of Europe, Asia, Africa and Oceania during the first half of the nineteenth century. Although his credibility has been challenged and his character maligned—both then and now—this paper aims to showcase his wide-ranging scientific endeavours and contributions, and to present a more complete picture of Ferdinand von Sommer and his legacy.

Keywords: colonialism, Ferdinand von Sommer, geologist, Goethe, Humboldt, John Septimus Roe, naturalist, travel, Western Australia.

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Von Sommer, F. (1826) Systematischer Abriß der Ebenen und Sphärischen Trigonometrie zur Selbsterlernung. Mit 2 Steintafeln [In German], Lucius, Braunschweig.

Von Sommer, F. (1830a) ‘Letter to Royal Society in London’, Cambridge Archive Records, (RGO 14/52 Page: 188r), https://cudl.lib.cam.ac.uk/view/MS-RGO-00014-00052/380

Von Sommer, F. (1830b) ‘Letter to Edward Sabine in Papers on astronomy’, Cambridge Archive Records, (RGO 14/52 Page: 188r), https://cudl.lib.cam.ac.uk/view/MS-RGO-00014-00052/380

Von Sommer, F. (1834) Grundriß der Gesamten reinen Mathematik, mit Besonderer Rücksicht auf den Vorschriftsmäßigen Umfang der Prüfungen zum Partepeefähnrich in der Königlich Preußischen Armee, Entworfen von Dr. F. v. Sommer, Privatdocenten an der Universität zu Berlin. Mit sechs Figurentafeln [In German], Nicolai’sche Buchhandlung, Berlin.

Von Sommer, F. (1837a) Grundriß der Gesamten Reinen Mathematik. Abt. 1: Die Elementarlehre der Arithmetik und Geometrie, mit Besonderer Rücksicht auf den Vorschriftmäßigen Umfang der Prüfung zum Offizier in der Königlich Preußischen Armee. Mit 6 Figurentafeln [In German], Nicolai, Berlin.

Von Sommer, F. (1837b) Grundriß der Gesamten reinen Mathematik. Abt. 2: Die Elementarlehre der Algebra, Ähnlichkeit und Trigonometrie, mit Besonderer Rücksicht auf den Vorschriftmäßigen Umfang der Prüfung zum Offizier in der königlich Preußischen Armee [In German], Nicolai, Berlin.

Von Sommer, F. (1840a) Doctor Ferdinand von Sommer, Advert in the South African Commercial Advertiser, 21 March, reproduced in https://www.s2a3.org.za/joomla/files/archives/2008.pdf

Von Sommer, F. (1840b) ‘Papers despatched to Secretary of State’, London: General Despatches. Application from Dr. F. von Sommer claiming remuneration for his medical attendance during the epidemic in Cape Town in 1840’, in ‘National Archives of South Africa (NASA)’, http://www.national.archsrch.gov.za/sm300cv/smws/sm30ddf0?20240814075118DFA13840&DN=00000020

Von Sommer, F. (1842a) Hegels Philosophie, Widerlegt aus dem Standpunkte des Systems selbst, Dem anderer Philosophen, und dem der Gesunden Vernunft [In German], Hayn, Berlin.

Von Sommer, F. (1842b) Die Laterne, oder vermischte Schriften Eines Wandernden Privat-Docenten [In German], In zwangslosen Heften, Heft 1, Auf Kosten und im Selbstverlage des Verfassers, Berlin.

Von Sommer, F. (1843a) Karl der Zweite, König von England [In German], Morin, Berlin, https://books.google.com.au/books?id=9eqqjTfqtmEC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false

Von Sommer, F. (1843b) Naturgeschichte des Menschlichen Geistes, oder Philosophie des Gesunden Verstandes [In German], zweite Auflage, A. W. Hayn, Berlin.

Von Sommer, F. (1847/48) Exploration Diaries, vol. 4, Battye Library: PR 5441.

Von Sommer, F. (1847a) To the editor of “The Inquirer”, Inquirer (Perth), 15 September, p. 4, https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/65770113

Von Sommer, F. (1847b) Dr. von Sommer’s Report, The Perth Gazette and Western Australian Journal, 23 October, p. 3, https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/647887

Von Sommer, F. (1848a) The late Expedition to Cape Rich, Perth Gazette and Independent Journal of Policies and News, 29 July, p. 3, https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/3170042

Von Sommer, F. (1848b) To the editor of “The Inquirer”, Inquirer (Perth), 8 March, p. 3, https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/65769475

Whitehouse, J. O. (1896) A Register of Missionaries, Deputations, etc. From 1796-1896, London Missionary Society, London, https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=yale.39002056447981&seq=6

Whitley, G. P. (2024) ‘John Lhotsky (1795–1866)’, in ‘Australian dictionary of biography’, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, ACT, https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/lhotsky-john-2357/text3085

Wolfenbüttel Archiv (1831) Investigations against Kaufmann Beins and Dr. phil von Sommer, as well as Dr. phil. Götte and Ludecus for an intended duel. Life span 1831–1834, Col. 2, No. 10.

Wolfenbüttel Archiv (1832) Witwenpension für die Witwe des Majors von Sommer file- 1832, NLA WO, 26 Neu 1, No. 579/70.

Zylstra, B. (2020) Australian geological collecting for international and intercolonial exhibitions 1850–1890, Studies in Western Australian History, 35, 59-74.
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