Gerard Krefft: A singular man

Abstract

The life of Gerard Krefft, artist and second in command of the expedition to the Murray River, provides rich opportunity for reflection. This paper highlights the more memorable events of Krefft’s personal life as well as his scientific achievements and how he helped bring Australian science to the notice of the world. Krefft had remarkable zoological and ethnographic abilities and many scientific achievements are attributable to his efforts. He was critical of Blandowski and later won international recognition for his scientific work and for the Australian Museum. However, conflicts with the Museum Trustees came to a head in 1875 and Krefft was forcibly removed in tragic circumstances. His dismissal, the inquiry, the court case and personal life are examined through a combination of published sources and personal letters.