Historical information

The Victorian Naturalist is a bimonthly scientific journal covering natural history, especially of Australia. It is published by the Field Naturalists Club of Victoria and is received as part of the membership subscription of that club. From 1881, club proceedings and papers had been published in the Southern Science Record and Magazine of Natural History before the first issue of The Victorian Naturalist appeared in January 1884. The journal publishes peer-reviewed research articles, research reports, "Naturalist Notes", and book reviews. The journal was published monthly until 1976, since then it has been published bimonthly. In that period several special issues have been published. These covered particular natural history topics or significant centenaries: of the club (1980), the death of Ferdinand von Mueller (1996), and the establishment of Wilsons Promontory National Park and Mount Buffalo National Park (1998). The journal was abstracted and indexed by Scopus in 1980 and 1984 and from 2008 to 2014. In 2001 there was a special issue on Sir Frederick McCoy, KCMG who was the first president of the club.
Sir Frederick was an Irish paleontologist, zoologist, and museum administrator, active in Australia. He is noted for founding the Botanic Garden of the University of Melbourne in 1856.

Significance

A journal that is still in publication today from it’s original inception in 1881 as part of a membership subscription to the Field Naturalists Club of Victoria. The journal is a significant publication with articles documenting issues and and other subjects relating to the subject of natural history.

Physical description

Two journals of "The Victorian Naturalist" Vol 10 & 11 May 1893 -March 1894
Edited: F G A Barnard
Published: Walker May & Co
Date: 1894

Inscriptions & markings

Label on spine with typed text RA 574.9945 VIC Inside front cover a sticker with
Warrnambool Mechanics Institute and Free Library