... lyrebird...The Iconic Lyrebird...Drawing: Superb Lyrebird, Menura novaehollandia, from 'An account of the English colony in New South Wales, from its first settlement in January 1788 to August 1801'...Certain birds captured the imagination of Europeans from the moment of their arrival. With its impressive plumage and remarkable knack for mimicry, it’s not difficult to see why the Superb lyrebird, Menura novaehollandiae was a popular choice ...
Natural science collections are vast treasure troves of biological data which inform current research and conservation.
Alongside bird skins, nests, eggs and DNA samples sits a magnificent collection of rare books, illustrations and images which charts the history of amateur and professional ornithology in Victoria.
Whilst the big names such as John Gould (1804–1881), are represented, the very local, independent bird observers such as John Cotton (1801-1849) and Archibald James Campbell (1853–1929) made some of the most enduring contributions.
The collections also document the bird observers themselves; their work in the field, building collections, their efforts to publish and the growth of their ornithological networks. Captured within records are changes in ornithological methods, particularly the way data is captured and published.
However the data itself remains as relevant today as it did when first recorded, 160 years of collecting gives us a long-term picture of birdlife in Victoria through space and time.
