Johnston Drummond
Encyclopedia
Johnston Drummond was an early settler of Western Australia
who became a respected botanical
and zoological
collector.
The son of botanist James Drummond
, Johnston Drummond was born in County Cork
, Ireland
in 1820. Among his brothers were James
, who would become a Member of the Western Australian Legislative Council
, and John Nicol Drummond
, first Inspector of the Native Police. An uncle, Thomas, accompanied Sir John Franklin
in his explorations into the Northwest Territories
of Canada
in 1819-22.
In 1829 the Drummond family emigrated to the Swan River Colony
in what is now Western Australia, arriving on board the Parmelia
on 1 June. Johnston Drummond spent much of his early life helping his father and brothers run their farm at their grant
on the Swan River
. Later the family relocated to Toodyay
, where Johnston was again involved in running the farm.
Johnston Drummond developed a taste for botanical and zoological collecting from his father. By the age of fifteen he was making collections of native seeds for sale at Cape Town
, and he also sold a collection of seeds to George Fletcher Moore
, who sent them on to James Mangles. In 1839 he joined his father on a journey up the Salt River
, making a collection of bird and mammal skins, and he later sold a collection of bird skins to Ludwig Preiss
.
In 1841, Johnston Drummond joined an expedition in search of good squatting land to the east of their land at Toodyay. The expedition, which included James Drummond Snr and Samuel Pole Phillips under the command of Captain John Scully
, discovered the vast tract of open pastoral
land that is now known as the Victoria Plains.
Johnston Drummond made a number of other collecting expeditions, accompanying his father and the naturalist John Gilbert
on an expedition to the Wongan Hills
in early 1842, and later that year making an expedition to the Moore River
, during which he collected the first specimen of the Black Kangaroo Paw, Macropidia fuliginosa. Over the next two years he made a number of collecting expeditions while engaged as a collector for John Gould
, including a major expedition to King George Sound
and along the south coast as far as Cape Riche
.
In 1844, a severe recession placed the Drummond family in severe financial debt, and the family farm was lost. Johnston Drummond and his father began planning to make their entire living from collecting, discussing going to South Australia
or India
, but nothing came of it.
In the winter of 1845, Johnston Drummond discovered that a native named Kabinger had been stealing sheep. He warned Kabinger away from the station, and in response Kabinger threatened to spear him. On 4 July, Johnston Drummond went on a short journey to collect specimens, taking with him a number of natives including Kabinger's wife, with whom Drummond was apparently sleeping. In the middle of the night of 13 July, Kabinger appeared and drove two spears through Johnston Drummond's body. Drummond died shortly afterwards. Kabinger slept at the campsite that night, and took his wife away the next morning. He was shot dead by Drummond's brother John
a few weeks later.
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
who became a respected botanical
Botany
Botany, plant science, or plant biology is a branch of biology that involves the scientific study of plant life. Traditionally, botany also included the study of fungi, algae and viruses...
and zoological
Zoology
Zoology |zoölogy]]), is the branch of biology that relates to the animal kingdom, including the structure, embryology, evolution, classification, habits, and distribution of all animals, both living and extinct...
collector.
The son of botanist James Drummond
James Drummond (botanist)
James Drummond was a botanist and naturalist who was an early settler in Western Australia.-Early life:...
, Johnston Drummond was born in County Cork
County Cork
County Cork is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and is also part of the province of Munster. It is named after the city of Cork . Cork County Council is the local authority for the county...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
in 1820. Among his brothers were James
James Drummond (Australian politician)
James Drummond was an early settler in Western Australia, and a Member of the Western Australian Legislative Council from 1870 to 1873.Born in 1814, most probably in Cork, Ireland, James Drummond was the son of botanist James Drummond...
, who would become a Member of the Western Australian Legislative Council
Western Australian Legislative Council
The Legislative Council, or upper house, is one of the two chambers of parliament in the Australian state of Western Australia. Its central purpose is to act as a house of review for legislation passed through the lower house, the Legislative Assembly. It sits in Parliament House in the state...
, and John Nicol Drummond
John Drummond (Australian settler)
John Nicol Drummond was an early settler in Western Australia. He became the colony's first Inspector of Native Police, and helped to explore the Champion Bay district before becoming one of the district's pioneer pastoralists....
, first Inspector of the Native Police. An uncle, Thomas, accompanied Sir John Franklin
John Franklin
Rear-Admiral Sir John Franklin KCH FRGS RN was a British Royal Navy officer and Arctic explorer. Franklin also served as governor of Tasmania for several years. In his last expedition, he disappeared while attempting to chart and navigate a section of the Northwest Passage in the Canadian Arctic...
in his explorations into the Northwest Territories
Northwest Territories
The Northwest Territories is a federal territory of Canada.Located in northern Canada, the territory borders Canada's two other territories, Yukon to the west and Nunavut to the east, and three provinces: British Columbia to the southwest, and Alberta and Saskatchewan to the south...
of Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
in 1819-22.
In 1829 the Drummond family emigrated to the Swan River Colony
Swan River Colony
The Swan River Colony was a British settlement established in 1829 on the Swan River, in Western Australia. The name was a pars pro toto for Western Australia. In 1832, the colony was officially renamed Western Australia, when the colony's founding Lieutenant-Governor, Captain James Stirling,...
in what is now Western Australia, arriving on board the Parmelia
Parmelia (barque)
The Parmelia was a barque that was used to transport the first civilian officials and settlers of the Swan River Colony to Western Australia in 1829....
on 1 June. Johnston Drummond spent much of his early life helping his father and brothers run their farm at their grant
Land grants in the Swan River Colony
The Swan River Colony, established in June 1829, was the only British colony in Australia established on the basis of land grants to settlers. Under the conditions stipulated by the Colonial Office, settlers would be granted land in proportion to the value of assets and labour that they brought to...
on the Swan River
Swan River (Western Australia)
The Swan River estuary flows through the city of Perth, in the south west of Western Australia. Its lower reaches are relatively wide and deep, with few constrictions, while the upper reaches are usually quite narrow and shallow....
. Later the family relocated to Toodyay
Toodyay, Western Australia
Toodyay is a town located in the Wheatbelt region in the Avon Valley, 85 km north-east of Perth, Western Australia. Toodyay is connected to Perth via both rail and road.-History:...
, where Johnston was again involved in running the farm.
Johnston Drummond developed a taste for botanical and zoological collecting from his father. By the age of fifteen he was making collections of native seeds for sale at Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
, and he also sold a collection of seeds to George Fletcher Moore
George Fletcher Moore
George Fletcher Moore was a prominent early settler in colonial Western Australia, and "one [of] the key figures in early Western Australia's ruling elite"...
, who sent them on to James Mangles. In 1839 he joined his father on a journey up the Salt River
Salt River (Western Australia)
Salt River is a saline river system in south-west Western Australia. It arises from a chain of salt lakes in the vicinity of Corrigin, flowing northward nearly to Bruce Rock then west and south-west past Quairading, before discharging into the Yenyening Lakes northeast of Brookton...
, making a collection of bird and mammal skins, and he later sold a collection of bird skins to Ludwig Preiss
Ludwig Preiss
Johann August Ludwig Preiss was a German-born British botanist and zoologist.Preiss was born in Herzberg am Harz, Germany. He obtained a doctorate, probably at Hamburg, then emigrated to Western Australia...
.
In 1841, Johnston Drummond joined an expedition in search of good squatting land to the east of their land at Toodyay. The expedition, which included James Drummond Snr and Samuel Pole Phillips under the command of Captain John Scully
John Scully
John Scully may refer to:*John Scully , American Roman Catholic priest and President of Fordham University*John Scully *John Scully *Iceman John Scully, American boxer*John Sculley, former Apple CEO...
, discovered the vast tract of open pastoral
Pastoralism
Pastoralism or pastoral farming is the branch of agriculture concerned with the raising of livestock. It is animal husbandry: the care, tending and use of animals such as camels, goats, cattle, yaks, llamas, and sheep. It may have a mobile aspect, moving the herds in search of fresh pasture and...
land that is now known as the Victoria Plains.
Johnston Drummond made a number of other collecting expeditions, accompanying his father and the naturalist John Gilbert
John Gilbert (naturalist)
John Gilbert was an English naturalist and explorer.Gilbert's birthday is 14 March, but the year is not known, estimates range from 1810 to 1815.He came from New Zealand to Australia in 1838....
on an expedition to the Wongan Hills
Wongan Hills, Western Australia
Wongan Hills is a town in the Shire of Wongan-Ballidu, in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia. The town is approximately 182 km north of the State capital Perth, at an altitude of 286 metres....
in early 1842, and later that year making an expedition to the Moore River
Moore River (Western Australia)
Moore River is a river in the Wheatbelt of Western Australia.The headwaters of the river near Walebing and flow westerly before joining with the Moore river East near Mogumber then flow in a Westerly direction...
, during which he collected the first specimen of the Black Kangaroo Paw, Macropidia fuliginosa. Over the next two years he made a number of collecting expeditions while engaged as a collector for John Gould
John Gould
John Gould was an English ornithologist and bird artist. The Gould League in Australia was named after him. His identification of the birds now nicknamed "Darwin's finches" played a role in the inception of Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection...
, including a major expedition to King George Sound
King George Sound
King George Sound is the name of a sound on the south coast of Western Australia. Located at , it is the site of the city of Albany.The sound covers an area of and varies in depth from to ....
and along the south coast as far as Cape Riche
Cape Riche, Western Australia
Cape Riche is a cape and rural locality in the Great Southern region of Western Australia. By road, it is 525 km south-east of Perth and 123 km north-east of Albany...
.
In 1844, a severe recession placed the Drummond family in severe financial debt, and the family farm was lost. Johnston Drummond and his father began planning to make their entire living from collecting, discussing going to South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
or India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, but nothing came of it.
In the winter of 1845, Johnston Drummond discovered that a native named Kabinger had been stealing sheep. He warned Kabinger away from the station, and in response Kabinger threatened to spear him. On 4 July, Johnston Drummond went on a short journey to collect specimens, taking with him a number of natives including Kabinger's wife, with whom Drummond was apparently sleeping. In the middle of the night of 13 July, Kabinger appeared and drove two spears through Johnston Drummond's body. Drummond died shortly afterwards. Kabinger slept at the campsite that night, and took his wife away the next morning. He was shot dead by Drummond's brother John
John Drummond (Australian settler)
John Nicol Drummond was an early settler in Western Australia. He became the colony's first Inspector of Native Police, and helped to explore the Champion Bay district before becoming one of the district's pioneer pastoralists....
a few weeks later.