Joseph Maiden facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Joseph Henry Maiden
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| Born | 25 April 1859 St. John's Wood, England
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| Died | 16 November 1925 (aged 66) Turramurra, New South Wales
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| Nationality | British |
| Awards | Imperial Service Order Linnean Medal in 1915 Clarke Medal of the Royal Society of New South Wales in 1924 |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | botany |
| Institutions | Royal Society |
| Influenced | William Blakely |
| Author abbrev. (botany) | Maiden |
Joseph Henry Maiden (born April 25, 1859 – died November 16, 1925) was an important botanist. A botanist is a scientist who studies plants. Joseph Maiden greatly helped us understand the plants of Australia, especially a group of trees called Eucalyptus. When other scientists mention his work, they use the short name Maiden to show he was the one who described the plant.
Early Life and Career
Joseph Maiden was born in London, England. He started studying science at the University of London. However, he became unwell and was advised to take a long sea trip to feel better. So, in 1880, he sailed to New South Wales, Australia.
In 1881, Joseph Maiden became the first curator of the Technological Museum in Sydney. A curator is someone who manages a collection, like in a museum. He stayed there until 1896. During this time, he became very interested in Australia's native plants.
Sadly, his first collection of plants was destroyed in a fire in 1882. But he didn't give up! He started a new collection. This new collection became the basis for his first book, The Useful Native Plants of Australia, published in 1889. In this book, he thanked another famous botanist, Ferdinand von Mueller, for his help.
Contributions to Botany
Joseph Maiden's career grew quickly. In 1890, he became a plant expert for the Department of Agriculture. In 1896, he was made the Government Botanist and Director of the Botanic Gardens in Sydney. This was a very important job!
In this role, he created New South Wales' first herbarium. A herbarium is like a library for dried plant specimens. He also helped set up a museum, a library, and Sydney's first playground.
He wrote many important books about Australian plants:
- The Flowering Plants and Ferns of New South Wales (started in 1895)
- Forest Flora of New South Wales (published between 1904 and 1924)
- Illustrations of New South Wales Plants (started in 1907)
Joseph Maiden became the leading expert on two important Australian plant groups: Acacia (also known as wattles) and Eucalyptus (gum trees). He wrote about 45 scientific papers. His most famous work was an eight-volume series called A Critical Revision of the Genus Eucalyptus. This huge work was a main reference for over 50 years! He even convinced the artist, Margaret Flockton, to delay her retirement to finish the amazing illustrations for this book.
Maiden also had other interests. He worked on stopping sand erosion and promoted growing wattle trees for the tanning industry (which uses plant materials to make leather). He also studied how to control or use prickly pear, a type of cactus that had become a pest.
He was involved in many scientific and historical groups, like the Royal and Linnean societies of New South Wales. He also taught about plants and forests at the University of Sydney.
Later Life and Legacy
Joseph Maiden retired in 1924 and passed away in Sydney in 1925.
To honor his great work, a type of eucalyptus tree was named after him: Eucalyptus maidenii. He also received a special award called the Imperial Service Order in 1916 for his public service.
See also
- List of Australian plant species authored by Joseph Maiden
- Margaret Flockton, who drew many of the plants for Joseph Maiden's books.
