Canberra: National Library of Australia, 2012. Quarto, colour illustrations, softcover.

This book is an excellent overview of the many naturalists who traversed Australia in search of new plants and animals. Identifying and classifying the unfamiliar plants and animals was their biggest challenge, the early ones were frequently wrong but later naturalists were able to build on and learn from previous mistakes. In time, a new breed of homegrown naturalists emerged. This succession of curious minds would help to foster pride in a developing nation, as well an interest in the preservation of natural history. The text and illustrations bring to life the stories of the naturalists and settlers who made the unfamiliar familiar and who contributed to developments in natural science. Among the names are Joseph Banks, Charles Darwin, Amalie Dietrich, Ludwig Leichhardt, Ferdinand von Mueller, Ellis Rowan, John Lewin and John and Elizabeth Gould. Beautifully illustrated with images from the collection of the National Library of Australia this book is a tribute to the colonial naturalist.