John Gilbert (naturalist)

John Gilbert (14 March 1812 – 28 June 1845) was an English naturalist and explorer.

John Gilbert was born on 14 March 1812 in Newington Butts, south London, England and was christened on 25 October 1812 at Spa Fields Lady Huntingdons, Clerkenwell, London. His father was William and his mother Ann, who were from nearby villages in Kent.

Gilbert was a taxidermist for the Zoological Society of London, where he met John Gould. Gould had recruited Gilbert, four years his junior, to work there. But 18 months later, Gilbert was sacked for being absent without leave.

Gilbert travelled to Australia in 1838 with the Goulds and their young nephew Henry William Coxen. Gilbert was paid 100 pounds per annum plus expenses, but he was expected to account meticulously for every penny and to keep his expenses as small as possible. Gould and Gilbert reached Hobart on the Parsee on 19 September 1838. Both worked in Tasmania for a few months.

The party landed in Hobart, Tasmania in September, and in January, Gilbert and Gould traveled overland together to Launceston. Suddenly, Gould decided they should separate, and sent Gilbert off on 4 February 1839 to the Swan River Colony, assuring him that he would look after all his personal possessions which were still in Hobart. Gilbert was instructed to collect as many specimens as possible, then meet up again in Sydney, where Gould would wait for him until the end of April the following year. He worked mostly in the vicinity of Perth, gathering specimens for Gould for 11 months.

Meanwhile, Gould returned to Hobart, where his wife Elizabeth awaited him. They lived in style with their servants in Government House. Taking one servant with him, Gould visited New South Wales and was made welcome by his wife's family, the Coxens and other wealthy landlords. He returned to Hobart just in time for the birth of his seventh child (a son they named Franklin Tasman). Almost immediately, Gould set off again, this time for South Australia, where he met the Governor and accompanied Charles Sturt on his expedition to the Murray Scrubs. When he returned to Hobart, the Goulds travelled together to New South Wales, where Elizabeth's brothers lived. Gould collected many birds and mammals, some of which were new to science. The Goulds left for England on 9 April.

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