Ronald Campbell Gunn

Ronald Campbell Gunn, FRS, (4 April 1808 – 13 March 1881) was a South African-born Australian botanist and politician.

Gunn was born at Cape Town, Cape Colony, (now South Africa), the son of William Gunn, lieutenant in the 72nd Regiment, and his wife Margaret, née Wilson. Gunn accompanied his father to Mauritius, the West Indies, and Scotland where he was educated. Gunn was given an appointment in the Royal Engineers at Barbados, but left there in 1829 to go to Van Diemen’s Land (now Tasmania), where he obtained the position of superintendent of convict barracks at Hobart Town.

In 1830 Gunn became superintendent of convicts for North Tasmania at Launceston. In 1831 Gunn became acquainted with an early Tasmanian botanist, Robert William Lawrence (1807–1833), who encouraged his interest in botany and placed him in touch with Sir William Jackson Hooker and Dr Lindley, with whom he corresponded for many years. In 1836 Gunn was appointed police magistrate at Circular Head. From there he visited Port Phillip and Western Port and also traveled much in Tasmania. He became assistant police magistrate at Hobart Town in 1838, and in 1839 private secretary to Sir John Franklin and clerk of the executive and legislative councils. In 1841 he gave up these appointments to take charge of the estates of William Effingham Lawrence, and spent much time investigating the flora of Tasmania. But his interests were not confined to botany; he became a general scientist and made collections of mammals, birds, reptiles and mollusca, for the British Museum.

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