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Johann George Luehmann (12 May 1843 – 18 November 1904) was an Australian
botanist Botany, also called plant science, is the branch of natural science and biology studying plants, especially Plant anatomy, their anatomy, Plant taxonomy, taxonomy, and Plant ecology, ecology. A botanist or plant scientist is a scientist who s ...
, who served as the Assistant Botanist and, later, as the Curator at the
National Herbarium of Victoria The National Herbarium of Victoria (Index Herbariorum code: MEL) is one of Australia's earliest herbaria and the oldest scientific institution in Victoria. Its 1.56 million specimens of preserved plants, fungi and algae—collectively known ...
, and who also, from 1896, served as the Government Botanist of Victoria.


Family

The son of Johann Christian Lühmann (1818-1890), and Anna Lühmann (1826-), née Lohmann, Johann Georg Lühmann was born in Ostmoorende, Prussia (now Moorende, Jork, Germany) on 12 May 1843. He married Flora Winifred "Dora" Tivey (1854-1882) on 4 June 1881. Flora died on 20 January 1882, one week after delivering a stillborn daughter (on 13 January 1822). He married Maude Isolene Isabel Merchant (1865-1957) at
South Yarra South Yarra is an inner-city suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 4 km south-east of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the Cities of Melbourne and Stonnington local government areas. South Yarra recorded a populati ...
on 16 September 1891. They had five children.


Australia


1863

Luehmann emigrated to Australia in 1863, arriving in
Melbourne Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...
in the White Star ship ''Queen of the South'' on 8 August 1863. He was one of a number of influential German-speaking residents such as Ludwig Becker, Hermann Beckler, William Blandowski,
Amalie Dietrich Koncordie Amalie Dietrich (née Nelle) (26 May 1821 – 9 March 1891) was a Germans, German naturalist who was best known for her work in Australia from 1863 to 1872, collecting specimens for the Museum Godeffroy in Hamburg. Australia Dietrich w ...
,
Wilhelm Haacke Johann Wilhelm Haacke (23 August 1855 – 6 December 1912) was a German zoologist born in Clenze, which is now Lower Saxony, who served as Director of the South Australian Museum in Adelaide from 1882 to 1884. Career He studied zoology at th ...
, Diedrich Henne,
Gerard Krefft Johann Ludwig (Louis) Gerard Krefft (17 February 1830 – 18 February 1881), was an Australian artist, draughtsman, scientist, and natural historian who served as the curator of the Australian Museum for 13 years (1861–1874). He was one of A ...
,
Johann Menge Johannes Menge (4 January 1788 – 1852), is regarded as South Australia's first geologist, though he had no formal qualifications. An early explorer of the new colony, he was influential in the settlement of the Barossa Valley. He has been ca ...
, Carl Mücke (a.k.a. Muecke),
Ludwig Preiss Johann August Ludwig Preiss (21 November 1811 – 21 May 1883) was a German-born British botanist and zoologist. Early life Preiss was born in Herzberg am Harz. He obtained a doctorate, probably at Hamburg, then emigrated to Western Australia. ...
, Carl Ludwig Christian Rümker (a.k.a. Ruemker), Moritz Richard Schomburgk, Richard Wolfgang Semon, Karl Theodor Staiger, George Ulrich,
Eugene von Guérard Johann Joseph Eugene von GuérardHis first name is variously spelled "Eugen", "Eugene", "Eugène", one source mentions "Jean" (instead of "Johann"); his surname is spelled "Guerard" or "Guérard". The most frequent combination is that used by t ...
, Robert von Lendenfeld,
Ferdinand von Mueller Baron Sir Ferdinand Jacob Heinrich von Mueller, (; 30 June 1825 – 10 October 1896) was a German-Australian physician, geographer, and most notably, a botanist. He was appointed government botanist for the then colony of Victoria, Australia ...
, Georg von Neumayer, and Carl Wilhelmi who brought their "epistemic traditions" to Australia, and not only became "deeply entangled with the Australian colonial project", but also were "intricately involved in imagining, knowing and shaping colonial Australia" (Barrett, et al., 2018, p.2). In 1895 he was the president of "The German Club of Victoria" (''Deutschen Vereins von Victoria'').


Assistant Botanist: National Herbarium of Victoria

In 1867, following the resignation of von Mueller's secretary, Ernst Bernard Heyne, Luehmann was appointed as the assistant to
Ferdinand von Mueller Baron Sir Ferdinand Jacob Heinrich von Mueller, (; 30 June 1825 – 10 October 1896) was a German-Australian physician, geographer, and most notably, a botanist. He was appointed government botanist for the then colony of Victoria, Australia ...
at the
National Herbarium of Victoria The National Herbarium of Victoria (Index Herbariorum code: MEL) is one of Australia's earliest herbaria and the oldest scientific institution in Victoria. Its 1.56 million specimens of preserved plants, fungi and algae—collectively known ...
in Melbourne; and remained in the position until 1896.


Field Naturalists Club of Victoria

He was a foundation member (on 17 May 1880) of the
Field Naturalists Club of Victoria The Field Naturalists Club of Victoria (FNCV) is an Australian natural history and conservation organisation. The club is the oldest of its kind in Australia and is unique in having existed continuously since its foundation. Since its founding, ...
, and served as its vice-president from 1899 to 1901.


Curator: National Herbarium of Victoria

Leuhmann was appointed Curator of the National Herbarium of Victoria following the death of
Ferdinand von Mueller Baron Sir Ferdinand Jacob Heinrich von Mueller, (; 30 June 1825 – 10 October 1896) was a German-Australian physician, geographer, and most notably, a botanist. He was appointed government botanist for the then colony of Victoria, Australia ...
on 10 October 1896.


Government Botanist of Victoria

A short time after von Mueller's death, Luehmann was appointed Victorian Government Botanist.


Publications

* Reliquiæ Muellerianæ: Descriptions of New Australian Plants in the Melbourne Herbarium, ''The Victorian Naturalist'' (1896-1897): *
Luehmann, J.G., (1896a), "''Acacia tysonii'', ", ''The Victorian Naturalist'', Vol.13, No.8, (November 1896), pp.111-112.
*
Luehmann, J.G., (1896b), "''Acacia cuthbertsonii'', ", and "''Acacia palustris'', ", ''The Victorian Naturalist'', Vol.13, No.9, (December 1896), pp.117.
*
Luehmann, J.G., (1897a), "''Eucalyptus torquata'', ", ''The Victorian Naturalist'', Vol.13, No.11, (February 1897), pp.117.
*
Luehmann, J.G., (1897b), "''Eucalyptus corrugata'', ", ''The Victorian Naturalist'', Vol.13, No.12, (March-April 1897), pp.168.

Luehmann, J.G. (1898a), ''A Short Dichotomous Key to the Hitherto Known Species of Eucalyptus'', Melbourne: Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science.

Luehmann, J.G. (1898b), "Observations on ''Xerotes sororia'', ", ''The Victorian Naturalist'', Vol.14, No.10, (10 February 1898), pp.147-148.

Luehmann, J.G. (1898c), "Description of a new Australian labiate plant (''Hemigenia macphersoni'', )", ''The Victorian Naturalist'', Vol.15, No.2, (9 June 1898), p.20.

Luehmann, J.G. (1898d), "Some Observations on Pre-Linnean Botanists", ''The Victorian Naturalist'', Vol.15, No.5, (8 September 1898), pp.50-58.

Luehmann, J.G. (1901), "Description of a New Lobelia from Western Australia (''Lobelia toppii'', )", ''The Victorian Naturalist'', Vol.17, No.9, (10 January 1901), p.169.


Death

He died, after a short illness, at his
South Yarra South Yarra is an inner-city suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 4 km south-east of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the Cities of Melbourne and Stonnington local government areas. South Yarra recorded a populati ...
residence on 18 November 1904, and was buried at the
Melbourne General Cemetery The Melbourne General Cemetery is a large (43 hectare) necropolis located north of the city of Melbourne in the suburb of Carlton North. The cemetery is notably the resting place of five Prime Ministers of Australia, more than any other ...
on 19 November 1904.


Legacy


Luehmann Street

Luehmann Street, one of the original streets in Page, Australian Capital Territory was named after him in 1969."Australian Capital Territory: National Memorials Ordinance 1928-1959: Division of Page", ''Commonwealth of Australia Gazette'', No.96, (Thursday, 20 November 1969), pp.6935-6938.
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Species

Species named in his honour include: * '' Acacia luehmannii, '' * '' Bassia luehmannii, '' * '' Casuarina luehmannii, '' * '' Darwinia luehmannii, '' * '' Eucalyptus luehmanniana, '' * '' Leptospermum luehmannii, '' * '' Phyllota luehmannii, '' * '' Pultenaea luehmannii, '' * '' Rhodobryum luehmannianum, '' * '' Stipa luehmannii, '' * '' Syzygium luehmannii, ''


Notes


References

* Barrett, L., Eckstein, L., Hurley, A.W. & Schwarz A. (2018), "Remembering German-Australian Colonial Entanglement: An Introduction", ''Postcolonial Studies'', Vol.21, No.1, (January 2018), pp.1-5.
Anon (1904), "The Late J.G. Luehmann, F.L.S.", ''The Victorian Naturalist'', Vol.21, No.8, (8 December 1904), pp.108–109.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Luehmann, Johann George 1843 births 1904 deaths German emigrants to Australia 19th-century Australian botanists Fellows of the Linnean Society of London 19th-century Australian public servants Australian curators People from the Colony of Victoria