Wales. The book included 65
despite his keen interest in the native
White was subjected to enormous
engravings produced from specimens flora and fauna, like many
strain and applied for leave to return
sent by White and depicting ‘non
Europeans, White found the
to England in December 1792. He
descript animals, birds, lizards,
unfamiliar Australian landscape
continued, however, to collect
serpents, curious cones of trees and
forbidding, and ‘so hateful as only to
specimens, and was assigned the
other natural curiosities’. Readers
merit execration and curses’.
services of a convict artist, Thomas
were introduced to a melange of
Watling. Many of the animals he
bizarre species from the faraway
In time, the young colony became
collected were destined to be
colony, including a blue-tongue
threatened with famine, and White
described by George Shaw, of the
lizard. White sent two
British Museum. This
specimens of the
partnership was
Common Blue-tongue
responsible for unveil-
back to England.
ing such creatures as
THREATENED WITH FAMINE
Originally described
the Jacky Dragon,
as the ‘Skinc-formed
Skink
FISHING Copper-tailed
Lizard’ with a
and Broad-tailed
binomial name of
Gecko.
EVERY SECOND NIGHT
Lacerta scincoides,
this species, now obviously known
was among those who volunteered to In recognition of his services, John
as Tiliqua scincoides, still bears the
assist by fishing every second night
White was given a land grant of 100
annotation of; White, 1790.
(he includes a drawing of the hooks
acres which now forms part of the
Unfortunately, somewhere along the
used in his book). The arrival of the
suburb of Petersham. White Bay in
line, a degree of licence was taken,
Second Fleet, in June 1790, placed
Sydney continues to bear his name.
as the plate for this species clearly
considerable additional strain on
Eventually his application for leave
depicts eggs, and the legend notes
resources, in particular since many
was granted, and he set sail for
‘eggs’ and ‘the egg as broken’.
convicts arrived seriously ill. A
England on December 17, 1794. He
further crisis was negotiated when
never returned to the colony that
White’s journal was the first publica- the Third Fleet landed in 1791. At
remained so indebted to him, and
tion to concern itself with Australian
one stage, a total of approximately
died in Worthing in 1832, aged 75.
natural history, and was extremely
600 newly-arrived convicts required
successful; it was later translated into medical treatment, and 436 died in
several languages. Interestingly, and
1792 alone.
‘With the young colony
, White
volunteered to assist by
.’
Interestingly, the plate depicting a Common Blue-tongue,
drawn from specimens collected by John White, also shows
‘eggs’ and ‘eggs as broken’.