RS58 James Backhouse: correspondence The Royal Society of Tasmania Library Collection : University of Tasmania Library Special and Rare Collections
Level 5, Morris Miller Library, Sandy Bay Campus, University of Tasmania Tasmania Australia 7005 Telephone: +613 6226 2243 Email: RSTLibrary.Collections@utas.edu.au http://www.utas.edu.au/library/research/special-and-rare-collections
2020-05-28 Generated by Access to Memory (AtoM) 2.6.1 2026-03-07 15:29 UTC English James Backhouse: correspondence RS58 1831-1838 37 files The Royal Society of Tasmania Library Collection : University of Tasmania Library Special and Rare Collections
Level 5, Morris Miller Library, Sandy Bay Campus, University of Tasmania Tasmania Australia 7005 Telephone: +613 6226 2243 Email: RSTLibrary.Collections@utas.edu.au http://www.utas.edu.au/library/research/special-and-rare-collections
James Backhouse

James Backhouse was a naturalist and Quaker missionary of Darlington, and later, York, England. In 1831 he sailed for Australia, accompanied by George Washington Walker (1800-1859), with the financial support of the London Yearly Meeting. They arrived in Hobart in February 1832 and from then until their departure from Australia in 1838 they visited most of the scattered settlements throughout Australia. They spent three years in Van Diemens Land where they visited the penal settlements, reported to Lieut.-Governor Arthur on conditions and made suggestions for improvement of the prisons, chain gangs, assigned servants etc. They also encouraged the formation of benevolent services, such as the Ladies Committees for visiting prisoners on Elizabeth Fry's model, inspected hospitals and recommended humane treatment for the insane, as well as distributing religious tracts and school books. In 1833 they established a Monthly Meeting of the Society of Friends in Hobart and in 1834 the Hobart Yearly Meeting. In 1837 they bought property for a Meeting House in Hobart. JamesBackhouse also collected many botanical specimens and continued to correspond with the Tasmanian Society and the Royal Society. After his return to England, Backhouse published an account of his journeys as "A Narrative of a Visit to the Australian Colonies" (London, 1843). For more information see : http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/backhouse-james-1728

Published

The correspondence consists of letters addressed to James Backhouse and his companion relating to their missionary journey. Most are from people in official positions thanking the missionaries for their work, acknowledging books and reports, replying to requests for information or offering introductions, help and hospitality and also some discussion of religious matters and references to botany in which James Backhouse was interested.

Presented to the Royal Society of Tasmania by A.J. Crosfield, 1933.

2020

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 Index to RS58

Published

Index to RS58 - James Backhouse: correspondence