Victorian-era antique book, koala, kangaroo, platypus, wombat. Title: First European Encounters

Exploring Australia’s Extraordinary Animals Through Early European Eyes

Australia’s wildlife has excited explorers and scientists for centuries, its isolation fostering creatures unlike any found elsewhere in the world. Early European visitors were amazed, confused, and often baffled by the strange animals they encountered, leading to both wonder and questions about how such unique creatures came to be.

Early Impressions of a New World

In 1836, during his famous voyage aboard the HMS Beagle, Charles Darwin remarked on the uniqueness of Australia’s animals, musing that it seemed as though “two distinct Creators” had shaped the world’s creatures. The flora and fauna of Australia left Europeans feeling as if they had entered an entirely new realm, unlike anything they had previously known.

Long before Darwin, in 1793, botanist James Edward Smith wrote that Australia’s ecosystem was so unusual that a naturalist “can scarcely meet with any fixed points from whence to draw analogies.” These early encounters with Australia’s wildlife laid the foundation for the scientific exploration that followed.

Kangaroo: The Creature That Leaped Into European Imaginations

Imagine Captain James Cook’s surprise as he witnessed an animal bounding through the Australian scrub, a creature unlike anything seen in Europe. On June 24, 1770, while exploring the east coast of Australia, Cook spotted an animal that jumped like a hare but was as large as a greyhound. This was Europe’s first documented encounter with the kangaroo.

Joseph Banks, a naturalist aboard Cook’s ship, later recounted his amazement when a greyhound chased two kangaroos. The kangaroos “leap’d over the tops” of the grass, using only their two hind legs. Describing this animal in familiar European terms proved challenging, but Banks noted the native name: kanguroo.

The Kongouro from New Holland George Stubbs 1772
The Kongouro from New Holland George Stubbs 1772

The first sketched image of a kangaroo reached Europe in 1773. Artist George Stubbs, using only rough sketches and a stuffed skin, produced a depiction that fascinated the public. Even though the image had inaccuracies, such as oversized ears, Stubbs’s “Kangaroo” dominated European illustrations for the next two decades.

Did you know?
The first European description of a kangaroo was in 1629, by Dutch navigator François Pelsaert, who mistook it for a large cat!

Kangaroo’ John White, Journal of a Voyage to New South Wales, 1790
Kangaroo’ John White, Journal of a Voyage to New South Wales, 1790
Kangaroo George Barrington, The History of New South Wales, 1802
Kangaroo George Barrington, The History of New South Wales, 1802
Kanguroo á bandes’ (François Péron, Voyage des découvertes aux terres australes, 1807-1811
Kanguroo á bandes’ (François Péron, Voyage des découvertes aux terres australes, 1807-1811

Wombats: Australia’s Shy, Stout Digging Machine

Wombats, with their stocky bodies and burrowing habits, eluded European explorers for some time. Their nocturnal nature meant they were first encountered by sailors shipwrecked on Preservation Island in 1797. When explorer Matthew Flinders took a live wombat to Sydney, it survived just six weeks but left an impression. The first published engraving of a wombat, titled “Wombach,” appeared in A General History of Quadrupeds (1800), based on a drawing by Governor John Hunter.

Wombats were known for their calm demeanour. Explorer George Bass once carried a wombat over a mile, comparing it to carrying a child. But the docile creature could become aggressive when provoked, as Bass discovered when the wombat bit off a piece of his jacket.

Wombat David Collins, An Account of the English Colony in New South Wales, Vol. 2, 1802
Wombat David Collins, An Account of the English Colony in New South Wales, Vol. 2, 1802

In Europe, wombats became subjects of extreme fascination for naturalists. By the early 1800s, wombat specimens were making their way to London, often passed among scientific societies for study. John Gould, a renowned ornithologist, eventually documented several species in his 1863 work, The Mammals of Australia.

The Platypus: Nature’s Oddball

When British scientists first encountered the platypus in 1797, they thought it was a hoax. The animal, with the body of a mole and the bill of a duck, was so strange that many assumed it was an elaborate joke – perhaps the work of a clever taxidermist. George Shaw, the naturalist who first described it, believed it was a deception until further specimens confirmed its existence.

Platypus George Shaw, General Zoology, 1800
Platypus George Shaw, General Zoology, 1800

The platypus, with its webbed feet, fur, and egg-laying ability, defied easy classification. Even today, the platypus remains one of the most unusual creatures in the animal kingdom, classified as one of only two species of monotremes, the other being the echidna.

Platypus David Collins, An Account of the English Colony in New South Wales, Vol. 2, 1802
Platypus David Collins, An Account of the English Colony in New South Wales, Vol. 2, 1802.
“ORNITHORHYNCHUS PARADOXUS”
“AN AMPHIBIOUS ANIMAL of the MOLE KIND”
“which inhabits the banks of the fresh-water lagoons in New South Wales; its feet are for swimming. Their hind feet having the claws extending beyond the webbed part are useful in burrowing.”

Over time, the platypus became an icon of Australian wildlife, illustrating the continent’s ability to surprise and confound even the most seasoned naturalists.

Koalas: Slow to Be Discovered, Quick to Be Loved

Koalas, though now widely recognized as a symbol of Australian wildlife, remained hidden from European settlers until 1798. John Price, a servant of Governor John Hunter, first documented the animal, comparing it to a sloth. This comparison influenced early European attempts to classify the koala.

Koala [after John Lewin] Georges Cuvier, The Animal Kingdom, 1827
Koala [after John Lewin] Georges Cuvier, The Animal Kingdom, 1827

The koala finally gained public attention in 1803 when a live specimen and its young were captured and presented to Governor King. The Sydney Gazette’s description highlighted the koala’s pouch and fuzzy fur, sparking interest among scientists. By 1816, French naturalist Georges Cuvier had classified it under the genus Phascolarctos, but it wasn’t until the 19th century that the koala became widely studied and admired.

Old photo: Bush men and dogs koala skins
Bush men and dogs with koala skins

The koala’s soft fur, however, led to large-scale hunting during the 19th century. By the late 1800s, more than 300,000 koala skins were exported to England. Thankfully, modern conservation efforts have helped protect the species, although they remain vulnerable to habitat destruction.

Tasmanian Tiger: The Lost Predator

The Tasmanian tiger, or thylacine, was a formidable marsupial predator first documented by Europeans in 1805. Lieutenant-Governor William Paterson provided the earliest written description after dogs killed a thylacine near a settlement in Tasmania. The animal’s distinct striped back and powerful build made it a unique carnivore in Australia’s ecosystem.

Tasmanian tiger (William Jardine, The Naturalist's Library, Mammalia, 1841
Tasmanian tiger (William Jardine, The Naturalist’s Library, Mammalia, 1841

Throughout the 19th century, the thylacine population suffered due to hunting, habitat loss, and competition with settlers’ livestock. By the early 20th century, sightings were rare, and the last known Tasmanian tiger died in captivity in 1936 at Hobart Zoo.

Despite being declared extinct, thylacine sightings are reported even today, though none have been confirmed. The mystery surrounding the thylacine’s survival has fueled debates and inspired modern attempts at cloning the species.

Did you know?
Over 2,200 bounties were paid for Tasmanian tigers during the 19th century as settlers sought to protect their livestock.

A Legacy of Wonder and Conservation

The early encounters between European explorers and Australia’s wildlife captured the imaginations of people across the globe, laying the groundwork for a rich tradition of scientific study. These unique animals, from the bounding kangaroo to the elusive thylacine, continue to inspire awe and curiosity.

Today, conservation efforts are critical to ensuring the survival of these species. Whether by visiting wildlife sanctuaries, supporting conservation organizations, or simply sharing the stories of Australia’s incredible fauna, we can all play a role in preserving this distinct natural heritage.

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