AUSTRALASIAN BEE MANUAL 3 



therefore, to the practice of bee-culture in any of those 

 regions was the introduction of bees from the Old 

 World, an operation which was attended with almost 

 insuperable difficulties sixty or seventy years ago. 



I have already placed on record in previous editions 

 of this Manual all particulars with regard to the 

 landing of the first bees in Australia and New Zealand, 

 to which I must refer those who may be particularly 

 interested in the matter. I will now briefly give the 

 dates, and the names of those responsible for their 

 introduction into this part of the world. 



The common, or black bee, was introduced into New 

 South Wales from England in April, 1822, by Captain 

 Wallace, of the ship Isabella. It is pretty certain 

 that Italian bees were also introduced into that State in 

 1862, but I have not been able to obtain a sufficiently 

 reliable confirmation of this. So far as I have been 

 able to ascertain, Victoria, South Australia, and 

 Queensland were furnished with common bees from 

 the parent Colony — New South Wales. Dr. Wilson, 

 R.N., introduced the common bee into Tasmania (rom 

 New South Wales in 1831, and Mr. T. L. Hood, of 

 Hobart, has the credit of landing the first Italian bees 

 in Tasmania, which were brought from the same 

 colony. 



Mr. Chas. Fullwood, then of Brisbane, brought 

 Italian bees with him from England in 1880, and this, 

 no doubt, was the first successful attempt made to 

 establish this variety in Australia. 



New Zealand is indebted to the' late Miss Bumby, 

 sister of one of the early Missionaries, for the first of 

 the common bees, which she brought with her from 

 England in the ship James. They were landed at 

 Mangunga, Hokianga, on March i3,th, 1839. Others 

 were subsequently brought from England, and New 

 South Wales, in the year 1842. The first Italian bees 

 were landed in Auckland from California, to the order 

 of Mr. J. H. Harrison, then of Coromandel, and to 

 the Author in 1880. In 1883 I imported Italians 

 (direct from Italy), Swiss Alpine, Syrians, Holy- 

 landers, Cyprians, and Carniolan bees. 



