4 ANNIVERSARY ADDRESS. 



Potsdam, and later on sought the tuition of his famous brother, 

 Sir Robert, who had already distinguished himself in the world 

 of travel, more especially in connection with Baron von Humboldt. 

 One of his chief expeditions was made with his brother Sir Robert 

 in 1840, when the latter went to British Guiana to effect the 

 demarcation of the boundaries of that colony. After his return 

 he took an active part in the political agitation of the time and 

 was eventually compelled to leave the country. In company with 

 his brother Otto he came to South Australia, and at Buchsfelde 

 on the Gawler River, commenced farming and viticulture, resid- 

 ing there for ten years, during portion of which time he was 

 Curator of the Gawler Museum. In 1866 Dr. Schomburgk was 

 offered . and accepted the Directorship of the Adelaide Botanic 

 Gardens, which position he held to the time of his death on the 

 24th March, 1891. With great enthusiasm and his extensive 

 knowledge he succeeded in making the Adelaide Botanic Gardens 

 the admiration of all who saw them. During many years of 

 devotion to Botany he has made for himself a world wide reputa- 

 tion and has contributed many additions to the stores of science. 

 He was the author of various papers on the culture of tobacco, 

 sugar, millet, flax, hemp, beetroot, hops, raisins, almonds, and 

 other plants. His special delight was the study of new plants, 

 and to obtain them he went to great trouble in getting new seeds in 

 exchange for Australian plants, and when his own experiments 

 with them were successful, he would distribute seeds and plants 

 amongst farmers and gardeners in all parts of South Australia, 

 asking only as a return that reports might be sent to him as to 

 the results obtained by the recipients. 



In his private character Dr. Schomburgk made himself beloved 

 by everyone by his simple genuine kind nature. Though possess- 

 ing an extraordinary long list of titles and degrees, conferred upon 

 him by foreign Governments and scientific societies in all parts of 

 the world, he was the most unassuming of men. No one ever 

 applied to him in vain for information even in his busiest hours. 

 Every spare moment was spent in the Museum of Economic Botany 



