xiv 



successively assistant superintendent of convict barracks at Hobarton, 

 superintendent of convicts for the northern division of the island, 

 police magistrate, and coroner, first at Circular Head and lastly at 

 Hobarton. 



It was not till 1831 that Mr. Gunn's taste for science was developed, 

 and this was due to the example of a young colonial naturalist of 

 high promise, Mr. William Lawrence, who died within a year after 

 having inoculated his friend with a passion for his own pursuits. Up 

 to this time the natural history of Tasmania, an island as large as 

 Ireland, was known only through the partially published botanical 

 collections of Robert Brown, made at two spots only during Flinders' 

 memorable voyage at the beginning of the century ; with this excep- 

 tion it was both botanically and geologically almost a terra incognita. 

 Provided with introductory letters by Mr. Lawrence to Sir W. 

 Hooker and Dr. Lindley, Mr. Gunn entered into an active corre- 

 spondence with those gentlemen, which he maintained with un- 

 flagging zeal and interest for upwards of a quarter of a century, 

 travelling all over the island, transmitting to England carefully pre- 

 served specimens accompanied with copious notes and descriptions, 

 and receiving in return books, instruments, and appliances whereby he 

 rapidly acquired a good scientific knowledge, especially of the botany 

 of the island, which greatly enhanced the value of his successive 

 collections. 



Mr. Gunn's labours were not confined to botany ; through the 

 above-named friends he was introduced to Dr. J. E. Gray and other 

 officers of the British Museum, to which and to other bodies he con- 

 tributed magnificent collections of mammals, birds, reptiles and 

 mollusca. He further made himself so competent a geologist that he 

 was employed by the Government to report on various public works 

 and on the goldfields, and especially on alleged discoveries of the 

 precious metals. Of his general ability and the confidence reposed in 

 him no higher testimony could be conceived than the fact of his 

 having been in 1864 appointed at the request of the Government of 

 New Zealand, one of three commissioners (the others representing 

 New South Wales and Victoria) for determining the most suitable 

 site for the capital of New Zealand, a quarter of a century after its 

 colonisation ; their inquiries resulted in the unanimous selection of 

 Wellington. 



A man of the energy, ability, and attainments of Mr. Gunn was not 

 likely to escape the notice of such a Governor of the Colony as 

 Sir John Franklin who, almost immediately after his arrival, ap- 

 pointed him to the office of Clerk to the Executive and Legislative 

 Councils, to which Sir John added that of private secretary to 

 himself. Government House became at once a small scientific 

 circle, and a close intimacy sprang up between Mr. Gunn and 



