March, 1929 
The Queensland Naturalist 
13 
ROWLAND ILLXDGE. 
On Tuesday, February 19th, 1929, the Queensland 
Field Naturalists’ Club lost one of its most worthy mem- 
bers — one who had worked continuously since its incep- 
tion — Mr. Rowland Illidge, who passed peacefully away, 
in his naturalist home — ‘‘Alcyone” — by the river, in his 
seventy-ninth year. 
He was one of the sons of Rowland Illidge, a well- 
known Brisbane business man, who died in January, 
1907, aged 83. The subject of this obituary notice was 
born in the Brixton district, near London, but when only 
about 7 years of age, voyaged with the family in the Gov- 
ernor Moreton to Sydney, remaining there (at Newtown) 
for about two years. On arrival here, R. Illidge, sent*.,, 
and his children resided at Milton, and young “Rowly” 
attended the old Brisbane Normal School, attaining there 
such proficiency that shortly after the boys’ section of 
the Petrie Terrace School was opened (March 1868), II. 
Illidge was appointed its first pupil teacher, a post that 
he held until the end of 1876, when he resigned.* 
Early association with the Department of Public 
Instruction rendered Illidge long mindful of its interests. 
Thus, in 1906, in furtherance of the work of the classes 
formed in various State Schools for Nature Study, he 
displayed insects at an exhibition of Natural History 
Specimens at the Technical College. This had reference 
to seasonal dimorphism in butterflies. 
Again at a camp of 40 State School teachers, held at 
Stradbroke Island under the auspices of the Nature* 
Lovers’ League of the Queensland Field Naturalists / 
Club, in January, 1927, Mr. Illidge was present as an in- 
structor in Entomology. 
After leaving the Department of Public Instruction, 
he joined the railway service, doing duty at Miles. Then, 
leaving the Government service, he became associated 
successively with the South Brisbane Insurance Co. and 
the Commercial Union Assurance Co., with which bodies 
he saw service for some twenty-five years. 
On the marriage of our friend in March, 1885, he 
took up his abode on the right bank of the Brisbane River 
at Bulimba, near to where C. Coxen, first curator of the 
Queensland Museum, resided, introducing native trees 
♦ In May, 1918, he attended the Golden Jubilee of that 
pioneer educational institution in Queensland as an honoured 
guest, reading its first roll-call' on that occasion. 
