Alec Chisholm and the extinction of the Paradise Parrot

McGregor, Russell (2021) Alec Chisholm and the extinction of the Paradise Parrot. Historical Records of Australian Science, 32 (2). pp. 156-167.

[img] PDF (Accepted Publisher Version) - Published Version
Restricted to Repository staff only

View at Publisher Website: https://doi.org/10.1071/HR20019
 
1


Abstract

Rediscovered in 1921 after several decades of feared extinction, the resurrection of the Paradise Parrot was brief. Within a few decades more, the parrot was actually extinct, making it the only mainland Australian bird species known to have suffered that fate since colonisation. This article explores the reasons for the paucity and ineffectuality of attempts to preserve the species in the interwar years. By examining the contemporary state of ornithological knowledge on endangered species and the limited repertoire of conservationist strategies then available, the article extends our understanding of early twentieth-century discourses on avian extinction in Australia. It also offers an assessment of the conservationist efforts of Alec Chisholm, an amateur ornithologist who had a major role in the rediscovery of the Paradise Parrot and in subsequently publicising its plight.

Item ID: 67800
Item Type: Article (Research - C1)
ISSN: 1448-5508
Keywords: Extinction; Paradise Parrot; Alec Chisholm; Australian ornithology
Related URLs:
Copyright Information: (C) Australian Academy of Science 2021
Funders: State Library of New South Wales (SLNSW)
Projects and Grants: SLNSW 2016 David ScottMitchell Fellowship
Date Deposited: 07 Jul 2021 22:35
FoR Codes: 43 HISTORY, HERITAGE AND ARCHAEOLOGY > 4303 Historical studies > 430302 Australian history @ 50%
43 HISTORY, HERITAGE AND ARCHAEOLOGY > 4303 Historical studies > 430307 Environmental history @ 50%
SEO Codes: 13 CULTURE AND SOCIETY > 1307 Understanding past societies > 130703 Understanding Australia’s past @ 100%
Downloads: Total: 1
More Statistics

Actions (Repository Staff Only)

Item Control Page Item Control Page