orchid odyssey - allegra biggs dale

Allegra and her husband Adrian are owners of the ‘Labillardiere Estate’ which lies at 43 degrees south on Bruny Island, off the southeast coast of Tasmania. The estate is named in honour of Jacques Julien Houtou de Labillardiere, the famous French naturalist. Labillardiere was one of the large scientific team on the expedition commanded by Bruny D’Entrecasteaux in search of La Perouse in 1791-1793.

A ‘Land for Wildlife’ property, Labillardiere Estate consists of 1500 acres of diverse wet and dry schlerophyl forest and coastal heath vegetation. The landscape undulates from Mickey’s Bay on the west spilling into the D’Entrecasteaux Channel, to the enormous Cloudy Bay with the Southern Ocean and its roaring surf to the east of Lighthouse Road, and with its southern border, adjoins the South Bruny National Park .

An Orchidaceae herbarium collection has been established by Allegra to make a contribution to botanical research in Tasmania. Allegra is especially fascinated with the beauty of the islands unique orchids which she originally photographed using a 35mm SLR, macro lens and ring flash, currently she uses a full frame digital SLR. The tiny orchid species, some a mere 25 mm tall, are photographed in the field, thus the task can be somewhat awkward. Approximately 90 orchid species are known to Bruny Island and as such, Allegra’s existing catalogue of 70 species records for the estate will require additional years of dedicated research to complete.

Most Australians are aware of British exploration in Australia, predominately through Cook’s expedition in 1770 with Joseph Banks and Daniel Solander as naturalists. Following the establishment of the colony at Farm Cove, Sydney in 1788, exploration of the new country continued with the voyages of Matthew Flinders and the work of the naturalists Robert Brown and George Caley and others. However, the only knowledge most Australian’s have of the French being here is the brief exchange that occurred between Captain Arthur Phillip on the First Fleet and the La Perouse expedition in Botany Bay in 1788. La Perouse left Botany Bay and was never seen again. In 1791 the French Government sent an expedition under the command of Bruny D’Entrecasteaux in search of La Perouse. The expedition, consisting of two ships, the Recherché and the Esperance, had a team of naturalists including Jacques-Julien Houtou de Labillardiere.

They visited Tasmania, including Bruny Island in 1792 and, after circumnavigating Australia, returned to Tasmania via Western Australia in 1793. Although unsuccessful in its search for La Perouse, the expedition was of considerable scientific importance. Labillardiere collected extensively and in 1804-1807 published Novae Hollandiae Plantarum Specimen, the most comprehensive account of the Australian flora to that time.

Labillardière was born in Alençon, France, on 28 October, 1755 and died in Paris on 8 January 1834. He studied medicine and botany and travelled on collecting trips widely in Europe and the South Seas. He also travelled to England, becoming a correspondent of Joseph Banks. He made the first contact by the expedition with Tasmanian aboriginals in what led to a week of mutual understanding, feasts, music and athletic contest. Labillardiere was a committed Republican and on the return voyage from Australia, whilst in Indonesia, his ship was captured by Royalist forces and his collection of plants and animals was seized. The collection found its way to Britain, then at war with France, and it was only after Banks intervened that it was returned to its owner in Paris.

The French are remembered today mainly through the place names in Western Australia and on the east coast of Tasmania. Names such as Recherché Bay, Bruny Island, Frederick Henry Bay, the Huon River, Esperance, Esperance Bay, Recherché Archipelago and the D’Entrecasteaux Channel. They have also left a rich scientific legacy through their extensive collections and publications.





	Labillardiere Estate Allegra and her husband Adrian are owners of the ‘Labillardiere Estate’ which lies at 43 degrees south on Bruny Island, off the southeast coast of Tasmania. The estate is named in honour of Jacques Julien Houtou de Labillardiere, the famous French naturalist. Labillardiere was one of the large scientific team on the expedition commanded by Bruny D’Entrecasteaux in search of La Perouse in 1791-1793. A ‘Land for Wildlife’ property, Labillardiere Estate consists of 1500 acres of diverse wet and dry schlerophyl forest and coastal heath vegetation. The landscape undulates from Mickey’s Bay on the west spilling into the D’Entrecasteaux Channel, to the enormous Cloudy Bay with the Southern Ocean and its roaring surf to the east of Lighthouse Road, and with its southern border, adjoins the South Bruny National Park . An Orchidaceae herbarium collection has been established by Allegra to make a contribution to botanical research in Tasmania. Allegra is especially fascinated with the beauty of the islands unique orchids which she originally photographed using a 35mm SLR, macro lens and ring flash, currently she uses a full frame digital SLR. The tiny orchid species, some a mere 25 mm tall, are photographed in the field, thus the task can be somewhat awkward. Approximately 90 orchid species are known to Bruny Island and as such, Allegra’s existing catalogue of 70 species records for the estate will require additional years of dedicated research to complete. Labillardiere and the French Explorers in Australia Most Australians are aware of British exploration in Australia, predominately through Cook’s expedition in 1770 with Joseph Banks and Daniel Solander as naturalists. Following the establishment of the colony at Farm Cove, Sydney in 1788, exploration of the new country continued with the voyages of Matthew Flinders and the work of the naturalists Robert Brown and George Caley and others. However, the only knowledge most Australian’s have of the French being here is the brief exchange that occurred between Captain Arthur Phillip on the First Fleet and the La Perouse expedition in Botany Bay in 1788. La Perouse left Botany Bay and was never seen again. In 1791 the French Government sent an expedition under the command of Bruny D’Entrecasteaux in search of La Perouse. The expedition, consisting of two ships, the Recherché and the Esperance, had a team of naturalists including Jacques-Julien Houtou de Labillardiere. They visited Tasmania, including Bruny Island in 1792 and, after circumnavigating Australia, returned to Tasmania via Western Australia in 1793. Although unsuccessful in its search for La Perouse, the expedition was of considerable scientific importance. Labillardiere collected extensively and in 1804-1807 published Novae Hollandiae Plantarum Specimen, the most comprehensive account of the Australian flora to that time. Labillardière was born in Alençon, France, on 28 October, 1755 and died in Paris on 8 January 1834. He studied medicine and botany and travelled on collecting trips widely in Europe and the South Seas. He also travelled to England, becoming a correspondent of Joseph Banks. He made the first contact by the expedition with Tasmanian aboriginals in what led to a week of mutual understanding, feasts, music and athletic contest. Labillardiere was a committed Republican and on the return voyage from Australia, whilst in Indonesia, his ship was captured by Royalist forces and his collection of plants and animals was seized. The collection found its way to Britain, then at war with France, and it was only after Banks intervened that it was returned to its owner in Paris. The French are remembered today mainly through the place names in Western Australia and on the east coast of Tasmania. Names such as Recherché Bay, Bruny Island, Frederick Henry Bay, the Huon River, Esperance, Esperance Bay, Recherché Archipelago and the D’Entrecasteaux Channel. They have also left a rich scientific legacy through their extensive collections and publications.