Southern Geographies and the Domestication of Science in the Photography of J.W. Lindt

Abstract

John William Lindt's (I845-1926) photography of his house and garden retreat, The Hermitage, in the Yarra Ranges near Melbourne, attests to contemporary debates on what one contemporary termed the domestication of science : the call for the common man and increasingly, the interested woman to participate first-hand in the scientific study of the natural world, especially the disciplines of botany and geography. Recalling the earlier doctrines of German naturalist Alexander von Humboldt (l769-1859), who linked the botanical geography of southern continents with the development of egalitarian values in art and science and the advancement of modern civilization, Australian protagonists of such ideals coupled field research by the average citizen with the intellectual progress of the colony. We argue that Limit 's Hermitage, which was designed on Humboldtian principles, also became an important site for scientific activities that were intellectually indebted to Humboldtian ideals. In order to show how Lindt's photographic images of The Hermitage and surrounds specifically address contemporary discourses on the access to science by non-professionals, including women, we will focus on Lindt's practical involvement in the Royal Geographical Society of Australasia , including his participation in scientific expeditions to New Guinea and Fiji, and his use of The Hermitage as a base for geographical carnivals and field trips . These images were widely disseminated by Llndt in diverse forms such as stereographs, tourist postcards and in scientific presentations. By these means, Lindt was able to impart to a global audience Humboldtian insights about the botanical abundance of me south and its potential to awaken a comprehension of science and art in the general population of Australia.