Henry Dresser Atkinson Explained

Henry Dresser Atkinson (1841–1921, fl. 1860–1890)^[1] was an Australian clergyman and amateur naturalist, active in Tasmania around the late nineteenth century.

Atkinson lived at Stanley and Evandale, Tasmania, and made collections of specimens around Circular Head. Atkinson was born in Selby, Yorkshire, England, to Reverend Henry Atkinson, Vicar of Barmby and headmaster at the Read School, Drax. He entered Magdalene College, Cambridge, in 1860, and graduated in 1863.^[2] His brother Edwin Dresser Atkinson became a geologist and fossil collector.^[3] He was the father of Henry Brune Atkinson (1874–1960), also a clergyman with an interest in natural history, who was borne by his wife Sarah Ann, née Ward, and said to have been wet nursed by Truganini.^[4] He produced a short book titled Jottings of Tasmanian bird-life (1888?), which contained commentary from W. V. Legge; the date of the book is inferred from a reference within the text to the earlier work of Philip Sclater.^[5]

Atkinson served on the biological consultation committee of the Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science, his works included leading the contributions to the sixth report of the committee, a "List of Vernacular Names for Australian Birds" in 1898.^[6] He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Tasmania in 1870.^[7] Known as a collector of molluscs, he furnished many shells to Julian Tenison-Woods,^[8] who named the species Scissurella atkinsoni after him.^[9] He died in Hobart on 26 June 1921, aged 80, and was buried in Cornelian Bay Cemetery.^[10]

Further reading

• Jetson . Tim . 'Things of Native Worth and Beauty': The Environmental Attitudes of HD Atkinson . Tasmanian Historical Studies . 2006 . 11 . 28–40 . en.

Notes and References

1. Karg . Anita T. . Hunt Institute Collection of Biographical Sketches Relating to Australian Botany . Taxon . 1974 . 23 . 4 . 613–618 . 10.2307/1218788. 1218788 .
2. News: Rev. H. D. Atkinson, B.A.. The Examiner. 27 June 1921. 4.
3. Web site: Henry Dresser Atkinson – biography . www.anbg.gov.au . 29 October 2018 . en . citing: George, A.S. (2009) Australian Botanist's Companion, Four Gables Press, WA..
4. Herbert H. Condon, 'Atkinson, Henry Brune (1874–1960)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, published first in hardcopy 1979, accessed online 29 October 2018.
5. Web site: Atkinson . Henry Dresser . Jottings of Tasmanian bird-life . NLA catalogue . [publisher not identified] . 29 October 2018 . 1888.
6. Atkinson . Reverend H. . Henry Dresser Atkinson . Campbell . A. J. . Archibald James Campbell . No. 6. List of Vernacular Names for Australian Birds . Report of the Seventh Meeting of the Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science . 1898 . 7 . 1898 . 145 . . Sydney . en . Report of the committee, consisting of the Rev. H. Atkinson, Dr. R. H. Perks, Colonel Legge, F.L.S., M.B.O.U., Messrs. Barnard, A. Zietz, M. S. Clark, A. Morton, F.L.S., A. J. Campbell, F.L.S., C. W. De Vis, M.A., F. Cheeseman, F.L.S., A. J. North, F.L.S., and H. Thorpe, Professors W. Baldwin Spencer, M.A., F. W. Hutton, F.R.S., T. J. Parker, F.R.S., Sir James Hector, F.R.S., and Dr. E. C. Stirling, F.R.S", (Secretary). [Drawn up by Messrs. A. J. Campbell, C. W. De Vis, Colonel Legge, and Dr. Stirling.].
7. Book: Report of the Royal Society of Tasmania for the Year 1869. 1870. Hobart. 75.
8. R. M. . Johnston. Provisional aid to the study of the Tasmanian Mollusca . Papers and Proceedings of the Royal Society of Tasmania. 1890.
9. Geiger . Daniel L. . Jansen . Patty . New species of Australian Scissurellidae (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Vetigastropoda) with remarks on Australian and Indo-Malayan species . Zootaxa . 2004 . 714 . 1–72 . 10.11646/zootaxa.714.1.1 . free .
10. News: The World. 29 June 1921. Late Rev. H. D. Atkinson Burial at Cornelian Bay. 2.