Morning Tea at the Bower – Celebrating 120 Years of the Queensland Naturalists’ Club, Sat 18 April from 10am to 1pm

Details

April 2026 marks 120 years of The Queensland Naturalists’ Club. Please join us at The Bower for a cup of tea/coffee, light refreshments and birthday cake.

Come and meet some of your fellow Club members for a catchup and reminisce. Family and friends are welcome but please, register to attend so we can cater appropriately.

The entire collection of The Queensland Naturalist and most of the past newsletters will be available for viewing and reading.

In more recent years QNC has embraced modern technology with regards to species observations and recording.

Greg Neill will be there with his laptop so if you have any questions regarding eBird or iNaturalist databases, Greg will be happy to help (as best as he can!).

Excerpts below taken from “A Hundred Years of Natural History in Queensland through the life of the Queensland Naturalists’ Club”

Written by E.N. Marks and J.W. Cribb Qld Nat. 44(1-3) 2006

Editors of the Centenary Issue of The Queensland Naturalists’ Club were Alan B. Cribb, Joan W. Cribb and Peter F. Woodall.

The original article will be reprinted in full in the 2026 Edition of The Queensland Naturalist to be published later this year.

On 6 April 1906 the inaugural meeting of the Queensland Field Naturalists’ Club was held.

There were 50 foundation members. From its foundation, our club has been an important force in the study of natural history in Queensland.

One of the strengths of the Club has been its scientific basis. Past Presidents and council members have included many professional scientists.

Association with the Queensland museum and the Queensland Herbarium have been close.

Since its inception the Club has had a strong emphasis on excursions and field studies.

At first, half-day or full-day excursions were held. Gradually camps and extended excursions were added.

The Club Journal, The Queensland Naturalist, was first produced in 1908. It has provided a valuable record of excursions and observations which are a great resource in conservation causes.

To commemorate the life and work of C.T. White, a renowned Queensland Government Botanist (1917-1950), the Club in 1952 inaugurated the C.T. White Lecture, given annually by distinguished lecturers, with the lecture published in The Queensland Naturalist. The Club has changed its name twice. From the Field Naturalists’ Club, it became The Queensland Naturalists’ Club and Nature-lovers League in 1922 and finally in 1949, The Queensland Naturalists’ Club.