BHL Australia
@bhl-au.bsky.social
Digitising Australia's biodiversity heritage literature to provide free #openaccess online (the Australian branch of @biodivlibrary.bsky.social; a collaboration with the Atlas of Living Australia @csiro.bsky.social).
These images appear in J. D. Hooker’s work after the Transit of Venus expedition to Kerguelen islands in 1874-1875, recounting the species described through all expeditions to date. Hooker himself visited the islands with Ross expedition of 1839-1843.
www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/50570544
www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/50570544
November 11, 2025 at 10:01 PM
These images appear in J. D. Hooker’s work after the Transit of Venus expedition to Kerguelen islands in 1874-1875, recounting the species described through all expeditions to date. Hooker himself visited the islands with Ross expedition of 1839-1843.
www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/50570544
www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/50570544
Happy Marsupial Monday!
We love a #TreeKangaroo, & Bennett’s tree-kangaroo is a special one. With a small range in Northern Qld, this is an elusive creature with a large leap. This image appeared in the 1894 Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London.
www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/30982782
We love a #TreeKangaroo, & Bennett’s tree-kangaroo is a special one. With a small range in Northern Qld, this is an elusive creature with a large leap. This image appeared in the 1894 Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London.
www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/30982782
November 10, 2025 at 3:45 AM
Happy Marsupial Monday!
We love a #TreeKangaroo, & Bennett’s tree-kangaroo is a special one. With a small range in Northern Qld, this is an elusive creature with a large leap. This image appeared in the 1894 Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London.
www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/30982782
We love a #TreeKangaroo, & Bennett’s tree-kangaroo is a special one. With a small range in Northern Qld, this is an elusive creature with a large leap. This image appeared in the 1894 Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London.
www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/30982782
Explore the volume here:
www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/64883512
Contributed by Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria @royalbotanicgardensvic
www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/64883512
Contributed by Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria @royalbotanicgardensvic
October 30, 2025 at 10:08 PM
Explore the volume here:
www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/64883512
Contributed by Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria @royalbotanicgardensvic
www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/64883512
Contributed by Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria @royalbotanicgardensvic
This #FloralFriday we’re feeling a bit spooky—it is Halloween after all!
These images come from “The weeds, poison plants, and naturalized aliens of Victoria” (1909) by Alfred Ewart . The “apple of Sodom”, thorn apple (or jimsonweed) and hemlock are all poisonous.
These images come from “The weeds, poison plants, and naturalized aliens of Victoria” (1909) by Alfred Ewart . The “apple of Sodom”, thorn apple (or jimsonweed) and hemlock are all poisonous.
October 30, 2025 at 10:08 PM
This #FloralFriday we’re feeling a bit spooky—it is Halloween after all!
These images come from “The weeds, poison plants, and naturalized aliens of Victoria” (1909) by Alfred Ewart . The “apple of Sodom”, thorn apple (or jimsonweed) and hemlock are all poisonous.
These images come from “The weeds, poison plants, and naturalized aliens of Victoria” (1909) by Alfred Ewart . The “apple of Sodom”, thorn apple (or jimsonweed) and hemlock are all poisonous.
This #ThreatenedThursday join us in admiring the black-footed tree rat! One of Australia’s endemic rodents, this little critter is found in northern Australia. Vulnerable throughout its range, this rodent—also known as Djintamoonga—is endangered in the NT.
www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/49706007
www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/49706007
October 29, 2025 at 10:23 PM
This #ThreatenedThursday join us in admiring the black-footed tree rat! One of Australia’s endemic rodents, this little critter is found in northern Australia. Vulnerable throughout its range, this rodent—also known as Djintamoonga—is endangered in the NT.
www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/49706007
www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/49706007
This #MarsupialMonday we’re pleased to bring another common possum to the fore: the common brushtail possum, or 𝘛𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘶𝘴 𝘷𝘶𝘭𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘢—aka the possum you’ve most likely heard on your roof or seen ravaging your fruit trees.
www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/53742445
www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/53742445
October 26, 2025 at 10:42 PM
This #MarsupialMonday we’re pleased to bring another common possum to the fore: the common brushtail possum, or 𝘛𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘶𝘴 𝘷𝘶𝘭𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘢—aka the possum you’ve most likely heard on your roof or seen ravaging your fruit trees.
www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/53742445
www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/53742445
Do you love insects? Then you’ll love “An epitome of the natural history of the insects of New Holland, New Zealand, New Guinea, Otaheite, and other islands in the Indian, Southern, and Pacific oceans”, or "Donovan’s Epitome of the insects of New Holland"!
www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/52221720
www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/52221720
October 26, 2025 at 12:01 AM
Do you love insects? Then you’ll love “An epitome of the natural history of the insects of New Holland, New Zealand, New Guinea, Otaheite, and other islands in the Indian, Southern, and Pacific oceans”, or "Donovan’s Epitome of the insects of New Holland"!
www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/52221720
www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/52221720
Weekends are for lounge #lizards!
We love “The Lizards of Australian and New Zealand in the collection of the British Museum” 🦎 by British zoologist John Edward Gray with lithographs by Charles Joseph Hullmandel.
➡️ www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/64095425
Via Museums Vic
We love “The Lizards of Australian and New Zealand in the collection of the British Museum” 🦎 by British zoologist John Edward Gray with lithographs by Charles Joseph Hullmandel.
➡️ www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/64095425
Via Museums Vic
October 25, 2025 at 4:49 AM
Weekends are for lounge #lizards!
We love “The Lizards of Australian and New Zealand in the collection of the British Museum” 🦎 by British zoologist John Edward Gray with lithographs by Charles Joseph Hullmandel.
➡️ www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/64095425
Via Museums Vic
We love “The Lizards of Australian and New Zealand in the collection of the British Museum” 🦎 by British zoologist John Edward Gray with lithographs by Charles Joseph Hullmandel.
➡️ www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/64095425
Via Museums Vic
We’re hopping with excitement as we wish you a happy #WorldKangarooDay!
This particular Kangaroo is found in George Shaw’s “Naturalist’s Miscelleny,” which was published in instalments from 1789 -1813. This image by Nodder comes from volume one!
www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/59891600
This particular Kangaroo is found in George Shaw’s “Naturalist’s Miscelleny,” which was published in instalments from 1789 -1813. This image by Nodder comes from volume one!
www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/59891600
October 23, 2025 at 10:08 PM
We’re hopping with excitement as we wish you a happy #WorldKangarooDay!
This particular Kangaroo is found in George Shaw’s “Naturalist’s Miscelleny,” which was published in instalments from 1789 -1813. This image by Nodder comes from volume one!
www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/59891600
This particular Kangaroo is found in George Shaw’s “Naturalist’s Miscelleny,” which was published in instalments from 1789 -1813. This image by Nodder comes from volume one!
www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/59891600
It’s #WorldWombatDay!
We’re extremely fond of these marsupials around here and happy for any opportunity to celebrate them. Whether it’s a common wombat, a hairy-nosed wombat or a bare-nosed wombat, we think they’re all neat.
Thus, behold an array of wombat illustrations!
We’re extremely fond of these marsupials around here and happy for any opportunity to celebrate them. Whether it’s a common wombat, a hairy-nosed wombat or a bare-nosed wombat, we think they’re all neat.
Thus, behold an array of wombat illustrations!
October 21, 2025 at 10:00 PM
It’s #WorldWombatDay!
We’re extremely fond of these marsupials around here and happy for any opportunity to celebrate them. Whether it’s a common wombat, a hairy-nosed wombat or a bare-nosed wombat, we think they’re all neat.
Thus, behold an array of wombat illustrations!
We’re extremely fond of these marsupials around here and happy for any opportunity to celebrate them. Whether it’s a common wombat, a hairy-nosed wombat or a bare-nosed wombat, we think they’re all neat.
Thus, behold an array of wombat illustrations!
New this week! Have you ever wondered limnologists get up to? We’ve got answers!
We’re welcoming our newest contributor! We’re pleased to be digitising the bulletins of the Australian Freshwater Sciences Society starting with combined Bulletin No 1 & 2.
www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/65164158
We’re welcoming our newest contributor! We’re pleased to be digitising the bulletins of the Australian Freshwater Sciences Society starting with combined Bulletin No 1 & 2.
www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/65164158
October 20, 2025 at 10:02 PM
New this week! Have you ever wondered limnologists get up to? We’ve got answers!
We’re welcoming our newest contributor! We’re pleased to be digitising the bulletins of the Australian Freshwater Sciences Society starting with combined Bulletin No 1 & 2.
www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/65164158
We’re welcoming our newest contributor! We’re pleased to be digitising the bulletins of the Australian Freshwater Sciences Society starting with combined Bulletin No 1 & 2.
www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/65164158
Did someone say #MarsupialMonday? We present the common ringtail #possum: we especially love a prehensile tail! With a large range up and down Australia’s east coast, they have a healthy population but are not as widespread as the common brushtail possum.
www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/14299886
www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/14299886
October 19, 2025 at 10:42 PM
Did someone say #MarsupialMonday? We present the common ringtail #possum: we especially love a prehensile tail! With a large range up and down Australia’s east coast, they have a healthy population but are not as widespread as the common brushtail possum.
www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/14299886
www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/14299886
As you flutter into the weekend, enjoy this illustration by the Scott sisters.
This image accompanies their father’s work “Australian lepidoptera and their transformations” & shows the Papilio sthenelus and the Graphium macleayanus.
www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/35801350
Via Aus museum
This image accompanies their father’s work “Australian lepidoptera and their transformations” & shows the Papilio sthenelus and the Graphium macleayanus.
www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/35801350
Via Aus museum
October 16, 2025 at 10:08 PM
As you flutter into the weekend, enjoy this illustration by the Scott sisters.
This image accompanies their father’s work “Australian lepidoptera and their transformations” & shows the Papilio sthenelus and the Graphium macleayanus.
www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/35801350
Via Aus museum
This image accompanies their father’s work “Australian lepidoptera and their transformations” & shows the Papilio sthenelus and the Graphium macleayanus.
www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/35801350
Via Aus museum
VICTOR!
Are you celebrating the Tawny Frogmouth with us? After being overlooked for so long, this lovely muppet is our Bird of the Year!
Via Gould’s “Birds of Australia” & Mathews’s “The Birds of Australia”
www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/48200504
www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/53451225
Are you celebrating the Tawny Frogmouth with us? After being overlooked for so long, this lovely muppet is our Bird of the Year!
Via Gould’s “Birds of Australia” & Mathews’s “The Birds of Australia”
www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/48200504
www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/53451225
October 16, 2025 at 10:03 AM
VICTOR!
Are you celebrating the Tawny Frogmouth with us? After being overlooked for so long, this lovely muppet is our Bird of the Year!
Via Gould’s “Birds of Australia” & Mathews’s “The Birds of Australia”
www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/48200504
www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/53451225
Are you celebrating the Tawny Frogmouth with us? After being overlooked for so long, this lovely muppet is our Bird of the Year!
Via Gould’s “Birds of Australia” & Mathews’s “The Birds of Australia”
www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/48200504
www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/53451225
This week our BHL Australia collection surpassed 700,000 pages! A huge thank you to the 64 Australian orgs who've allowed us to upload their collections online, and to #AtlasofLivingAustralia for funding @bhl-au.bsky.social and to #MuseumsVictoria for hosting our national digitisation lab.
🧪 📖 🌱 🌏 🦘
🧪 📖 🌱 🌏 🦘
October 13, 2025 at 12:28 AM
This week our BHL Australia collection surpassed 700,000 pages! A huge thank you to the 64 Australian orgs who've allowed us to upload their collections online, and to #AtlasofLivingAustralia for funding @bhl-au.bsky.social and to #MuseumsVictoria for hosting our national digitisation lab.
🧪 📖 🌱 🌏 🦘
🧪 📖 🌱 🌏 🦘
Happy #MarsupialMonday! We’re digging the #MarsupialMole this week.
Marsupial moles are still quite mysterious to us—field studies have not been abundant. They dig through sand, but beyond their terrain we don't yet know much about their life underground.
www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/15044017
Marsupial moles are still quite mysterious to us—field studies have not been abundant. They dig through sand, but beyond their terrain we don't yet know much about their life underground.
www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/15044017
October 12, 2025 at 10:42 PM
Happy #MarsupialMonday! We’re digging the #MarsupialMole this week.
Marsupial moles are still quite mysterious to us—field studies have not been abundant. They dig through sand, but beyond their terrain we don't yet know much about their life underground.
www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/15044017
Marsupial moles are still quite mysterious to us—field studies have not been abundant. They dig through sand, but beyond their terrain we don't yet know much about their life underground.
www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/15044017
It’s #WorldAlgaeDay! What better day to celebrate the work of Irish phycologist William Henry Harvey. These images are drawn from the first volume of Harvey’s “Phycologia Australica”. To compile his works, Harvey travelled the world collecting specimens.
www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/3809423
www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/3809423
October 12, 2025 at 12:01 AM
It’s #WorldAlgaeDay! What better day to celebrate the work of Irish phycologist William Henry Harvey. These images are drawn from the first volume of Harvey’s “Phycologia Australica”. To compile his works, Harvey travelled the world collecting specimens.
www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/3809423
www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/3809423
We love a menagerie!
William Saville-Kent’s “The Great Barrier Reef of Australia” is a trove of photographs & vibrant lithographs. Tumbling all these echinoderms together creates a kaleidoscopic effect that reflects the biodiversity present on the reef!
www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/10698195
William Saville-Kent’s “The Great Barrier Reef of Australia” is a trove of photographs & vibrant lithographs. Tumbling all these echinoderms together creates a kaleidoscopic effect that reflects the biodiversity present on the reef!
www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/10698195
October 11, 2025 at 12:07 AM
We love a menagerie!
William Saville-Kent’s “The Great Barrier Reef of Australia” is a trove of photographs & vibrant lithographs. Tumbling all these echinoderms together creates a kaleidoscopic effect that reflects the biodiversity present on the reef!
www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/10698195
William Saville-Kent’s “The Great Barrier Reef of Australia” is a trove of photographs & vibrant lithographs. Tumbling all these echinoderms together creates a kaleidoscopic effect that reflects the biodiversity present on the reef!
www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/10698195
Happy #SquidAndCuttlefishDay!
We love checking in on McCoy’s “Prodromus of the zoology of Victoria” for images like these of the Australian giant cuttlefish. These images don’t, however, capture the cuttlefish’s ability to change colour & patterns quickly.
www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/5220064
We love checking in on McCoy’s “Prodromus of the zoology of Victoria” for images like these of the Australian giant cuttlefish. These images don’t, however, capture the cuttlefish’s ability to change colour & patterns quickly.
www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/5220064
October 9, 2025 at 10:08 PM
Happy #SquidAndCuttlefishDay!
We love checking in on McCoy’s “Prodromus of the zoology of Victoria” for images like these of the Australian giant cuttlefish. These images don’t, however, capture the cuttlefish’s ability to change colour & patterns quickly.
www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/5220064
We love checking in on McCoy’s “Prodromus of the zoology of Victoria” for images like these of the Australian giant cuttlefish. These images don’t, however, capture the cuttlefish’s ability to change colour & patterns quickly.
www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/5220064
Tonight we observe #NautilusNight!
This image features the Nautilus pompilius which can be found near reefs in Australia as well as in sites in Micronesia and Japan. The beauty of their shells puts them at risk: they are threatened due to overfishing.
www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/40430192
This image features the Nautilus pompilius which can be found near reefs in Australia as well as in sites in Micronesia and Japan. The beauty of their shells puts them at risk: they are threatened due to overfishing.
www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/40430192
October 8, 2025 at 10:23 PM
Tonight we observe #NautilusNight!
This image features the Nautilus pompilius which can be found near reefs in Australia as well as in sites in Micronesia and Japan. The beauty of their shells puts them at risk: they are threatened due to overfishing.
www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/40430192
This image features the Nautilus pompilius which can be found near reefs in Australia as well as in sites in Micronesia and Japan. The beauty of their shells puts them at risk: they are threatened due to overfishing.
www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/40430192
We’re back on the Ross Expedition to meet the Leopard Seal!
Expect to find more leopard seals in the Antarctic than in Australia—they are pagophilic—but vagrants do stray north into Southern Australian waters.
www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/6957532
Contributed by to BHL by MBLWHOI library
Expect to find more leopard seals in the Antarctic than in Australia—they are pagophilic—but vagrants do stray north into Southern Australian waters.
www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/6957532
Contributed by to BHL by MBLWHOI library
October 7, 2025 at 10:01 PM
We’re back on the Ross Expedition to meet the Leopard Seal!
Expect to find more leopard seals in the Antarctic than in Australia—they are pagophilic—but vagrants do stray north into Southern Australian waters.
www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/6957532
Contributed by to BHL by MBLWHOI library
Expect to find more leopard seals in the Antarctic than in Australia—they are pagophilic—but vagrants do stray north into Southern Australian waters.
www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/6957532
Contributed by to BHL by MBLWHOI library
Happy #WorldOctopusDay!
Alongside the Octopus Furvus, this illustration shows the Octopus Tetricus—the common Sydney octopus or “Gloomy” octopus. This octopus ranges along the eastern coastline of Australia and can also be found in Northern New Zealand.
www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/32033245
Alongside the Octopus Furvus, this illustration shows the Octopus Tetricus—the common Sydney octopus or “Gloomy” octopus. This octopus ranges along the eastern coastline of Australia and can also be found in Northern New Zealand.
www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/32033245
October 7, 2025 at 6:43 AM
Happy #WorldOctopusDay!
Alongside the Octopus Furvus, this illustration shows the Octopus Tetricus—the common Sydney octopus or “Gloomy” octopus. This octopus ranges along the eastern coastline of Australia and can also be found in Northern New Zealand.
www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/32033245
Alongside the Octopus Furvus, this illustration shows the Octopus Tetricus—the common Sydney octopus or “Gloomy” octopus. This octopus ranges along the eastern coastline of Australia and can also be found in Northern New Zealand.
www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/32033245
New this week! Among our recent uploads to BHL are the 1953-1955 volumes of the “Records of the South Australian Museum”. Included here is the introduction of the spotted stingaree to the scientific record by Trevor Scott in 1954.
www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/65114357
www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/65114357
October 6, 2025 at 10:02 PM
New this week! Among our recent uploads to BHL are the 1953-1955 volumes of the “Records of the South Australian Museum”. Included here is the introduction of the spotted stingaree to the scientific record by Trevor Scott in 1954.
www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/65114357
www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/65114357
We’re hopping into #MarsupialMonday to appreciate the agile #wallaby 𝘕𝘰𝘵𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘤𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘶𝘴 𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘴. A resident of Australia’s north, this wallaby can also be found in southern New Guinea.
www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/62576010
Contributed to BHL Australia by Museums Victoria
www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/62576010
Contributed to BHL Australia by Museums Victoria
October 6, 2025 at 1:31 AM
We’re hopping into #MarsupialMonday to appreciate the agile #wallaby 𝘕𝘰𝘵𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘤𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘶𝘴 𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘴. A resident of Australia’s north, this wallaby can also be found in southern New Guinea.
www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/62576010
Contributed to BHL Australia by Museums Victoria
www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/62576010
Contributed to BHL Australia by Museums Victoria
We love “Harmonia ruralis” by #JamesBolton (1735-1799), an English naturalist & illustrator. Here focuses on the songbirds of Britain and their nests and eggs. His primary interest was fungi, but this late work was popular enough to be reprinted.
➡️ www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/63894402
➡️ www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/63894402
October 5, 2025 at 12:33 AM
We love “Harmonia ruralis” by #JamesBolton (1735-1799), an English naturalist & illustrator. Here focuses on the songbirds of Britain and their nests and eggs. His primary interest was fungi, but this late work was popular enough to be reprinted.
➡️ www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/63894402
➡️ www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/63894402