Frederick Manson Bailey Botanist Date of Birth: 08.03.1827 Country: Great Britain

1. Early Life and Family
2. New Zealand and Seed Trade
3. Botanical Contributions
4. Exploration and Recognition
5. Later Years and Legacy

Early Life and Family

Frederick Manson Bailey was born in London, the second son of John Bailey, a horticulturist, and his wife née Manson. In 1838, the family embarked on a journey to Australia, arriving in Adelaide on March 22, 1839. John Bailey was appointed as Colonial Botanist shortly after their arrival and tasked with establishing a botanical garden. He resigned in 1841, turned to farming, and later established a botanical nursery in Adelaide. Frederick assisted his father in all these endeavors.

New Zealand and Seed Trade

In 1858, Bailey traveled to New Zealand. In 1861, he established a seed trade in Brisbane. Over several years, he collected plant specimens in various parts of Queensland and published botanical notes in newspapers. In 1856, Bailey married Anne-Maria, the eldest daughter of Reverend T. Wayte.

Botanical Contributions

In 1874, Bailey published "Handbook to the Ferns of Queensland." In 1879, he released "An Illustrated Monograph of the Grasses of Queensland." He was placed in charge of the botanical section of the Queensland Museum, and in 1881, he became Queensland Colonial Botanist, a position he held until his death. In 1881, he produced "The Fern World of Australia," followed by "A Synopsis of the Queensland Flora" in 1883. This extensive work, approximately 900 pages long, was enlarged with additional volumes in later years. It was succeeded by the monumental "The Queensland Flora," published in six volumes between 1899 and 1902, with an index volume three years later.

Exploration and Recognition

Bailey undertook extensive expeditions, including to Rockingham Bay, Seaview Range, and the Herbert River headwaters (1873), Western Queensland and Rockhampton (1876), Cairns and the Barron River (1877), Bellenden Ker (1889), the Georgina River (1895), Torres Strait (1897), and British New Guinea (1898). In 1902, he received the Clarke Medal from the Royal Society of New South Wales. Bailey was knighted in 1911.

Later Years and Legacy

Bailey passed away in Brisbane on June 25, 1915. His son, John Frederick Bailey, served as Director of the Brisbane Botanic Garden and later the Adelaide Botanic Garden. Frederick Manson Bailey's botanical contributions are commemorated by the naming of approximately 50 plant species after him, the most notable being Acacia baileyana F.Muell.