Author(s): Grantlee Kieza

Historical, political & military | Biographies / Memoirs

The grand story of the famous birdman John Gould and his talented wife Elizabeth, who together revealed the astonishing world of Australian birds and wildlife in one of the most important naturalist expeditions in history - from the bestselling author of Flinders, Banks, Mrs Kelly and The Remarkable Mrs Reibey.

The extraordinary adventurers who took the beauty of Australian wildlife to the world

John Gould and his beautiful wife Elizabeth sailed into Australia on a cold spring day in 1838 prepared for the most astonishing adventure of their lives. The Goulds had travelled 20,000 kilometres and crossed three oceans from their London home to find the treasures of Australia's birdlife and showcase them to the outside world.

It had been a rough voyage over and Elizabeth had fallen pregnant again for the seventh time at just 34. There would be little rest for her in illustrating her husband's exquisite books that had made him England's celebrated 'Bird Man', and a force of nature in both science and publishing. Elizabeth had always been the anonymous wind beneath his wings, always working in his shadow, but perhaps on this voyage, with his new book The Birds of Australia she would finally receive the deserved acclaim for her work.

Gould had studied birds from the Galapagos Islands and helped his fellow naturalist Charles Darwin expound his controversial theory of evolution by natural selection. In Australia, with the help of Aboriginal guides he would admire and befriend, Gould would gaze upon a vast array of Australian wildlife which would generate huge praise - and profits. Gould was and ambitious, hard-nosed businessman, the son of a poor gardener, and scrapped and fought to overcome his station in life.

As a young taxidermist, he'd become chief 'animal stuffer' for King George IV - once climbing inside the immense corpse of the royal giraffe and preserving it for posterity - then chased fame and fortune preserving exotic birds. With his wife's beautiful drawings, he became as a lucrative publisher of books sold in Britain, Europe and America.

But he was a tough, ruthless man who drove everyone around him, including his wife. The Birds of Australia would become a landmark publication and cement the reputation of the husband and wife team forever, but tragically it was one that Elizabeth would never see.

This rollicking story of the astute Gould and his brilliant wife brings Elizabeth and her extraordinary talent to life - the woman behind the man and his fame - as well as the incredible array of Australian birds and wildlife that astonished the world.