From Lost Property to Explorer' s Relics: The Rediscovery of the Personal Library of Ludwig Leichhardt

Abstract

In late 1853, a small number of unclaimed boxes containing the worldly possessions of the missing explorer Ludwig Leichhardt were deposited at the Australian Museum, Sydney. An estimated 137 volumes of Leichhardt's books and pamphlets were stored alongside his manuscripts, field notes, seed specimens and scientific instruments. While the manuscripts have proved invaluable to those researching the life and work of Leichhardt, his books have lain forgotten and virtually irretrievable in the collections of the State Library of New South Wales and the Australian Museum Research Library. A significant proportion of the library has now been identified and its contents listed and described for the first time, providing new insight into Leichhard's intellectual background and interests.