Notable South Australians/F. W. Andrews
F. W. Andrews,
TAXIDERMIST, was about sixty years of age at the time of his death, which occurred on the 19th October, 1884, near Mount Jagged, Willunga. He is supposed to have lost his life by falling into a waterhole whilst suffering from the effects of sunstroke. He was engaged as a collector for over thirty years in this colony, having been "inducted" to that office by Mr. Waterhouse, late Curator of the Adelaide Museum. For a considerable time he was stationed at Port Lincoln, and afterwards accompanied the late Mr. Lewis on his expedition to Lake Eyre, where he made discoveries of two species of birds new to science, besides gathering a large and valuable collection of the fauna of that locality. When Mr. S. White projected his unfortunate expedition to Cape York and New Guinea, he secured Mr. Andrews' services, and he obtained an immense collection of rare and valuable specimens of natural history, which, upon Mr. White's decease, were placed in charge of the Curator of the South Australian Museum. Although at first Mr. Andrews had but slight knowledge of natural history, he, during the thirty years of active collection, acquired an almost profound acquaintance with the fauna of Australia, and especially of that of the back country to the westward and north and north-eastward of Adelaide. He was an acute observer, and knew the habits of nearly all of our native birds and other animals. He was also very quick as a taxidermist, and collections of specimens of natural history of South Australia made by him may be found in museums all over the world. Prior to arrival in the colony, he was one of the band of the Coldstream Guards when that regiment was at Dublin, Ireland, and was an excellent performer on the ophecleide. It is satisfactory to know that the majority of the specimens collected by Mr. Andrews were secured for the S.A. Museum, where they can be inspected by those curious in such matters.