The Untold Story of Australian Naturalist and Taxidermist Jane Word Tost

Talks on Tuesdays is a live event series bringing big ideas, real experts, and curious minds together - at your favourite local venues. Think thought-provoking lectures, audience questions, and post-talk mingling over drinks and dinner.

This isn’t a uni lecture. It’s a social, intelligent night out.Come alone or with friends, leave with something to talk about.

Event Schedule:

At Brick Lane guest can arrive anytime from 5pm to order food or have pre-lecture drinks and mingle.

7pm Lecuture Starts

7.45pm Q&A

8pm Talk Concludes

8.30pm Event Closes.

*Please arrive close to 6.30pm

A La Carte menu and full bar available throughout the night - pay as you go.

Your Topic:
For Her Love of Birds: The extraordinary untold story of Australian naturalist and taxidermist Jane Ward Tost By Jane Melville

Jane Ward Tost defied 19th century societal constraints to become one of England and Australia’s leading naturalists and taxidermists. A peer of John Gould and John James Audubon, Jane’s artistic talent and technical expertise captivated museum visitors around the globe. But Jane’s incredible achievements were not easily won. She lived a highly eventful life, showing remarkable resilience in the face of profound difficulties.

Meticulously researched and beautifully written by museum curator, biologist and writer Jane Melville AM, this enthralling biography follows the extraordinary life of Jane Ward Tost (1816–1889), Australia’s first salaried female museum employee. Forgotten by history, she left an indelible legacy.

Your Speaker:

Jane Melville is a highly respected biologist and museum curator. She has over 20 years’ experience working in museums, leading research on Australia’s reptiles, frogs and birds. Over this time, she has come to understand the important role natural history museums play in our understanding of the world.

Jane now spends much of her spare time uncovering stories about the people who have shaped our knowledge of the natural world. Her interest has taken her around the globe, visiting museum collections and archives to unearth fascinating tales. Many of these untold stories are of women— pioneer naturalists and scholars who, because of societal conventions, remain unrecognised for their outstanding achievements.

Jane has written the only book on the amazing diversity of Australian dragon lizards, Dragon Lizards of Australia: Evolution, ecology and a comprehensive field guide, and is the author of numerous popular science articles in magazines such as Cosmos, Australasian Science and Science Victoria. She is a contributing author for news magazine The Conversation.

Jane’s museum and archival research have been supported by a Fulbright Fellowship and a Churchill Fellowship. Her contributions to the museums sector have been recognised with the award of a Member (AM) of the Order of Australia.