Francis Houssemayne "Frank" du Boulay (24 January 1837 – 12 January 1914) was an Australian musician and naturalist.

History

Du Boulay was born in Sandgate, Kent, England, the third son of Rev Thomas Houssemayne du Boulay. (14 February 1804 – 14 June 1872).

He left for Western Australia around 1858, and settled at Minnanooka station, Champion Bay, near Geraldton, with his brother Arthur Houssemagne du Boulay, who married Caroline Emily Josephine Howard[1] in 1867.[2]

He began collecting insects there, also in Victoria around 1869; Cooktown and Rockhampton around 1870, and in northern New South Wales and Sydney.[3]

Du Boulay was a talented pianist and concertina player, and was prominent at concerts in Melbourne, 1872–1876 including Robert Sparrow Smythe's Exhibition Concert Company, with singers Mrs Smythe (Amelia Elizabeth Bailey, soprano), Samuel Lamble (basso), and Mary Ellen Christian (contralto).[4] His interest in bugs and beetles never waned; he was a member of the Field Naturalists' Club of Victoria.[5]

He moved to Beechworth, Victoria, around 1888, and soon was immersed in the music scene; he helped organise a concert in aid of the public library and Burke Museum, contributing a fantasia on themes from Faust played on a symphonion.[6] He was also a skilled player on the xylophone and "carillon" (tubular bells).[7]

Around 1904 he left Beechworth for Beverley, Western Australia, where he taught music for many years, and died on 12 January 1914.[8]

Recognition

His collection of paintings of Coleoptera in two volumes, is held by the National Museum, Melbourne.

The species Chaetodontoplus duboulayi and Melanotaenia duboulayi were named for him, though both are fishes.

Family

Du Boulay married Mary Jane Lawrance (c. 1850 – 13 September 1940).[9] on 25 May 1879[10] They had two sons and four daughters, listed as Edgar, William, Amy, Leila, Margaret and Isabel:

  • Edgar (born 6 November 1880)[11] married Marjorie Preston on 23 April 1918.[12]
  • William Lawrance (frequently reported as Lawrence) du Boulay (17 March 1882 – 28 July 1955)[13] was a fine violinist.[14] He never married.
  • daughter 9 July 1883[15]
  • daughter 3 June 1886[16]
  • daughter 18 August 1891[17]

Two daughters had notable marriages:

References

  1. ↑ "Family Notices". The Inquirer and Commercial News. Vol. XXVII, no. 1, 384. Western Australia. 6 February 1867. p. 2. Retrieved 12 January 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
  2. ↑ "Old Time Memories". The Geraldton Express. Vol. XLI. Western Australia. 23 February 1920. p. 2. Retrieved 12 January 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
  3. ↑ Rosanne Walker (1993). "Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation: du Boulay, Francis Houssemayne (1837–1914)". CSIRO. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
  4. ↑ "The Exhibition". The Age. No. 5647. Victoria, Australia. 2 January 1873. p. 3. Retrieved 11 January 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
  5. ↑ "Field Naturalists' Club". The Argus (Melbourne). No. 11, 388. Victoria, Australia. 19 December 1882. p. 5. Retrieved 11 January 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
  6. ↑ "A Musical Treat". Ovens and Murray Advertiser. No. 5907. Victoria, Australia. 29 September 1888. p. 16. Retrieved 11 January 2024 – via National Library of Australia. The "symphonium" or "symphonion" was Charles Wheatstone's mouth-blown concertina, a precursor to the bellows-blown English concertina. "Symphonion" later referred to an elaborate music-box controlled by a large perforated disc rather than a small spiked drum.
  7. ↑ "Kalgoorlie Town Hall". Kalgoorlie Miner. Vol. 16, no. 4727. Western Australia. 24 November 1910. p. 6. Retrieved 12 January 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
  8. ↑ "Advertising". Ovens and Murray Advertiser. No. 9742. Victoria, Australia. 28 January 1914. p. 2. Retrieved 11 January 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
  9. ↑ "Family Notices". The Daily News (Perth). Vol. LVIII, no. 20423. Western Australia. 13 September 1940. p. 8. Retrieved 11 January 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
  10. ↑ "Family Notices". The Australasian. Vol. XXVI, no. 688. Victoria, Australia. 7 June 1879. p. 26. Retrieved 11 January 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
  11. ↑ "Family Notices". The Argus (Melbourne). No. 10, 733. Victoria, Australia. 11 November 1880. p. 1. Retrieved 11 January 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
  12. ↑ "Family Notices". Clunes Guardian and Gazette. Victoria, Australia. 31 May 1918. p. 2. Retrieved 11 January 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
  13. ↑ "Obituary". Ovens and Murray Advertiser. No. 11, 575. Victoria, Australia. 10 August 1955. p. 1. Retrieved 12 January 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
  14. ↑ "A Famous Violinist". Ovens and Murray Advertiser. No. 8672. Victoria, Australia. 22 September 1906. p. 8. Retrieved 12 January 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
  15. ↑ "Family Notices". The Argus (Melbourne). No. 11, 566. Victoria, Australia. 17 July 1883. p. 1. Retrieved 11 January 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
  16. ↑ "Family Notices". The Age. No. 9775. Victoria, Australia. 19 June 1886. p. 5. Retrieved 11 January 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
  17. ↑ "Family Notices". The Argus (Melbourne). No. 14, 098. Victoria, Australia. 1 September 1891. p. 1. Retrieved 11 January 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
  18. ↑ "Woman's World". The Daily News (Perth). Vol. XLIX, no. 17, 179. Western Australia. 28 May 1930. p. 2. Retrieved 11 January 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
  19. ↑ "Family Notices". Sunday Times (Perth). No. 1407. Western Australia. 28 December 1924. p. 28. Retrieved 11 January 2024 – via National Library of Australia.

Francis du Boulay's hand-painted Coleoptera

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