John McConnell Black (1855 - 1951)

Born 28 Apr 1855 in Wigtown, Scotland

Ancestors

Husband of Alice Jane (Denford) Black — married 11 Sep 1879 in Wellington, South Australia, Australia

Descendants

Died 2 Dec 1951 at age 96 in North Adelaide, South Australia, Australia

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Biography

John Black is Notable.

John McConnell Black emigrated to Australia in 1877 with his widowed mother, sister and brother. In 1879 Black married Alice Denford and they had a daughter and three sons. He went on to document and illustrate thousands of floral specimens in South Australia in the early 20th century. His publications assisted many botanists and scientists in the decades that followed. He passed away in 1951.

Born on the 28th of April 1855^[1] at Wigtown, Scotland. He was the third of four children of George Couper Black, procurator fiscal and banker, and his wife, Ellen, née Barham. He was the younger brother of theatre and hotel manager Helen Carte, and his other two siblings are: Matilda Sarah Black and Alfred Barham Black a further South Australian pioneer and the father of artist Dorrit Black.

He began working as a journalist in 1883 originally on the staff of the South Australia Register. He later became a senior reporter and respected editorialist on the Advertiser, also working as a Hansard reporter on a sessional basis until he was 74 years of age. [1]

After a tour of South America and Europe following his mother's death in 1903, Black focused on systematic botany. In 1909 he published The Naturalised Flora of South Australia. His The Flora of South Australia was published in four parts during 1922 to 1929, and described 2,430 species, both indigenous and naturalized. It was indispensable to botanists and to those concerned with the vegetation of the arid regions of contiguous States. He began a revised edition of his book in 1939 and worked steadily for twelve years, publishing part 1 in 1943 and part 2 in 1948. Part 3 was nearing completion at his death.[2]

J. M. Black died at 82 Brougham Place, North Adelaide, on Sunday 1st December, 1951 after a short illness at the great age of 96 and is buried at the Magill Cemetery, Jackson Street, Magill, South Australia. [3]

Sources

• Privately held Family papers

• South Australian Births, Deaths & Marriages: Marriage Registration no. 120/942 1879

• Mr John McConnell BLACK from the Australian Federal Government's AUSTRALIAN HONOURS SEARCH FACILITY at: https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/1087580

• South Australian Births, Deaths & Marriages: Death Registration no. 776/6851 1951

• Funeral Notice from Advertising in The Advertiser (Adelaide, SA : 1931 - 1954) of Tuesday 4 December 1951, Page 18. at: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/45791415?

• His Probate Notice from Advertising in The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957) of Thursday 10 July 1952, Page 12. at: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/23189582?

• Find a Grave, database and images accessed 06 October 2022, memorial page for John McConnell Black (28 Apr 1855–2 Dec 1951), Find a Grave Memorial ID Find A Grave: Memorial #200875373, citing Magill General Cemetery, Magill, Campbelltown City, South Australia, Australia; Maintained by Shaz in Adelaide (contributor 49579799) .&

• Enid Robertson, Black, John McConnell (1855–1951), Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/black-john-mcconnell-5251/text8847 , published first in hardcopy 1979, accessed online 30 August 2019.

• John McConnell Black from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_McConnell_Black

• John McConnell Black (1855 - 1951) from the Council of Heads of Australasian Herbaria - Australian National Herbarium - Biographical Notes website at: https://www.anbg.gov.au/biography/black-jm.html first viewed 30th of August, 2019.

• Black, J. M. (John McConnell) (1855-1951) from TROVE at: https://trove.nla.gov.au/people/620528?c=peoplehttpsuplitcoma

• MCCARTHY, G.J., MOJE, C.R. & WALSH, N. 1998, Black, John McConnell (1855 - 1951). Created: 20 October 1993, Last modified: 13 February 2018. from the Encyclopedia of Australian Science at: http://www.eoas.info/biogs/P000966b.htm accessed 7th of September, 2019.

• Dr David Jones, John McConnell Black, MBE, SA History Hub, History Trust of South Australia, http://sahistoryhub.com.au/people/john-mcconnell-black-mbe, accessed 7 September 2019.

• History Trust of South Australia, J150 Plaque, John McConnell Black, SA History Hub, History Trust of South Australia, http://sahistoryhub.com.au/things/j150-plaque-john-mcconnell-black, accessed 7 September 2019.

• John McConnell Black [B 54394] • Photograph From the State Library of South Australia website at: https://collections.slsa.sa.gov.au/resource/B+54394 (first accessed 7th of September 2019.)

References

1. ↑ Birth of son John Black: "Scotland Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950"
   citing Digital film/folder number: 008045436; FHL microfilm: 103393
   FamilySearch Record: F7MV-PL5 (accessed 18 August 2023)
   John Black born to Ellen Barham on 28 Apr 1855 in Wigtown, Wigtownshire, Scotland, United Kingdom.