Background
He was born in England in 1804 and moved to Western Australia in 1840 to settle at King George Sound, remaining there until his death at Middleton Beach in 1880.
He was born in England in 1804 and moved to Western Australia in 1840 to settle at King George Sound, remaining there until his death at Middleton Beach in 1880.
The botanical specimens he obtained were used to make formal descriptions of the region"s plant species. Maxwell occupied himself a number of activities, selling curios and offering to guide visitors to the port. He began collecting plants and insects of the region, assisting the botanist James Drummond in 1846.
The collections he made, in the company of Drummond and Ferdinand von Mueller, would provide type specimens for the publication of scientific descriptions.
Maxwell"s collections are now preserved in Australian herbarium, his contribution to the botanical knowledge of the region and Flora Australiensis was noted by Mueller in the Gardeners" Chronicle;
The expedition with Drummond began in the Stirling Ranges in 1846, continuing on to Cape Riche and Mountain Barren. The specimens obtained on their journey became known as Drummond"s fourth collection, many of which are referenced in published descriptions of the region"s species.
The following species were named by Mueller and Jeremy Bentham in recognition of this collector:
Eriostemon maxwelli
Genosiris maxwelli, transferred to Patersonia maxwellii
Lasiopetalum maxwellii
Phymatocarpus maxwellii
Pimelea maxwelli (Pimelea brevifolia subsp brevifolia)
Poa maxwelli (Poa serpentum).