Queensland Acclimatisation Society
The Queensland Acclimatisation Society (QAS) was an acclimatisation society based in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia which operated from 1862 to 1956. Its primary interest was in the introduction of exotic plants, particularly tropical and sub-tropical, to Queensland, both for economic and ornamental purposes.
Aviary and acclimatisation gardens, Bowen Park, Brisbane, circa 1889
Avocado fruit trees, Queensland Acclimatisation Society, Lawnton
Acclimatisation societies were voluntary associations, founded in the 19th and 20th centuries, that encouraged the introduction of non-native species in various places around the world, in the hope that they would acclimatise and adapt to their new environments. The societies formed during the colonial era, when Europeans began to settle in numbers in unfamiliar locations. One motivation for the activities of the acclimatisation societies was that introducing new species of plants and animals would enrich the flora and fauna of target regions. The movement also sought to establish plants and animals that were familiar to Europeans, while also bringing exotic and useful foreign plants and animals to centres of European settlement.
The Jardin d'Acclimatation in Paris in 1861
Members of the British Society in 1861