Overview
Charles Alexander Fleming KBE FRS FRSNZ (1916 – 1987) was a geologist, biologist, and environmentalist, who investigated New Zealand’s unique wildlife throughout his career. His collection includes over 2000 different specimens, including over 1700 individual cicada specimens as well as dozens of bird specimens, eggs, plants, and other insects. The collection also includes thousands of photographs and dozens of audio tapes of New Zealand wildlife taken by Fleming.
Much of the Fleming Collection was donated by him in installments to the Dominion Museum (Te Papa’s predecessor), from 1970 until his death in 1987. However, other objects in the Fleming collection have been donated to Te Papa posthumously by relatives or by other institutions.
This collection reflects Fleming’s keen interest in New Zealand’s wildlife. New Zealand science, and in particular New Zealand cicada taxonomy, was transformed in the 1970s and 80s by Fleming’s collection of cicadas. Throughout these two decades, Fleming discovered and described 16 cicada species, nearly doubling the number of known cicada species at the time.
The Fleming Collection is extremely valuable as a research and reference collection. The cicada specimens and sounds are still used by entomologists today to study and compare cicada species.
Much of the Fleming Collection was donated by him in installments to the Dominion Museum (Te Papa’s predecessor), from 1970 until his death in 1987. However, other objects in the Fleming collection have been donated to Te Papa posthumously by relatives or by other institutions.
This collection reflects Fleming’s keen interest in New Zealand’s wildlife. New Zealand science, and in particular New Zealand cicada taxonomy, was transformed in the 1970s and 80s by Fleming’s collection of cicadas. Throughout these two decades, Fleming discovered and described 16 cicada species, nearly doubling the number of known cicada species at the time.
The Fleming Collection is extremely valuable as a research and reference collection. The cicada specimens and sounds are still used by entomologists today to study and compare cicada species.