In the nineteenth century, clergymen made a significant contribution to the study of Australian natural history mainly, it can be suggested, because they were highly educated, were usually well versed in Latin, had the opportunity to travel around their parishes and had the leisure time to pursue this study (GILBERT 1982). Coupled with this is the fact that natural history was a very popular pastime of the nineteenth century, and it was often recommended as a cure for various medical ailments. Each of these factors played a part in the lichenological career of The Reverend Francis Robert Muter Wilson (1832-1903) of the Presbyterian Church, Kew, Victoria