Robert Brough Smyth
Robert Brough Smyth (1830 - 8 October 1889) was an Australian geologist, anthropologist, author, and social commentator.
Life
Smyth was born in Wallsend, Northumberland, England, and moved to Melbourne, Australia, in 1852. During his life, Smyth served in key roles such as Government Meteorologist in Melbourne (1855–1858), Secretary of the Victorian Mines Department (1860–1876), and Director of the Bendigo School of Mines (1883–1887). Notably, Smyth was also the Secretary to the Victorian Board of Science and was involved with the Board for the Protection of Aborigines. He would author several works on the topic of the Aborigines. He was married to a woman named Charlotte Hay, the two had a son and daughter.
Authorship
Robert Brough Smyth wrote several books including "The Prospector's Handbook" (1863), "The Gold Fields and Mineral Districts of Victoria" (1869)[1], and "The Aborigines of Victoria: with Notes Relating to the Habits of the Natives of Other Parts of Australia and Tasmania" (1878)[2], which was compiled from various sources for the government of Victoria. To this date Smyth's two-volume work on the Aborigines, their behaviors and culture is widely considered to be one of the most valuable materials for study.
