Left : in 1857 , McCoy established the National Museum in the grounds of Melbourne University . An engraving by Frederick Grouse . Source : State Library of Victoria . Below : portrait of Sir Frederick McCoy in 1891 by Johnstone , O ’ Shaunnessy & Co ., photographers . Source : State Library of Victoria .
In 1858 , Frederick McCoy began work on a brace of monumentally ambitious publications , the Prodomus of the Zoology of Victoria and the Prodomus of the Palaeontology of Victoria . These was released serially in instalments referred to as ‘ decades ’ since each contained a set of ten plates . McCoy was at pains to ensure that drawings were produced from fresh specimens in order to obtain an accurate representation of colours and appearance . Earlier lithographs were hand-coloured , and both the illustrations and accompanying text met with critical acclaim . The magnitude and cost of this undertaking , however , rendered its completion impossible . In 1879 , 39 years after embarking on the project , McCoy finally admitted defeat . The Prodomus includes plates depicting 14 species of snakes and 21 species of lizards . Today , both bound copies and , in particular , decades in their original wrappers are highly sought after by collectors .
Although the endemic fauna and flora of Victoria was to become the focus of McCoy ’ s most important work , he was nevertheless preoccupied with ‘ enlivening ’ the ‘ savage ’ Australian landscape by the addition of exotic species that would provide ‘ delightful reminders ’ of the colonists ’ origins . He became an unabashed champion of the Acclimatisation Society of Victoria ( later to become the Victorian Zoological Society ), which sought to ensure the introduction of exotic species by ‘ pre-adapting ’ specimens at its facility in Parkville ( now the Melbourne Zoo ). Consequently , species such as sparrows and Indian
Mynahs were spectacularly successful and rapidly became pests , raising the ire of farmers . At the same time , acclaimed botanist Ferdinand von Mueller focussed his attention on introducing exotic plants – such as blackberries ! McCoy ’ s professional reputation suffered through his continued short-sighted support of the Acclimatisation Society ( he served on its council until its ultimate demise in 1872 ), as the folly of its ideals quickly became apparent .
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