David Burton (died 1792) was a botanist and surveyor in early colonial

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

. He arrived in the colony in 1791 as superintendent of convicts, and with a private commission to collect plant and seed specimens for

Sir Joseph Banks Sir Joseph Banks, 1st Baronet, (19 June 1820) was an English naturalist, botanist, and patron of the natural sciences. Banks made his name on the 1766 natural-history expedition to Newfoundland and Labrador. He took part in Captain James C ...

. He was immediately set to work surveying around

Parramatta Parramatta () is a suburb and major Central business district, commercial centre in Greater Western Sydney, located in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located approximately west of the Sydney central business district on the ban ...

. Late in 1791, Arthur Phillip asked Burton to write a report on the quality of the soil in the Parramatta region. During the course of his work, Burton made what is now recognised as one of the earliest recorded observations on soil allelopathy: Burton collected a great many specimens for Banks over the following year, but in 1792 he accidentally shot himself while exploring the

Nepean River Nepean River (Darug: Yandhai), is a major perennial river, located in the south-west and west of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The Nepean River and its associated mouth, the Hawkesbury River, almost encircles the metropolitan region of ...

. The plant genus '' Burtonia'' is named in his honour.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Burton, David 1792 deaths Botanical collectors active in Australia Year of birth unknown Firearm accident victims Deaths by firearm in New South Wales Accidental deaths in New South Wales