''The Western Australian Naturalist'' (also known as ''The Naturalist''), is the

peer-reviewed Peer review is the evaluation of work by one or more people with similar competencies as the producers of the work (peers). It functions as a form of self-regulation by qualified members of a profession within the relevant field. Peer review ...

scientific journal In academic publishing, a scientific journal is a periodical publication intended to further the progress of science, usually by reporting new research. Content Articles in scientific journals are mostly written by active scientists such as s ...

of the

Western Australian Naturalists' Club The Western Australian Naturalists' Club (WANC), founded in Perth, Western Australia, in 1924, is one of the oldest conservation groups in Australia. It caters for those interested in all areas of natural history and conservation in Western Austr ...

. It publishes original research on topics related to the natural history of

Western Australia Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to th ...

. It was established in 1947. Similar publications emanated from groups that were established in other Australian states, the South Australian being a part of the Royal Society in that state and the Victorian publication was established as early as the 1880s. The editor from 1947 to 1980 was

Dom Serventy Dominic Louis Serventy (28 March 1904 – 8 August 1988) was a Perth -based Western Australian ornithologist. He was president of the Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union (RAOU) 1947–1949. He assisted with the initial organisation of the ...

. At times the publication and contents of the issues of ''The Naturalist'' were noted in the local newspaper

The West Australian ''The West Australian'' is the only locally edited daily newspaper published in Perth, Western Australia. It is owned by Seven West Media (SWM), as is the state's other major newspaper, ''The Sunday Times''. It is the second-oldest continuousl ...

. The history of the club was first published in ''The Naturalist'' in 1964 and subsequently expanded and published separately at a later date. George Seddon in his work ''Sense of Place'' wrote: "there are three good local inexpensive journals that should be in every school and public library ''The Journal of the

Royal Society of Western Australia The Royal Society of Western Australia (RSWA) promotes science in Western Australia. The RSWA was founded in 1914. It publishes the ''Journal of the Royal Society of Western Australia'', and has awarded the Medal of the Royal Society of Western ...

'', the ''Journal and Proceedings of the

Royal Western Australian Historical Society Royal Western Australian Historical Society has for many decades been the main association for Western Australians to collectively work for adequate understanding and protection of the cultural heritage of Perth and Western Australia. It was fou ...

'' and ''The Western Australian Naturalist''". The ''Naturalist'' was the location of: * the original description of the short necked tortoise ''

Pseudemydura umbrina The western swamp turtle or western swamp tortoise (''Pseudemydura umbrina'') is a critically endangered species of freshwater turtle endemic to a small portion of Western Australia. It is the only member of the genus ''Pseudemydura'' in the mon ...

'' * the details of the rediscovery of the noisy scrub bird ''

Atrichornis clamosus The noisy scrubbird (''Atrichornis clamosus'') is a species of bird in the family Atrichornithidae. It is endemic to the coastal heaths of south-western Australia (east of Albany). Description The noisy scrubbird features a dark brown coloure ...

'' * the further description and habits of the frog ''

Myobatrachus gouldii ''Myobatrachus'' is a genus of frogs found in Western Australia. It is monotypic, being represented by the single species, ''Myobatrachus gouldii'', also known as the turtle frog. It has a small head, short limbs, and a round body, up to long. ...

'' * the further elaborations of the behaviours of the giant ghost bat ''

Macroderma gigas The ghost bat (''Macroderma gigas'') is a species of bat found in northern Australia. The species is the only Australian bat that preys on large vertebrates – birds, reptiles and other mammals – which they detect using acute sight and heari ...

'' At various stages offprints have been made of articles on subjects that had not had publication elsewhere, or items from ''The Naturalist'' have been included in compiled volumes.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Western Australian Naturalist Natural history of Western Australia Science and technology in Western Australia Publications established in 1939 Biology journals 1939 establishments in Australia