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French Empress Josephine’s amazing Aussie menagerie in Paris

When Napoleon’s wife declared she wanted wombats, kangaroos and emus roaming her gardens, nothing could get in her way.

Josephine Bonaparte
Josephine Bonaparte

In the early 1800s, Napoleon Bonaparte’s wife set her heart on acquiring a vast collection of wombats, kangaroos, black swans and dwarf emus to roam the magnificent gardens at her Paris home, Château de Malmaison.

And while scientists had entirely different plans for the prized Aussie menagerie, the French emperor stepped in to ensure his beloved Josephine got her way.

The story is told in the latest episode of the free In Black and White podcast on Australia’s forgotten characters, with State Library Victoria reference librarian Andrew McConville:

A French scientific expedition to Australia from 1800 to 1804 led by Nicolas Baudin gathered a huge collection of wild animals, birds and plants, including rare dwarf emus from King Island and Kangaroo Island.

Baudin died in Mauritius on the way back to France, and likewise many of the captured animals died on the arduous journey.

Once the surviving animals reached France, a tussle erupted over where they would live.

Mr McConville says Empress Josephine thought the animals were headed for her grand home, but France’s national museum thought they were headed there.

Chateau de Malmaison, formerly the residence of Empress Josephine.
Chateau de Malmaison, formerly the residence of Empress Josephine.

Josephine had bought Malmaison in 1799 when Napoleon was campaigning in Egypt.

“I think the original intention was probably (the museum) would get them, or get the substantial amount of the plants and the animals,” Mr McConville says.

“But Josephine had her husband write a letter indicating that they should come to Josephine, so Napoleon Bonaparte – no one more powerful than that.

Painting by Jacques Louis David of the coronation of French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte and wife Josephine in Notre Dame Cathedral in 1804.
Painting by Jacques Louis David of the coronation of French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte and wife Josephine in Notre Dame Cathedral in 1804.

“And he had one of his ministers be at the port to ensure that the animals came to her, so she got almost all of what she wanted from that.

“And the museum got a few bits that perhaps were left over, but the museum was very unhappy about it.

“But if you’re dealing with the empress, probably you’re not going to win that argument. So pretty much she got everything that you wanted.”

Josephine, French empress and wife of Napoleon Bonaparte.
Josephine, French empress and wife of Napoleon Bonaparte.
1804 painting of Napoleon Bonaparte, by Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres.
1804 painting of Napoleon Bonaparte, by Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres.

Josephine developed a magnificent garden with exotic creatures roaming freely.

Her favourites were a pair of Australian black swans, but she also had zebras, gazelles, antelopes, llamas and a seal.

Illustration of dwarf emus on the Baudin voyage by artist Charles-Alexander Lesueur. Picture: State Library Victoria.
Illustration of dwarf emus on the Baudin voyage by artist Charles-Alexander Lesueur. Picture: State Library Victoria.

About four dwarf emus survived the trip to France, but they became extinct soon after.

“Quite remarkably, the last of that species lived in this splendid isolation at Malmaison, and then at the French botanic gardens, Jardin des plantes, until 1822, the last one died, and that was the last of its species,” Mr McConville says.

Black swans, kangaroos and dwarf emus all frolic in the splendid gardens of Malmaison. Picture: State Library Victoria.
Black swans, kangaroos and dwarf emus all frolic in the splendid gardens of Malmaison. Picture: State Library Victoria.

“It’s quite a sad story really and quite a remarkable story that they should have survived in such an exotic part of the world so far away from where they came from.”

To find out more, listen to the interview in the free In Black and White podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or web.

See In Black & White in the Herald Sun newspaper every Friday for more stories and photos from Victoria’s past.

Jen Kelly
Jen KellyIn Black and White columnist

Jen Kelly has been the Herald Sun’s In Black and White columnist since 2015, sharing our readers’ quirky and amusing stories from the past and present. She also writes and hosts a weekly history podcast called In Black and White on Australia’s forgotten characters, featuring interviews with a range of historians, authors and experts. Jen has previously covered general news, features, health, city affairs, state politics, travel, parenting and books over more than 25 years at the Herald Sun.

Original URL: https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/opinion/in-black-and-white/french-empress-josephines-amazing-aussie-menagerie-in-paris/news-story/05c622a72fca12eddbdba71e63a0e21f