Founding of the British Geological Survey, the world's first national geological survey
- When
- 1835
- Where
- London
- Episodes
- 1
The British Geological Survey, originally established as the Geological Survey of Great Britain, was founded in 1835 by the Board of Ordnance. It is recognized as the world's first national geological survey. Henry De la Beche served as its first director, helping to pioneer early survey methods.
Episodes
Background and detail
Background. The Geological Survey of Great Britain was officially recognized in 1835, marking the establishment of the first national geological survey. Around this period, the young Museum of Economic (afterwards Practical) Geology was housed in a building at Craig's Court, off Whitehall, which became too small as increasing stores of valuable specimens began to arrive.
Leadership. Henry De la Beche, an English geologist and palaeontologist, was appointed as the first director of the Geological Survey of Great Britain. He played a significant role in pioneering early geological survey methods and contributed to the field through various publications and institutional developments.
People involved
- Henry De la Beche · First Director
- Board of Ordnance · Founding Body
Sources
- British Geological Survey Wikipedia, revision of 2026-04-25
- Henry De la Beche Wikipedia, revision of 2026-10-04
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