John Gossweiler

He was inspired by William Turner Thiselton-Dyer while at Kew, and went on to work for the government of Angola in the country's botanical garden in Luanda, where he remained until his death in 1952.

Arriving in Angola, Gossweiler found the garden far from complete, and started collecting in the coastal area around Luanda and the Malanje Plateau.

Located on the site of an abandoned plantation, Gossweiler stocked it with indigenous species and plants from Sri Lanka, Goa, Malaysia and Tropical America.

In 1915/16 he worked in Subliali, Pango Munga, the rainforest region of Mayombe, and near the source of the Zanza River, where he was accompanied by his wife Martha.

Following World War I Gossweiler worked for the 'Fomento Geral de Angola' from 1919 to 1926, during which time he made substantial collections along the southern bank of the Congo River, in the Dembos region and at Quiçama.

In 1927 Gossweiler rejoined the government service and worked at starting an experimental cotton station in Catete, travelling to Amboim in 1932 to investigate coffee plant diseases.