Receveur was also considered a skilled botanist, geologist, chemist, meteorologist, and philologist and has been described as being as close as one could get to being an ecologist in the 18th century.

[1] Since the Conventual Franciscans encourages its members to pursue service to society, 'Père Laurent Receveur', embraced scientific studies and also undertook a number of missions for the French navy between 1776 and 1780.

[2] Then in 1785, when La Perouse was appointed by Louis XVI and his minister of marine, the Marquis de Castries, to lead an expedition around the world.

At some stage during December 1787 or January 1788, the La Perouse expedition arrived at Tutuila in the Samoan Islands.

Local churches of La Perouse in Sydney hold a special memorial mass in February each year to recognise the historical religious significance of Receveur's arrival, death and burial.