[3] Allport was an ardent and accomplished naturalist, and by his original work added largely to the knowledge of the zoology and botany of Tasmania.
He was a leader in the introduction of salmon and trout to Tasmanian waters and also introduced the white water-lily and the perch.
[2] A recent study from Cambridge University argues that Allport built his reputation as the foremost scientist in the colony despite limited contributions to scientific knowledge "by obtaining the bodily remains of Tasmanian Aboriginal people and Tasmanian tigers, also known as thylacines, and sending them to collectors in Europe – specifically asking for scientific accolades in return.
This took place in the context of a genocide against the Tasmanian Aboriginal peoples, and persecution of the thylacine that eventually led to its extinction.
[3] According to research by Jack Ashby, at least two of the skeletons of Tasmanian Aboriginal people sent by Allport to Europe "can only have been acquired by grave-robbing.