[2][3] Latham based his account on the "New Holland Creeper" that had been described and illustrated by the Irish surgeon John White in his Journal of a Voyage to New South Wales.

Young New Holland honeyeaters (<1 year old) have similar colouring but have grey eyes and a yellow gape and 'whiskers' near the nares.

In Western Australia, New Holland honeyeaters have been observed to breed once annually from July to November, when nectar is abundant.

It is also common for females to utilise food resources that are in close proximity to the nest, while males venture further afield, toward the outskirts of the territory.

Consequently, they are key pollinators of many flowering plant species, many of which are endemic to Australia, such as Banksia, Hakea, Xanthorrhoea, and Acacia.