Johannes Menge (4 January 1788 – 1852), is regarded as South Australia's first geologist, though he had no formal qualifications. An early explorer of the new colony, he was influential in the settlement of the Barossa Valley. He has been called the "father of South Australian mineralogy". On the passenger list of the ship that brought him out he was called "Johannes Joseph Menge", but in his letters to newspapers he variously called himself "John" and "Joseph". To fellow-colonists he was "Professor Menge". History Born in the town of Steinau, Hesse, Germany, Menge had little formal education, but was a keen learner and quickly gained a broad knowledge of languages, philosophy, medicine, religion, and geology. His particular interest in geology developed after his early employment by Privy Councillor Karl Cäsar von Leonhard, who collected and sold mineral specimens. Menge later travelled widely through Europe and beyond, and was awarded an honorary degree of Professor of Mineralogy from the University of Lübeck in 1821. England After the death of his wife in 1830 he moved to England, where he taught languages, notably Hebrew. Australia He became friends with George Fife Angas, who encouraged him to travel to the new colony of South Australia for employment with the South Australia Company. Menge sailed to South Australia aboard Coromandel. On 12 January 1837 the ship arrived at Kangaroo Island, where Menge was hired as the colony's Mine and Quarry Agent and Geologist. However, his eccentric ways led to his dismissal from the company on 30 June 1838. Menge then moved to the South Australian mainland, travelling widely, exploring alone as far north as Mount Remarkable and searching for minerals, while engaging in many other interests. He was the first to discover copper in the Adelaide Hills. He kept in regular contact with George Fife Angas and sent him letters and reports; his activities thus encouraging the spread of settlement, and mineral exploration by others. This ultimately led to a mining boom that saved the fledgling colony. He wrote papers on several topics, particularly mineralogy, and in 1840 wrote a book entitled Mineral Kingdom of South Australia. He was one of a number of influential German-speaking residents such as William Blandowski, Ludwig Becker, Hermann Beckler, Amalie Dietrich, Diedrich Henne, Gerard Krefft, Johann Luehmann, Ludwig Preiss, Carl Ludwig Christian Rümker (a.k.a. Ruemker), Moritz Richard Schomburgk, Richard Wolfgang Semon, George Ulrich, Eugene von Guérard, Robert von