Farnham, Surrey – A former champion skier, Colin Wyatt, found himself in a bizarre predicament in the late 1940s. Amid a failing marriage and suspicions of his wife’s infidelity, Wyatt turned to an unusual coping mechanism: stealing rare butterflies.
The strange saga began when multiple museums across Australia reported a significant number of rare butterfly specimens missing. Melbourne Museum’s George Lyell collection lost 825 specimens, while Adelaide Museum and Sydney Museum also fell victim to the thefts. These carefully selected specimens hinted at a perpetrator with intimate knowledge of the creatures they were pilfering.
Suspicions eventually fell on an entomologist, who had recently left Australia for England with several packages of “scientific specimens.” Australian authorities sought assistance from Scotland Yard and the British Museum, ultimately tracing the thefts to Wyatt’s home in Farnham, Surrey.
A former skiing champion and member of the Royal Australian Air Force, Wyatt was described as a shy and delicate child who found solace in butterfly collecting from a young age. Despite representing Britain in skiing competitions and acquiring proficiency in multiple languages, Wyatt’s personal life was marred by the challenges of a rocky marriage and suspicions of his wife’s unfaithfulness.
During Wyatt’s trial, it was revealed that the stress of his disintegrating relationship prompted him to revisit his childhood hobby of butterfly collecting. Wyatt admitted to methodically stealing specimens from various museums, altering labels, and creating confusion among entomologists nationwide.
The ramifications of Wyatt’s actions extended beyond mere theft, as he rearranged labels on rare specimens, causing significant scientific confusion. His alteration of dates and locations on labels, as well as the removal of collector information, presented a challenge for entomologists who relied on accurate data for their research.
Although Wyatt avoided extradition back to Australia for the thefts, he was fined for his actions. Despite the controversy surrounding his butterfly thefts, Wyatt continued his passion for collecting butterflies throughout his life, leaving behind a substantial collection upon his death in 1975.
In the end, Wyatt’s story serves as a cautionary tale of how personal struggles can lead individuals down unexpected and controversial paths, leaving a complicated legacy that extends far beyond the initial transgressions.