Why did early Australian writers often describe unfamiliar plants and animals for readers in England?

Following the settlement of New South Wales in 1788, early Australian writers frequently described the continent's unfamiliar plants and animals because there was significant public interest in England regarding these novelties.1

While colonial residents were often preoccupied with the practical demands of daily life, readers back in England were less interested in the routine of convict existence and more captivated by the details of the strange new flora and fauna found in the "new" country. Consequently, early publications—including journals from explorers and accounts of the settlement—were dominated by reports of these discoveries, reflecting the inquiring, scientific spirit of the 18th-century Enlightenment.1