The Rhynchonellid brachiopod species Basiliolella colurnus (Hedley, 1905), distributed along eastern Australia from Queensland to the northeastern Bass Strait, is re-described using new material compared to type specimens. The holotype and paratype material of B. colurnus is revealed to comprise old and thickened individuals, that had already died and been subject to weathering when Hedley (1905) described them. Comparison to this new material allows a better understanding of the morphology of this species to be achieved. Morphological variation in anterior commissure folding and plication in B. colurnus overlaps with that seen for Basiliolella grayi from off New Caledonia, however B. colurnus is distinguished by a tendency towards a flat-topped uniplicate folding with minimal to no plication (dentition). Furthermore, while both B. colurnus and B. grayi display ontogenetic change in older individuals with the crural bases becoming greatly swollen, B. grayi also has swelling of the hinge teeth bases, this is not seen in B. colurnus. Basiliolella specimens from Tonga are tentatively assigned to an undescribed species resembling B. colurnus.