Person
Horridge, George Adrian (Adrian) (1927 - 2024)
FAA FRS
- Born
- 12 December 1927
Sheffield, United Kingdom - Died
- 30 April 2024
Australia - Occupation
- Neurobiologist and University Administrator
Summary
Adrian Horridge was a neurobiologist famous for his pioneering studies of invertebrate vision. In this research he used a variety of techniques, including optical analysis of the eyes, electrophysiology of the visual pathways, investigation of behaviour, and development of mathematical models of visual capacity and performance. Some of his early discoveries include: finding fibres in the nervous system of jellyfish that transmit electrical action potentials to co-ordinate the contractions of the muscles that move the tentacles; and a theoretical analysis of how lift is generated by the wings of very small insects. In 1968 he became inaugural Professor of Neurobiology at the Australian National University. His department became one of the world's leading research centres in this field. He noted that three separate laboratories at the university were studying vision and visual processing in many organisms,: the Research Schools of Biological Sciences and Physical Sciences, and . the John Curtin School of Medical Research. This led him to establish the Centre for Visual Science to foster collaboration between these laboratories , leading ultimately to the very successful Australian Centre for Excellence in Vision Science. Horridge was elected a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science in 1971 and served as Chair of the Sectional Committee for Animal Sciences. He also earned a considerable reputation for his research on the design of Indonesian sailing craft from antiquity to the twentieth century.
Details
Chronology
- ? - 1992
- Career position - Director, Centre for Visual Science, Australian National University
- 1948
- Education - Bachelor of Arts (BA), University of Cambridge
- 1949
- Education - Master of Arts (MA), University of Cambridge
- 1952
- Education - Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), University of Cambridge
- 1953 - 1954
- Career position - Assistant at the Royal Aircraft Establishment in Farnborough, UK
- 1956
- Education - Doctor of Science (ScD), University of Cambridge
- 1956 - 1968
- Career position - Lecturer (later Reader) in Zoology, St Andrew's University, United Kingdom
- 1956 - 1968
- Career position - Director, Gatty Marine Laboratory, St Andrew's University, United Kingdom
- 1959 - 1960
- Career position - Fellow, Centre for Advanced Study in the Behavioural Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, California, U.S.A.
- 1967
- Award - Grass foundation Fellow, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, Massachusetts, U.S.A.
- 1968
- Award - Zoological Society of London Scientific Medal for work on the anatomy and physiology of nervous systems of invertebrates
- 1968 - 1993
- Career position - Professor of Neurobiology, Australian National University, Canberra
- 1969 - 2024
- Award - Fellow, Royal Society, London
- 1971 - 2024
- Award - Fellow, Australian Academy of Science
- 1972 - 1973
- Career position - Visiting Fellow, Balliol College, University of Oxford
- 1976 - 1977
- Career position - Visiting Fellow, Churchill College, University of Cambridge
- 1989 - 1990
- Career position - Member, Sectional Committee for Animal Sciences, Australian Academy of Science
- 1991
- Career position - Chair, Sectional Committee for Animal Sciences, Australian Academy of Science
- 1992 - 1993
- Career position - Member, Sectional Committee for Animal Sciences, Australian Academy of Science
- 1 Jan 2001
- Award - Centenary Medal - for service to Australian society in the biological sciences
Related entries
Published resources
Book Sections
- Horridge, Adrian, 'Visual discrimination by the honeybee (Apis mellifera)' in How animals see the world: comparative behavior, biology, and evolution of vision, Lazareva, Olga F., Shimizu, Toru and Wasserman, Edward A., eds (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2012), pp. 264-90, https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195334654.003.0011. Details
Journal Articles
- 'Obituary: Professor Adrian Horridge FAA FRS 12 December 1927 - 30 April 2024', Newsletter, Australian Academy of Science, 182 (2024). https://www.science.org.au/academy-newsletter/may-2024-182/fellows-update. Details
- Horridge, G. A., 'Insects which turn and look', Endeavour, 1 (1) (1977), 7-17, https://doi.org/10.1016/0160-9327(77)90004-7. Details
- Srinivasan, M. V., 'George Adrian Horridge (1927 - 2024)', Historical Records of Australian Science, 36 (2025), 1-10, https://doi.org/10.1071/HR25004. Details
Resources
- Wikidata, http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q4685119. Details
- VIAF - Virtual International Authority File, OCLC, https://viaf.org/viaf/21014593. Details
- 'Horridge, George Adrian (Adrian) (1927 - )', The Academy's Fellows [including profiles and other relevant links], Australian Academy of Science, Canberra, 2019, https://www.science.org.au/profile/adrian-horridge. Details
- 'Horridge, G Adrian (1927-)', Trove, National Library of Australia, 2009, https://nla.gov.au/nla.party-1185309. Details
Resource Sections
- Crompton, Bob, 'Interview with Professor Adrian Horridge, neurobiologist', in Interviews with Australian scientists, Australian Academy of Science, 2003, https://www.science.org.au/learning/general-audience/history/interviews-australian-scientists/professor-adrian-horridge. Details
McCarthy, G.J. and Helen Cohn
Created: 20 October 1993, Last modified: 9 September 2025
- Foundation Supporter - Committee to Review Australian Studies in Tertiary Education