Waterhouse, Douglas Frew (1916 - 2000)

Summary

Douglas Waterhouse, an entomologist, was one of the most influential figures in Australian biological control programs and was Chief of the CSIRO Division of Entomology for over 20 years. His early research was into the physiology, ecology and population control of sheep blowfly. As Chief he guided the Division of Entomology to international prominence as a centre of entomological research, particularly into integrated pest management, with field stations established across Australia and overseas. Programs included research into the control of insect pests and weeds using a wide-based approach including biological, chemical, physical and genetic methods, and often with collaboration from industry partners.

Waterhouse was responsible for the gazettal of the Australian National Insect Collection in 1962 in recognition of the national importance of this scientific asset. He also oversaw the publication of the landmark Insects of Australia (1970), the work of 30 Divisional and non-Divisional taxonomists describing and illustrating Australia's insect fauna.

In retirement Waterhouse crusaded for biological control especially in the Pacific and Southeast Asian nations and forged a long-term association with the Australian Centre of International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), leading to successful partnerships between Pacific countries and Australian scientists. With Don Sands he published for ACIAR Classical biological control of Arthropods in Australia (2001).

Details

Chronology

1937

Education - Bachelor of Science (BSc), University of Sydney

1938

Education - Master of Science (MSc), University of Sydney

1938 - 1939

Career position - Assistant Research Officer, CSIR Division of Economic Entomology

1942 - 1943

Military service - Second World War. Captain, Australian Army Medical Corps, and the Mosquito Research Unit (MRU)

1946 - 1953

Career position - Research Officer, CSIR Division of Economic Entomology (later CSIRO Division of Entomology)

1952

Education - Doctor of Science (DSc), University of Sydney

1953

Award - Davis Syme Research Prize (jointly), University of Melbourne

1953 - 1960

Career position - Assistant Chief, CSIRO Division of Entomology

1954 - 2000

Career position - Foundation Fellow, Australian Academy of Science (FAA)

1960 - 1981

Career position - Chief, CSIRO Division of Entomology

1961 - 1966

Career position - Secretary (Biological Sciences), Australian Academy of Science

1967 - 2000

Career position - Fellow, The Royal Society, London (FRS)

1969 - 1972

Career position - President, Australian Entomological Society

1970

Award - Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) - Chief of the Entomology Division of the CSIRO

1972

Career position - President, 14th International Congress of Entomology, Canberra

1972

Award - Mueller Medal, Australian and New Zealand Association for the Advancement of Science

1972 - 2000

Award - Honorary Fellow, Royal Entomological Society of London

1973

Award - Farrer Memorial Medal, Farrer Memorial Trust

1974 - 2000

Career position - Corresponding Member, Brazilian Academy of Sciences

1975

Award - Medal, International Congress for Plant Protection

1975

Award - Doctor of Science (DSc), honoris causa, Australian National University

1977 - 1978

Career position - President, International Bee Research Association

1979

Award - Adventures in Agricultural Science Award, 9th International Congress of Plant Protection and United States Department of Agriculture

1980

Award - Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) - for public service in the field of entomology

1981 - 2000

Career position - Honorary Research Fellow, CSIRO Division of Entomology

1982 - 2000

Award - Foreign Member, U.S.S.R. Academy of Sciences

1983 -

Career position - Consultant in Plant Protection, Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research

1983

Award - Medal, International Congress for Plant Protection

1983 - 1988

Career position - President, ACT Branch, National Trust of Australia

1983 - 2000

Award - Foreign Associate, United States Academy of Science

1988

Award - Australian Bicentennial Award for most outstanding living contributor to New South Wales agriculture, Royal Agricultural Society of New South Wales

1994 - 2000

Award - Honorary Member, Australian Entomological Society

2000

Award - Honorary Chairman of Council, 21st International Congress of Entomology, Brasil

Related entries

Archival resources

Adolph Basser Library, Australian Academy of Science

• Douglas Frew Waterhouse - Records, 1934 - 1979, MS 131; Adolph Basser Library, Australian Academy of Science. Details

Published resources

Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation Exhibitions

• Smith, Ailie, Adolph Basser Library Manuscript Collection, eScholarship Research Centre, 2012, http://www.eoas.info/basser_browse.html. Details

Books

• Common, I. F. B. and Waterhouse, D. F., Butterflies of Australia (Sydney: Angus and Robertson, 1972), 498 pp. Details
• Upton, M. S., A Rich and Diverse Fauna: the history of the Australian National Insect Collection 1926 - 1991 (Melbourne: CSIRO Publishing, 1997), 386 pp. Details

Book Sections

• Waterhouse, D. F.; Norris, K. R., 'Tillyard, Robin John (1881-1937), naturalist and entomologist' in Australian dictionary of biography, volume 12: 1891 - 1939 Smy-Z, John Ritchie, ed. (Melbourne: Melbourne University Press, 1990), pp. 232-233. http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A120258b.htm. Details
• Waterhouse, D.F., 'Nicholson, Alexander John (1895-1969), Entomologist' in Australian dictionary of biography, volume 15: 1940 - 1980 Kem-Pie, John Ritchie, ed. (Melbourne: Melbourne University Press, 2000), pp. 473-474. http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A150551b.htm. Details

Conference Papers

• Cullen, J.; and Sands, D., 'Douglas Frew Waterhouse - a dedication', in 1st International Symposium on Biological Control of Arthropods: January 14-18, 2002 (Morgantown, W.Virginia: USDA Forest Service, Forest Health Technology Enterprise Team, 2003), pp. 17-22., https://www.bugwood.org/arthropod/day1/cullen.pdf. Details

Journal Articles

• Day, Maxwell F. C.; Whitten, Maxwell J.; and Sands, Don P. A., 'Douglas Frew Waterhouse, C.M.G. 3 June 1916 - 1 December 2000', Biographical memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society, 48 (2002), 459-81. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbm.2002.0027. Details
• Day, Maxwell F.C.; Whitten, Maxwell J.; Sands, Don, 'Douglas Frew Waterhouse 1916-2000', Historical Records of Australian Science, 13 (4) (2001), 495-519. https://doi.org/10.1071/HR0011340495. Details
• Lee, D. J. and Waterhouse, D. F., 'Anthony Reeve Woodhill, 1900-1965 (Memorial series no. 21)', Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales, 92 (3) (1968), 285-297. Details

Newspaper Articles

• Robertson, Malcolm, 'Obituary: Douglas Frew Waterhouse, AO', The Age (2000). Details

Resources

• Wikidata, http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q5300991. Details
• VIAF - Virtual International Authority File, OCLC, https://viaf.org/viaf/38521030. Details
• 'Waterhouse, Douglas Frew (1916 - 2000)', Fellows of the Academy, Australian Academy of Science, 2019, https://www.science.org.au/profile/douglas-waterhouse. Details
• CA 2002, 2 Echelon, Army Headquarters; CA 46, Department of Defence [III], Central Office, 'NAA: B884, N444523', B884 Citizen Military Forces Personnel Dossiers, 1939-1947, National Archives of Australia, RecordSearch, https://RecordSearch.naa.gov.au/scripts/AutoSearch.asp?O=I&Number=6196469. Details
• 'Waterhouse, D F (19160603-20001201)', Trove, National Library of Australia, 2009, https://nla.gov.au/nla.party-616758. Details

Resource Sections

• 'Waterhouse, Douglas Frew - Ms 131', in Listing of Adolph Basser Library holdings, Australian Academy of Science, 1994, http://www.science.org.au/basser/manuscript-collection/ms131.html. Details
• Blythe, Max, 'Interview with Dr Douglas Waterhouse', in Interviews with Australian scientists, Australian Academy of Science, 16 September 1993, https://www.science.org.au/learning/general-audience/history/interviews-australian-scientists/dr-douglas-waterhouse-1916-2000. Details
• Ward, C., 'Douglas Frew (Doug) Waterhouse', in CSIROpedia, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), 2011, https://csiropedia.csiro.au/Waterhouse-Douglas-Frew. Details

See also

• Heyde, C. C., 'Patrick Alfred Pierce Moran 1917-1988', Historical Records of Australian Science, 9 (1) (1992), 17-30. https://doi.org/10.1071/HR9920910017. Details
• 'Waterhouse, Douglas Frew (1916 - 2000)', Farrer Memorial Trust Medal recipients and orations, New South Wales Department of Primary Industries, Sydney, 2023, https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0010/596107/farrer_oration_1973_dr-df-waterhouse.pdf. https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/about-us/who-we-are/interacting_2/farrer-memorial-trust/farrer-memorial-trust-medal-recipients-and-orations. Details