Person

Flynn, Theodore Thomson (1883 - 1968)

MBE

Born
11 October 1883
Coraki, New South Wales, Australia
Died
23 October 1968
Liss, Hampshire, England
Occupation
Zoologist

Summary

Theodore Flynn was appointed the first lecturer in biology at the University of Tasmania (1909) and from 1911 was Professor of Biology. Although his early interest was marsupials, he later developed an interest in marine biology. This led him to work towards the development of Australian fisheries, spending fifteen years harnessing the resources of state and commonwealth governments and imperial trade policies and even forming a private company to harvest pelagic fish stocks. He was involved in the establishment of CSIR and a proposal to build a national marine research station. In 1930 he left Tasmania and ultimately took up the chair of zoology at Queen's University, Belfast. Flynn was the father of the Australian actor Errol Flynn.

Details

Chronology

1906
Award - Macleay Fellowship, Linnean Society of New South Wales (NSW)
1906?
Award - John Couts Scholarship, University of Sydney
1906
Award - Medal for Biology, University of Sydney
1907
Education - Bachelor of Science (BSc), University of Sydney
1907
Career position - Science Master at Newcastle and Maitland High Schools, NSW
c. 1908
Career position - Lecturer in Chemistry and physics at the Newcastle and West Maitland Technical Colleges, NSW
1909 - 1911
Career position - Lecturer in Biology, University of Tasmania
1911 - 1930
Career position - Professor of Biology, University of Tasmania
1915
Career position - Royal Commissioner to examine the Tasmanian fishing industry
1921
Education - Doctor of Science (DSc), University of Sydney
January 1931
Career position - Rockefeller grant received
c. 1931 - 1948
Career position - Chair of Zoology at Queen's University in Belfast, Ireland
1945
Award - Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE)
1948
Life event - Retired

Archival resources

Archives Office of Tasmania

  • Theodore Thomas Flynn - Records, 1930, UT 87/37; Archives Office of Tasmania. Details

State Library of Tasmania

  • Theodore Thomas Flynn - Records; State Library of Tasmania. Details

Published resources

Books

  • Harrison, Tony and Harrison, Vicki, Theodore Thomson Flynn: Not Just Errol's Father (Hobart: the Authors, 2013), 238 pp. Details

Book Sections

  • Bryden, William, 'Flynn, Theodore Thomas (1883-1968), zoologist' in Australian dictionary of biography, volume 8: 1891 - 1939 Cl-Gib, Bede Nairn and Geoffrey Serle, eds (Melbourne: Melbourne University Press, 1981), pp. 534-536. http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A080556b.htm. Details

Journal Articles

  • Harrison, A.J., 'Theodore T. Flynn', Australasian Science, 21 (8) (2000), 46. Details

Resources

Resource Sections

McCarthy, G.J.

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