Womersley, Herbert (1889 - 1962)

Summary

Herbert Womersley was an entomologist whose research focussed on the taxonomy of Acarina (mites and ticks), Apterygota (silverfish) and Diptera (flies). He came to Australia in 1930 to work for the CSIRO Division of Economic Entomology in Western Australia but, with limited prospects of continued employment, applied to become Entomologist at the South Australian Museum. For the next 26 years he was responsible for all the Museum's arthropod collections except Crustaceae, including their curation and research into their taxonomy and classification, particularly species of economic importance. In the process he developed the Museum's collection of Acarina into one of the world's most significant. Of his nearly 200 publications, over 150 were on Acarina and included major works on species occurring in Australasia and southeast Asia. After his official retirement, the Museum created the position of Acarologist so that Womersley could continue his research. Womersley played a leading role in the Royal Society of South Australia serving in executive offices including President. Seven genera and over 20 species were names in his honour.

Details

Chronology

1915 - 1917

Career position - Served with the Royal Army Medical Corps and the Chemical Corps, Royal Engineers

1920 - 1930

Career position - Manager, Fuel and Steamraising Department, Christopher Thomas & Bros Ltd (soap manufacturers)

1926 - 1962

Career position - Fellow, Entomological Society of London

1929

Award - Associate (Honoris Causa), Linnean Society of London

1930

Life event - Migrated to Australia

1930 - 1932

Career position - Entomologist, Section of Pasture and Field Pests, CSIR Division of Entomology

1933 - 1940

Career position - Entomologist, South Australian Institute

1933 - 1962

Career position - Member, Royal Society of South Australia

1938 - 1943

Career position - Editor, Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia

1940 - 1954

Career position - Entomologist, South Australian Museum

1943

Award - Sir Joseph Verco Medal, Royal Society of South Australia

1943 - 1944

Career position - President, Royal Society of South Australia

1954

Life event - Retired as Entomologist

1954 - 1959

Career position - Acarologist, South Australian Museum

1959

Life event - Retired as Acarologist

1959 - 1962

Career position - Honorary Acarologist, South Australian Museum

1962

Award - Honorary Fellow, Royal Society of South Australia

Related entries

Archival resources

State Library of South Australia, Mortlock Library of South Australiana

• Herbert Womersley - Records, 1923 - 1945, PRG 146; State Library of South Australia, Mortlock Library of South Australiana. Details

Published resources

Books

• Womersley, H., Acarina (Sydney: Government Printer, 1937), 36 pp. Details

Book Sections

• Halliday, R. B., '250 years of Australian acarology' in Acarology: proceedings of the 10th International Congress, Halliday, R. B. et al, ed. (Collingwood, Vic.: CSIRO Publishing, 2001), pp. 3-16. Details

Journal Articles

• 'Herbert Womersley, ALS (Hon. Causa), FRS, 1889-1962', Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia, 87 (1963), 249-252. Details
• Southcott, R. V., 'Obituary: Herbert Womersley, A.L.S. (Hon. Causa), F. R. E.S. 1889 - 1952', Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia, 87 (1963), 249-52, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/41034274. Details
• Southcott, R. V., 'Herbert Womersley (1889 - 1962)', Acarologia, 5 (3) (1963), 323-4. Details
• Southcott, R. V., 'Herbert Womersley, ALS (Honoris Causa), FRS, 10.4.1889- 14.10.1962, Obituary Notice', Records of the South Australian Museum, 14 (4) (1964), 603-632. Details

Resources

• Wikidata, http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q21338356. Details
• VIAF - Virtual International Authority File, OCLC, https://viaf.org/viaf/44116335. Details
• 'Womersley, H (1889-1962)', Trove, National Library of Australia, 2009, https://nla.gov.au/nla.party-1472936. Details