Calaby, John Henry (1922 - 1998)

Summary

John Calaby was a pioneer on research into Australia's endangered species and an acknowledged authority on the biology, ecology, distribution and taxonomy of Australian animals especially mammals. On being appointed to the CSIRO Wildlife Survey Section (later the Division of Wildlife and Ecology) he was involved in attempts to control rabbit populations in Western Australia, in particular by the introduction of the myxoma virus. From 1956 he concentrated on mammal research, making groundbreaking discoveries on macropod physiology and reproduction. He also made significant contributions to faunal surveys conducted by the Division often in remote and largely unsurveyed areas of northern Australia. Surveys of the Alligator Rivers Region ultimately led to the creation of the Kakadu National Park. A 1960 report by Calaby and Francis Ratcliffe (Chief of the Division) on Australia's endangered mammals became the baseline for future studies. Calaby was responsible for the collection of nearly 45,000 voucher specimens that resulted from the surveys conducted by the Division: in 1976 at his urging this collection was designated the Australian National Wildlife Collection. In 1998 he was commemorated by the naming of the John Calaby Resources Centre, CSIRO Division of Wildlife and Ecology. Thirty species of animals are named after him.

Details

Chronology

1942

Education - Diploma in Applied Chemistry, Ballarat School of Mines

1943 - 1945

Career position - Technical Assistant, Explosives and Ammunition Research, Munitions Supply Laboratories

1945 - 1950

Career position - Experimental Officer, CSIRO Division of Economic Entomology

1950 - 1972

Career position - Experimental Officer and Research Scientist, CSIRO Wildlife Survey Section

1958

Career position - Foundation Member, Australian Mammal Society

1960 - 1972

Career position - Editor, Australian Mammal Society Bulletin

1968 - 1998?

Career position - Member, Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies

1972 - 1987

Career position - Senior Principal Research Scientist, CSIRO Wildlife Survey Section

1977

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

1983

Award - Ellis Troughton Memorial Award, Australian Mammal Society

1985 - 1987

Career position - Assistant Chief, CSIRO Division of Wildlife and Ecology

1986 - 1998

Award - Fellow, Royal Zoological Society of New South Wales

1986 - 1998

Award - Fellow and Honorary Life Member, Australian Mammal Society

1987

Life event - Retired

1987 - 1998

Career position - Honorary Research Fellow, CSIRO Division of Wildlife and Ecology

1993

Award - Honorary Member, American Society of Mammalogists

1994

Award - Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in recognition of service to science, particularly in the fields of zoology and ecology and to Australian mammalogy

Related entries

Published resources

Books

• Frith, H. J.; and Calaby, J. H., Kangaroos (Melbourne: F.W.Cheshire, 1969), 209 pp. Details
• Mulvaney, D. J.; and Calaby, J. H., So much that is new: Baldwin Spencer, 1860-1929 (Melbourne: Melbourne University Press, 1985), 492 pp. Details

Book Sections

• Calaby, J. H., 'Gray, John Edward (1800-1875), naturalist' in Australian dictionary of biography, volume 1: 1788 - 1850 A-H, Douglas Pike, ed. (Melbourne: Melbourne University Press, 1966), p. 470. http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A010433b.htm. Details
• Calaby, J. H., 'Preiss, Johann August Ludwig (1811-1883), naturalist' in Australian dictionary of biography, volume 2: 1788 - 1850 I-Z, Douglas Pike, ed. (Melbourne: Melbourne University Press, 1967), pp. 249-250. http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A020304b.htm. Details
• Calaby, J. H., 'Shaw, George (1751-1813), naturalist' in Australian dictionary of biography, volume 2: 1788 - 1850 I-Z, Douglas Pike, ed. (Melbourne: Melbourne University Press, 1967), p. 437. http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A020395b.htm. Details
• Calaby, J. H., 'Latham, John (1740-1837), ornithologist' in Australian dictionary of biography, volume 2: 1788 - 1850 I-Z, Douglas Pike, ed. (Melbourne: Melbourne University Press, 1967), pp. 88-89. http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A020076b.htm. Details
• Calaby, J. H., 'MacGillivray, John (1821-1867), naturalist' in Australian dictionary of biography, volume 2: 1788 - 1850 I-Z, Douglas Pike, ed. (Melbourne: Melbourne University Press, 1967), pp. 167-168. http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A020144b.htm. Details

Edited Books

• Calaby, J. ed., The Hunter sketchbook: birds and flowers of New South Wales drawn on the spot in 1788, 89 and 90 by Captain John Hunter (Canberra: National Library of Australia, 1989), 251 pp. Details

Journal Articles

• Calaby, J. H., 'Australian Mammals Since 1770', Australian Natural History, 16 (8) (1970), 241-288. Details
• Calaby, J. H., 'Investigating the Interior', Australian Natural History, 19 (2) (1977), 42-45. Details
• Taylor, J. Mary, 'Obituary: John H. Calaby 1922 - 1998', Journal of Mammalogy, 80 (3) (1999), 1038-47. Details
• Tyndale-Biscoe, C. H.; Calaby, J. H.; and Davies, S. J. J. F., 'Harold James Frith 1921-1982', Historical Records of Australian Science, 10 (3) (1995), 247-263. https://doi.org/10.1071/HR9951030247. Details

Resources

• Wikidata, http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q21338219. Details
• VIAF - Virtual International Authority File, OCLC, https://viaf.org/viaf/30782869. Details
• 'Calaby, J H (1922-1998)', Trove, National Library of Australia, 2009, https://nla.gov.au/nla.party-458953. Details

See also

• Robin, Libby, The Flight of the Emu: a Hundred Years of Australian Ornithology 1901-2001 (Melbourne: Melbourne University Press, 2001), 492 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