Womersley, Hugh Bryan Spencer (Bryan) (1922 - 2011)

Summary

Brian Womersley was Australia's leading phycologist and recognised internationally for his work on the macroalgae of the region. For over 40 years he was on the staff of the Department of Botany at the University of Adelaide and continued his research in retirement. With his students he worked on the algae of Australia's southern coast, making this one of the world's taxonomically best-known stretches of coastline. In his research Womersley described over 320 new genera and species of algae. He published the 6-volume encyclopaedic The marine benthic flora of southern Australia (1984-2003). The red algal genera Womersleya and Womerslyella were named in his honour.

Details

Chronology

1930

Life event - Migrated to Australia with family

1945

Education - Bachelor of Science (BSc(Hons)), University of Adelaide

1946 - 1949

Career position - Lecturer, Department of Botany, University of Adelaide

1947

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

1950 - 1960

Career position - Senior Lecturer, Department of Botany, University of Adelaide

1951

Award - Carnegie Foundation Travel Grant

1952

Education - Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), University of Adelaide

1955

Award - Edgeworth David Medal, Royal Society of New South Wales

1958 - 1961

Career position - Chairman, Herbarium Liaison Committee, South Australia

1960

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

1961 - 1973

Career position - Reader, Department of Botany, University of Adelaide

1961 - 1992

Career position - Member, Board of Governors, Adelaide Botanic Garden

1962

Award - Fulbright Travel Grant

1962

Award - Royal Society-Nuffield Foundation Commonwealth Bursary

1964 -

Career position - Honorary Curator of the Herbarium, University of Adelaide

1965 - 1966

Career position - Vice-President, Royal Society of South Australia

1966 - 1967

Career position - President, Royal Society of South Australia

1966 - 1971

Career position - Member of Council, International Phycological Society

1969

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

1970

Career position - President, International Phycological Society

1971 - 1976

Career position - Editor, Royal Society of South Australia

1974 - 1987

Career position - Professor (personal chair), Department of Botany, University of Adelaide

1977

Career position - Dean, Faculty of Science, University of Adelaide

1977 - 2011

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

1980 - 1982

Career position - Founding President, Australasian Society for Phycology and Aquatic Botany

1985

Award - Clarke Medal, Royal Society of New South Wales

1986

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

1987

Life event - Retired

1987 - 2011

Career position - Honorary Associate and Curator of Algae, State Herbarium of South Australia

1987 - 2011

Career position - Emeritus Professor, University of Adelaide

1988 - 2011

Career position - Honorary Visiting Research Fellow, University of Adelaide

1994

Award - Silver Jubilee Award, Australian Marine Sciences Association

1994 - 2011

Award - Life Member, Australasian Society for Phycology and Aquatic Botany

1999

Award - Prescott Award, Phycological Society of America

2001

Award - Centenary Medal for service to Australian society and science in marine plant biology

2004

Award - South Australia Great Award for Environmental Science

2005

Award - Nature Conservation Award, Field Naturalists Club of South Australia

Related entries

Published resources

Journal Articles

• Baldock, Bob, 'Bryan, H. B. S. Womersley (1922 - 2011)', Australian marine sciences bulletin, 184 (2011), 12. Details
• Baldock, R.; and Shepherd, S. A., 'H B S Womersley (1922-2011)', Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia, 135 (1) (2011), 111. Details
• Kraft, Gerald T., 'In Memoriam: tribute to Professor Hugh Bryan Spencer Womersley (19 November 1922-16 January 2011)', Phycologia, 50 (2011), 439-41. Details
• Maroske, Sara, 'Hugh Bryan Spencer Womersley 1922 - 2011', Historical Records of Australian Science, 30 (2) (2019), 178-90, https://doi.org/10.1071/HR19003. Details
• Woelkerling, Bill, 'Hugh Bryan Spencer Womersley (19 November 1922 - 16 January 2011)', Australasian Society for Phycology and Aquatic Botany Newsletter, 29 (1) (2011), 9. Details
• Woelkerling, W. J.; and Borowitzka, M. A., 'A 75th birthday tribute to H. B. S. Womersley', Botanica Marina, 41 (1) (1998), 1-5. Details
• Womersley, H. B. S., 'Obituary: Joseph Garnett Wood', Australian Journal of Science, 22 (10) (1960), 407-408. Details
• Womersley, H. B. S.; and Sinkora, D. M., 'Ferdinand Mueller's earliest Australian plant collections', Australian Systematic Botany Society Newsletter, 53 (1987), 11-4. Details
• Womersley, H. Bryan S., 'Life of Bryan', Australasian Society for Phycology and Aquatic Botany Newsletter, 8 (1) (1988), 2-10. Details
• Wynne, Michael J., 'To Professor H.B.S. Womersley in honour of his continued contributions to phycology', Botanica Marina, 52 (3) (2009), 193-4. Details

Resources

• Wikidata, http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q21338083. Details
• VIAF - Virtual International Authority File, OCLC, https://viaf.org/viaf/119086888. Details
• 'Womersley, H B S (1922-)', Trove, National Library of Australia, 2009, https://nla.gov.au/nla.party-638471. Details

See also

• 'Womersley, Hugh Bryan Spencer (Bryan) (1922 - 2011)', Jubilee Award recipients, Australian Marine Sciences Association, 2022, https://www.amsa.asn.au/sites/default/files/bryan_womersley_1994.pdf. https://www.amsa.asn.au/jubilee-award-recipients. Details