Person
Lee, David Joseph (1915 - 1990)
- Born
- 28 January 1915
Bondi, New South Wales, Australia - Died
- 13 October 1990
Brisbane, Queensland, Australia - Occupation
- Entomologist and Medical research scientist
Summary
David Lee was one of Australia's foremost medical entomologists. His research focused on mosquitoes and biting midges, initially with CSIR and the Queensland Department of Agriculture and Stock, and for over 30 years at the School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, University of Sydney. At the School, he initiated research programs on the taxonomy of mosquitoes and midges, insect quarantine, domestic fly and flea problems, institutional scabies, biological control of mosquitoes, and vector-borne diseases (particularly Murray Valley encephalitis, dengue fever, Ross River virus, myxomatosis and fowl pox). With Anthony Woodhill, he published a key work on Australasian anopheline mosquitoes. One of Lee's major achievements was the 12-volume Culicidae of the Australasian region (1980 - 1989), which he saw as providing basic and historical information to researchers in many fields. Lee was a long-term member of the Linnean Society of New South Wales, serving as President 1950 - 1951.
Details
Chronology
- 1934 - 1935
- Career position - Vice-President, Sydney University Science Association
- 1936
- Education - BSc, University of Sydney
- 1936 - 1990
- Career position - Member, Linnean Society of New South Wales
- 1937
- Career position - Entomologist, mosquito survey in Molonglo Gorge, CSIR
- 1938 - 1939
- Career position - Entomologist, Cotton Experiment Station, Queensland Department of Agriculture and Stock
- 1939 - 1948
- Career position - Department of Zoology, University of Sydney
- 1948 - 1980
- Career position - Head of Medical Entomology, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, University of Sydney
- 1949 - ?
- Career position - Member of Council, Linnean Society of New South Wales
- 1950 - 1951
- Career position - President, Linnean Society of New South Wales
- 1967 - 1980
- Career position - Associate Professor, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, University of Sydney
- 1980
- Life event - Retired
Related entries
Colleague
Published resources
Books
- Lee, David J., An atlas of mosquito larvae in the Australasian region: tribes Megarhinini and Culicini (North Melbourne: Victorian Railways Printing Works, 1944), 119 pp. Details
- Lee, David J., Arthropod bites and stings: and other injurious effects (Sydney: School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, University of Sydney, 1975), 225 pp. Details
- Lee, David J., Culicidae of the Australasian region, 12 vols (Canberra: Australian Government Publishing Service, 1980-1989). Details
- Lee, David J. and Woodhill, A. R., The anopheline mosquitoes of the Australasian region (Sydney: Department of Zoology, University of Sydney, 1944), 209 pp. Details
Journal Articles
- Debenham, Margaret, 'David Joseph Lee (28 January 1915 -13 October 1990)', Myrmecia: news bulletin of the Australian Entomological Society, 27 (1) (1991), 21-4. 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
- Russell, Richard C., 'Tribute to D. J. Lee', General and applied entomology, 23 (1991), 2. Details
Helen Cohn
Created: 7 May 2026