Biographical entry Flynn, Theodore Thomson (1883 - 1968)

Summary

Theodore Thomson 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

Events

1906?

Award - John Couts Scholarship received from the University of Sydney

1906

Award - Medal for Biology received from the University of Sydney

1906

Award - Macleay Fellowship received from the Linnean Society of New South Wales (NSW)

1907

Career position - Science Master at Newcastle and Maitland High Schools, NSW

1907

Education - Bachelor of Science (BSc) completed at the University of Sydney

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 at the University of Tasmania

1911 - 1930

Career position - Professor of Biology at the University of Tasmania

1915

Career position - Royal Commissioner to examine the Tasmanian fishing industry

1921

Education - Doctor of Science (DSc) received from the 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

Book Sections

• Bryden, William, 'Flynn, Theodore Thomas (1883-1968), zoologist', in Bede Nairn and Geoffrey Serle (eds), Australian Dictionary of Biography, vol. 8, Melbourne University Press, Melbourne, 1981, pp. 534-536. Also available at http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A080556b.htm. Details

Journal Articles

• Harrison, A.J., 'Theodore T. Flynn', Australasian Science, vol. 21, no. 8, 2000, p. 46. Details

Online Resources

• Harrison, A.J., 'Theodore T Flynn (1883-1968)', in Progress in Managing Fisheries in Australia 1800-1990, Harrison, A.J., Anthony Harrison, 2003, http://www.users.on.net/~ahvem/Fisheries/Identities/Flynn.html. Details
• National Library of Australia, 'Flynn, Theodore Thomson', Trove, National Library of Australia and the Australian National Maritime Museum Darling Harbour, 2009, http://nla.gov.au/nla.party-1464503. Details