Biographical entry Harrison, Launcelot (1880 - 1928)

Summary

Launcelot Harrison was Challis Professor of Zoology at the University of Sydney from 1922. Initially he worked in the insurance industry, but having been an avid amateur naturalist from childhood, he decided to switch careers. First Harrison had to formalise his training, so he completed a Bachelor of Science with a Zoology major (1914) and then a Bachelor of Art by Research (1916). While carrying out postgraduate research in England, Harrison was enlisted in the military as a Lieutenant and Advisory Entomologist to the British Expeditionary Force in Mesopotamia. In 1918, while still on active service, he was appointed Lecturer and Demonstrator in Zoology at the University of Sydney. Harrison did not take up the post until July 1919 and remained there until his sudden death in 1928. During his time at the University, he totally revitalised and revamped the Zoology Department and sparked new areas of research. Harrison was also active outside the University and was President of the Royal Zoological (1923-24), and the Linnean (1928) Societies of New South Wales and a trustee of the Australian Museum, Sydney, from 1924.

Details

Events

1900 - c. 1910

Career position - Joined the Citizens' Life Assurance Co.

1911 - 1914

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

1913 - 1914

Career position - Junior Demonstrator in Zoology and Botany at the University of Sydney

1914 - 1916

Education - Bachelor of Arts (BA Research) completed at Emmanuel College at Cambridge, UK while on a 1851 Exhibition Scholarship

1919

Career position - Lecturer and Demonstrator in Zoology at the University of Sydney

1920 - 1922

Career position - Acting Professor and Lecturer in Veterinary Parasitology at the University of Sydney

1922 - 1928

Career position - Challis Professor of Zoology at the University of Sydney

1923 - 1924

Career position - President of the Royal Zoological Society of New South Wales

1924 -

Career position - Trustee of the Australian Museum in Sydney

1925

Career position - Tails and Tarradiddles: an Australian Book of Birds and Beasts a book of verse for children written and illustrated under the name of 'Alter Ego'

1925

Career position - Multidisciplinary scientific expedition to Barrington Tops in New South Wales

1928

Career position - President of the Linnean Society of New South Wales

Archival resources

Mitchell and Dixson Libraries Manuscripts Collection, State Library of New South Wales

• Harrison, Lancelot manuscript; Mitchell and Dixson Libraries Manuscripts Collection, State Library of New South Wales. Details

Published resources

Books

• Musgrave, A., Bibliography of Australian Entomology, 1775-1930, Royal Zoological Society of New South Wales., Sydney, 1932, 380 pp. Details

Book Sections

• Walsh, G. P., 'Harrison, Launcelot (1880-1926), Zoologist', in Bede Nairn and Geoffrey Serle (eds), Australian Dictionary of Biography, vol. 9, Melbourne University Press, Melbourne, 1983, pp. 217-218. Also available at http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A090217b.htm. Details

Journal Articles

• Nature, vol. 122, 14 July 1928, pp. 65-66. Details
• Australian Zoologist, vol. 2, 14 May 1928, pp. 132-137. Details
• Anderson, Dr. C., Australian Museum Magazine, vol. iii, no. 6, 1928, pp. 191-192. Details
• Cambage, R. H., Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales, vol. 53, no. 1, 1928, p. 6. Details

Online Resources

• National Library of Australia, 'Harrison, Launcelot', Trove, National Library of Australia and the Australian National Maritime Museum Darling Harbour, 2009, http://nla.gov.au/nla.party-624420. Details

See also

• Norris, K. R., 'Ian Murray Mackerras 1898-1980', Historical Records of Australian Science, vol. 5, no. 2, 1981, pp. 98-114. Also available at http://www.publish.csiro.au/paper/HR9810520098.htm. Details
• Harrison, Launcelot (Australia 1880-1928), Some Biogeographers, Evolutionists and Ecologists: Chrono-Biographical Sketches, http://www.wku.edu/~smithch/chronob/HARR1880.htm. Details