Person

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

FAA

Born
19 November, 1922
Bristol, England
Died
16 January 2011
Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
Occupation
Phycologist and University Administrator
Alternative Names
  • Womersley, Bryan

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 - BSc (Hons), University of Adelaide
1946 - 1949
Career position - Lecturer, Department of Botany, University of Adelaide
1947
Education - MSc, University of Adelaide
1950 - 1960
Career position - Senior Lecturer, Department of Botany, University of Adelaide
1951
Award - Carnegie Foundation Travel Grant
1952
Education - 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 - 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
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 Corporate Bodies

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

See also

Rosanne Walker and Helen Cohn

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