Biographical entry Thornton, Ian Walter Boothroyd (1926 - 2002)

Summary

Ian Walter B. Thornton was Foundation Professor of Zoology at La Trobe University and Professor Emeritus from 1992. His research interests included ecosystem assembly and recovery, and biogeography and ecology of islands. He was educated at the University of Leeds, UK where he completed his PhD on psocoptera (booklice and barklice). Next Thornton went to the Gordon Memorial University College of Khartoum in Sudan followed by appointments of Dean and Reader of Zoology at the University of Hong Kong. In 1968 he left Hong Kong and was appointed Foundation Professor of Zoology at La Trobe University. Throughout his working life, Thornton carried out many field trips which included visits to Africa, Middle East, Asia, Micronesia, the Pacific and parts of Melanesia. His most reported work was of his studies in Krakatau which resulted in many publications including Krakatau. The destruction and reassembly of an island ecosystem.

Details

Events

c. 1944 - c. 1948

Career position - Officer and Parachutist in the 6th Airborne Division of the British Army

1951

Education - Bachelor of Science with Honours (BSc (Hons)) completed at the University of Leeds, UK

1953

Education - Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) completed at the University of Leeds

1953 - 1956

Career position - Lecturer in Zoology at the University College of Khartoum, Sudan

1956 - 1966

Career position - Senior lecturer in Zoology at the University of Hong Kong

1966 - 1968

Career position - Reader in Zoology at the University of Hong Kong

1968 - 1991

Career position - Foundation Professor of Zoology at La Trobe University

1984

Education - Doctor of Science (DSc) received

1984 - 1992

Career position - Leader of the International Zoological Expeditions to Krakatau

1992 -

Career position - Professor Emeritus of Zoology at La Trobe University

1992

Award - John Lewis Gold Medal received from the Royal Geographical Society of Australasia

1995 -

Award - Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science (FAA)

1996

Career position - Krakatau: The Destruction and Reassembly of an Ecosystem published

Related entries

Published resources

Journal Articles

• New, T. R., Smithers, C. N. and Marshall, A. T., 'Ian Walter Boothroyd Thornton, 1926-2002', Historical Records of Australian Science, vol. 16, no. 1, 2005, pp. 91-106. Also available at http://www.publish.csiro.au/paper/HR05002.htm. Details

Newspaper Articles

• Marshall, Alan T., 'Exploring the living world in Darwin's footsteps - Obituary, Ian Walter Boothroyd Thornton', The Age, 22 November 2002. Details

Online Resources

• National Library of Australia, 'Thornton, I W B', Trove, National Library of Australia and the Australian National Maritime Museum Darling Harbour, 2009, http://nla.gov.au/nla.party-633709. Details
• Thornton, Ian, Interview with Dr Patricia Woolley, Interviews with Australian scientists, Australian Academy of Science, 9 November 2000, http://www.science.org.au/scientists/interviews/w/pw.html. Details