De Baar, Murdoch (1945 - 2011)

Summary

Murdoch de Baar was widely noted for his depth of knowledge of insects, including habitat, ecology, and how to rear them. Interested in insects from childhood (he brought a collection to Australia when the family migrated in 1952), he used every opportunity to collect and study them. Of particular interest were butterflies and scarab beetles, and insects that bred on mistletoes and lived in mangroves. De Baar joined the Queensland Department of Forestry in 1965 and was stationed in many parts of the state. Much of his work related to forest pests and forest insects. For the second half of his time with the Department (later the Queensland Forest Service) he was curator of its insect collection. During his career he wrote, or contributed to, over 90 publications, including departmental reports and a taxonomic review of the butterfly genus Elodina. De Baar was involved in a range of entomological activities, including as a committee member on the recovery teams for the Australian Fritillary Butterfly and the Bull Oak Jewel Butterfly, and a member of the council of the Entomological Society of Queensland. His personal collection was donated to the Queensland Museum by his widow Glenda in 2013.

Details

Chronology

1952

Life event - Migrated to Australia with his parents

1965

Career event - Trainee, Queensland Department of Forestry

2006

Life event - Retired

Related entries

Published resources

Journal Articles

• Anon, 'Private collections donated to the Queensland Museum', News bulletin, Entomological Society of Queensland, 41 (7) (2013), 114-6. Details
• De Baar, Murdoch, 'Butterflies from an area between the Bunya Mountains and Archookoora State Forest, Queensland', Australian entomological magazine, 3 (6) (1977), 115-9. Details
• De Baar, Murdoch and Hancock, David L., 'The Australian species of .Elodina C. & R. Felder (Lepidoptera: Pieridae)', Australian entomological magazine, 20 (1993), 25-43. Details
• De Baar, Murdoch and Hockey, Michael, 'Zelotypia stacyi Scott (Lepidoptera: Hepialidae): a conservation perspective', Australian entomologist, 36 (2) (2009), 85-9. Details
• Lambkin, Trevor, 'Murdoch de Baar (1945 - 2011)', Metamorphosis Australia: magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club Inc., 60 (2011), 9-11, https://drive.google.com/file/d/17aqSNr1o7ut4x8x6yEqMlt368oNzyQ5_/view. Details
• Wylie, Ross, 'Obituary: Murdoch De Baar 25 May 1945- 6 January 2011', News bulletin, Entomological Society of Queensland, 38 (9/10) (2011), 167-70. Details