P000344 revised AU-VU:EOAS Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation

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 English AACR2 Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules Person created 1993-10-20 human Gavan McCarthy [P004098] and Helen Cohn updated 2026-05-21 human https://www.eoas.info/biogs/P000344b.htm person Dakin William John AACR2 23 April 1883 2 April 1950 Place of Birth Toxeth Park, Lancashire, England Place of Death Turramurra, New South Wales, Australia Marine zoologist John Dakin was a marine zoologist who, having been the inaugural Professor of Biology at the University of Western Australia for seven years, was for 20 years Professor of Zoology at the University of Sydney. At Sydney he provided for the first time specialised marine biology training for New South Wales students. A principal focus of Dakin's research was on osmotic relations of the body of fluids of aquatic animals. He instituted a series of studies of the plankton on the New South Wales coast. His major work on plankton was lost when the ship carrying the manuscript was sunk in WWII. Dakin's influence in the advancement of science was widely felt. Between 1934 and 1944 he was a popular and influential broadcaster for ABC radio where many of his broadcasts were about science. The establishment of the CSIRO fisheries laboratory at Cronulla owed much to his efforts. His most influential book, Australian seashores (1952) was reprinted 11 times and considered a classic work on Australian marine life. During WWII he was Technical Director of Camouflage for the Commonwealth Department of Home Affairs. 1905 1905 Education - Bachelor of Science (BSc), University of Liverpool 1907 1907 Education - Master of Science (MSc), University of Liverpool 1907 1910 Award - 1851 Exhibition Science Research Scholarship, studied zoology - Heligoland, Norway and Naples, Italy 1911 1911 Education - Doctor of Science (DSc), University of Liverpool 1911 1913 Career position - Lecturer in Zoology, University of Belfast 1913 1913 Life event - Migrated to Australia 1913 1915 Career position - President, Royal Society of Western Australia 1913 1920 Career position - Inaugural Professor of Biology, University of Western Australia 1920 1928 Career position - Professor of Zoology, University of Liverpool 1922 1924 Career position - President, Liverpool Biological Society 1924 1928 Career position - External Examiner in Zoology, University of London 1928 1948 Career position - Professor of Zoology, University of Sydney 1930 1930 Career event - Elected Member (Zoology), Australian National Research Council 1930 1931 Career position - President, Royal Zoological Society of New South Wales 1931 1950 Award - Life Member, Zoological Society of New South Wales 1934 1934 Award - R. M. Johnston Memorial Medal, Royal Society of Tasmania 1934 1935 Career position - President, Linnean Society of New South Wales 1934 c. 1944 Career position - Radio science broadcaster, Australian Broadcasting Commission 1937 1937 Career event - Fellow, Australian and New Zealand Association for the Advancement of Science (ANZAAS) 1948 1948 Life event - Retired 1948 1950 Career position - Emeritus Professor, University of Sydney 1949 1949 Award - Mueller Medal, Australian and New Zealand Association for the Advancement of Science 1952 1952 Life event - Book published posthumously: "Australian seashores : a guide for the beach-lover, the naturalist, the shore fisherman, and the student", with assistance from Isobel Bennett (1909 - 2008) and Elizabeth Pope (1912 - 1993) Fowler, Stanley (1895 - 1961) Thompson, Harold (1890 - 1957) Colefax, Alan Neville (1908 - 1961) Bennett, Isobel Ida Toon (1909 - 2008)

Dakin's research assistant for 40 years. She prepared Dakin's book Australian seashores (1952) for publication after his death.

 Alexander, Wilfred Backhouse (1885 - 1965) Australian Broadcasting Commission (1932 - 1983)

Regular and popular Science talks broadcaster on ABC radio 1934 -1944

 CSIR Fisheries Investigations Section, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (1937 - 1940)

Appointed marine biology adviser 1935

 Australian and New Zealand Association for the Advancement of Science (ANZAAS) (1930 - )

Fellow 1937 -

 1851 Exhibition Scholarship Awards, Australia (1891 - )

1851 Exhibition Science Research Scholarship: 1907-1910. [Studied zoology - Heligoland, Norway and Naples, Italy]

 Eugenics Society, The University of Western Australia (1933 - c. 1937) Australian National Research Council (ANRC) (1919 - 1955)

Member (Zoology) 1930 -

 Mueller Medal, Australian and New Zealand Association for the Advancement of Science (1904 - 2006)

Awarded the Medal 1949

 Royal Zoological Society of New South Wales (1879 - )

President 1930 - 1931; Life Member 1931 - 1950

 Royal Society of Western Australia (1914 - )

President 1913 - 1915

 The University of Western Australia (1911 - )

Inaugural Professor of Biology 1913 - 1920

 The University of Sydney (1850 - )

Professor of Zoology 1928 - 1948

 Linnean Society of New South Wales (1874 - )

President 1934 - 1935

 R. M. Johnston Memorial Medal, Royal Society of Tasmania (1920 - )

Awarded the Medal 1934

 CSIR Council, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (1926 - 1949)

Member 1944-1949

Wikidata

VIAF - Virtual International Authority File

 Dakin, William J (1883-1950)

Trove

 'Dakin, William John (John)', in Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation, Centre for Transformative Innovation, Swinburne University of Technology Dakin, William John (John) Swinburne University of Technology, Centre for Transformative Innovation Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation Book Section: Dakin, William John (1883-1950), zoologist Bygott, Ursula; Cable, K. J. Dakin, William John (1883-1950), zoologist Melbourne Melbourne University Press 1981 Australian dictionary of biography, volume 8: 1891 - 1939 Cl-Gib Bede Nairn and Geoffrey Serle 190-191 Book: The plankton of the Australian coastal waters off New South Wales, vol. 1 Dakin, W. J. and Colefax, A. N. The plankton of the Australian coastal waters off New South Wales, vol. 1 Sydney Australasian Medical Publishing Company for the University of Sydney 1940 Journal Article: Observations on the seasonal changes in temperature, salinity, phosphates, and nitrate nitrogen and oxygen in the ocean waters on the continental shelf off New South Wales, and the relationship to plankton production Dakin, William J. and Colefax, Allen [sic] N. Observations on the seasonal changes in temperature, salinity, phosphates, and nitrate nitrogen and oxygen in the ocean waters on the continental shelf off New South Wales, and the relationship to plankton production 1935 Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 60 5/6 303-14 Journal Article: The marine plankton of the coastal waters of New South Wales, I: the chief planktonic forms and their seasonal distribution Dakin, W. J. and Colefax, A. N. The marine plankton of the coastal waters of New South Wales, I: the chief planktonic forms and their seasonal distribution 1943 Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 68 3/4 186-222 Book: Great Barrier Reef and some mention of other Australian coral reefs Dakin, William J. Great Barrier Reef and some mention of other Australian coral reefs Melbourne Australian National Publicity Association 1950 Book: W. J. Dakin's classic study Australian seashores: guide to the temperate shores for the beach-lover, the naturalist, the shore-fisherman and the student: fully revised and illustrated by Isobel Bennett Dakin, William J. W. J. Dakin's classic study Australian seashores: guide to the temperate shores for the beach-lover, the naturalist, the shore-fisherman and the student: fully revised and illustrated by Isobel Bennett Rev. North Ryde, N.SW. Angus & Robertson 1987 Book: Australian seashores: a guide for the beach-lover, the naturalist, the shore fishermen, and the student Dakin, William J.: assisted by Isobel Bennett and Elizabeth Pope Australian seashores: a guide for the beach-lover, the naturalist, the shore fishermen, and the student Sydney Angus and Robertson 1952 Journal Article: The ocean in our blood: William Dakin's modern story for ABC radio Elias, Ann The ocean in our blood: William Dakin's modern story for ABC radio 2013 Journal of Australian Studies 37 4 425-37 Journal Article: Obituary: Professor William John Dakin, DSc, FZS Colefax, A. N. Obituary: Professor William John Dakin, DSc, FZS 1950 Australian Journal of Science 12 6 208-209 Book: The first one hundred years of the Royal Zoological Society of N.S.W. 1879 - 1979 Prince, J. H. The first one hundred years of the Royal Zoological Society of N.S.W. 1879 - 1979 Sydney Royal Zoolgical Society of New South Wales 1979 Eugenics Society in the University of Western Australia Wellcome Collection Eugenics Society in the University of Western Australia SA/EUG/E.5 1933 - 1937 A set of 19 imaged pages including 2 press cuttings (undated and unsourced): mostly correspondence with Muriel Marion addressed to the 'Eugenics Education Society'; also includes correspondence with Dorothea Cass of the Women's Service Guilds of Western Australia Inc. with a list of key references on eugenics supplied by the Eugenics Society (London). Includes references to: Professor Dakin; Professor Nicholls; Dr Roberta Jull; Mr G. Bourne; Dr H.J. Gray; Dr R.G. Williams; and the Claremont Hospital for the Insane. 1 file Digitised paper records