P005942 revised AU-VU:EOAS Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation

All key entry types: Awards; Concepts; Corporate Bodies (Organisations); Cultural Artefacts; People; etc

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 English AACR2 Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules Person created 2017-12-05 human Helen Cohn updated 2026-02-19 human https://www.eoas.info/biogs/P005942b.htm person Smithers Courtenay Neville AACR2 29 August 1925 12 May 2011 Place of Birth South Africa Entomologist Museum curator Courtenay Smithers was an entomologist who was a world expert on Psocoptera (bark lice). He worked as an entomologist in South Africa and Rhodesia before becoming Curator of Insects at the Australian Museum in 1960. As curator he was also responsible for Arachnids, Chilopoda and Dromopoda, and revolutionised the way in which the collections were stored in such a way as to minimise damage to the fragile specimens when they were moved. His collecting activities in Australia and Melanesia resulted in the Australian Museum having one of the world's best collections of Psocoptera. Among his nearly 300 scientific publications was the major work The classification and phylogeny of the Psocoptera (1972). Smithers was a firm believer in the importance of connecting the public to the work of museum scientists, encouraging members of the public to participate in Museum programs. He wrote books and articles of a popular nature, his books on insect collecting and backyard beekeeping both running to multiple editions. Smithers played a leading role in the establishment of a national entomological society and served a term as President of the Australian Entomological Society. After retiring as Principal Curator from the Australian Museum he continued his research on bark lice, scorpion flies, butterflies and lacewings. 1985 Career position - Principal Curator, Australian Museum 1938 1938 Life event - Migrated to UK with family 1943 1947 Career position - Served with the British Army 1960 1960 Life event - Migrated to Australia 1960 1967 Career position - Curator of Insects, Australian Museum 1961 1964 Career position - President, Royal Zoolgical Society of New South Wales 1965 1968 Career position - Editor; News bulletin, Australian Entomological Society 1967 Career position - Deputy Director, Australian Museum 1972 1972 Education - Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Rhodes University, South Africa 1972 1972 Career position - Organising secretary, International Congress of Entomologists, Canberra 1977 1980 Career position - President, Australian Entomological Society 1983 1984 Career position - President, Linnean Society of New South Wales 1983 2011 Award - Honorary Life Member, Australian Entomological Society 1984 2011 Award - Honorary Life Member, Entomological Society of New South Wales 1985 1985 Life event - Retired 1985 2011 Career position - Senior Fellow, Australian Museum Royal Zoological Society of New South Wales (1879 - )

President 1961 - 1964

 Australian Entomological Society Inc (1965 - )

President 1977 - 1980; Honorary Life Member 1983 - 2011

 Australian Museum (1827 - )

Deputy Director, later Principal Curator 1967 - 1985; Senior Fellow 1985 - 2011

 Linnean Society of New South Wales (1874 - )

President 1983 - 1984

 Myrmecia: news bulletin of the Australian Entomological Society (1989 - )

Editor, News bulletin 1965 - 1968

 Smithers, C N (19250829-20110512)

Trove

 'Smithers, Courtenay Neville', in Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation, Centre for Transformative Innovation, Swinburne University of Technology Smithers, Courtenay Neville Swinburne University of Technology, Centre for Transformative Innovation Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation Journal Article: Ian Walter Boothroyd Thornton, 1926-2002 New, T. R.; Smithers, C. N.; and Marshall, A. T. Ian Walter Boothroyd Thornton, 1926-2002 2005 Historical Records of Australian Science 16 1 91-106 Journal Article: A tribute to Courtenay Neville Smithers and his butterfly migration studies Peters, J. V. A tribute to Courtenay Neville Smithers and his butterfly migration studies 2012 Australian Entomologist 39 4 239-46 Journal Article: Courtenay Neville Smithers: his scientific contributions to the "small order" of insects New, T. R. Courtenay Neville Smithers: his scientific contributions to the "small order" of insects 2012 Australian Entomologist 39 4 231-7 Journal Article: Courtenay Neville Smithers: his career in Australia Britton, David R. Courtenay Neville Smithers: his career in Australia 2012 Australian Entomologist 39 4 221-30 Journal Article: Dr Courtenay Neville Smithers 1925 - 2011: a tribute Britton, David Dr Courtenay Neville Smithers 1925 - 2011: a tribute 2011 General and Applied Entomology 40 25-34