Doug Waterhouse

Dr Douglas Frew Waterhouse CMG AO ForMemRS[1] (3 June 1916 – 1 December 2000) was an Australian entomologist.

Waterhouse was the chief of the CSIRO entomology division from 1960 - 1981. He is best known for the invention of the active ingredient in Aerogard, an Australian insect repellent. He also gave his consent to the Australian Dung Beetle Project (1965-1985) which saw the introduction of dung beetles to Australia as a fly control measure. While this was a risky decision because of the threat that the dung beetles could themselves become pests or disrupt the delicate ecological balance, it proved very successful and reduced the population of bush flies by 90%[2].

Contents

Early life

Waterhouse was born to Eben Gowrie Waterhouse and Janet Frew Waterhouse in Brisbane in 1916. He grew up in Eryldene House in Gordon, a northern suburb of Sydney. The house is now preserved by a trust and open to the public.

Douglas was introduced to entomology by his uncle Athol who would take him on butterfly collection trips. His early schooling was at Brisbane Church of England Grammar School.

Career highlights

Educated University of Sydney (BSc 1937, MSc 1938, DSc 1952)

CMG 1970, AO 1980. Assistant Research Officer, Division of Economic Entomology, CSIR 1938

Captain, Australian Army Medical Corps, World War II, working in the CSIR laboratories as a CSIR officer, research, Division of Entomology

CSIRO 1946-53, Assistant Chief, Division of Entomology

CSIRO 1953-60, Chief 1960-81, Honorary Research Fellow 1981

Consultant in Plant Protection to the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research 1983

David Syme Research Prize 1953

Fellow, Australian Academy of Science 1954

Mueller Medal 1972

Farrer Medal 1973

Adventures in Agricultural Science Award 1979

Medal of the International Congress of Plant Protection 1983

Foreign Associate, US National Academy of Sciences 1983

Australian Bicentennial Award for most outstanding living contributor to New South Wales agriculture 1988

Secretary (Biological Sciences), Australian Academy of Science 1961-66

President, Australian Entomological Society 1969-72

President, 14 International Congress of Entomology 1974

President, International Bee Research Association 1977-78

President, ACT Branch, National Trust of Australia 1983

References

  1. ^ Day, M. F. C.; Whitten, M. J.; Sands, D. P. A. (2002). "Douglas Frew Waterhouse, C.M.G. 3 June 1916 - 1 December 2000". Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society 48: 459. doi:10.1098/rsbm.2002.0027.  edit
  2. ^ Bornemissza, G. F. (1976), The Australian dung beetle project 1965-1975, Australian Meat Research Committee Review 30:1-30

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