Robert Alexander Falla

Sir Robert Alexander Falla (21 July 1901 – 23 February 1979) was a New Zealand museum administrator and ornithologist.

He was assistant zoologist with the British, Australian and New Zealand Antarctic Research Expedition (BANZARE) under Sir Douglas Mawson 1929-1931.[1] He was the founding President of the Ornithological Society of New Zealand. He was involved in the organisation of the wartime subantarctic Cape Expedition coastwatching program of 1941-1945.

He held positions in various New Zealand museums including Director of the Canterbury Museum from 1936[2] and Director of the Dominion Museum, Wellington, 1947-1966. He was a member of the Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union (RAOU), President 1951-1952, and made a fellow of the Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union in 1973.[3]

He described Pycroft's Petrel, Pterodroma pycrofti. Falla's Skink Oligosoma fallai is named for him.

References

  1. ^ "Papers Past — Evening Post — 7 August 1930 — ANTARCTIC RESEARCH". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 1930. http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=EP19300807.2.74&. 
  2. ^ "Evening Post — 1 December 1936 — CANTERBURY MUSEUM". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 1936. http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=EP19361201.2.48. Retrieved 20 October 2011. 
  3. ^ Robin, Libby. (2001). The Flight of the Emu: a hundred years of Australian ornithology 1901-2001. Carlton, Vic. Melbourne University Press. ISBN 0-522-84987-3

External links