science

A CORAL reef off Mission Beach has been named after a respected marine scientist in recognition of his pioneering research into crown-of-thorns starfish and ecotoxicology. Dr Robert “Bob” Endean was a fierce advocate for the protection of the Great Barrier Reef and played a key role in the 1960s environmental movement, which led to the formation of the marine park authority in 1975. He was one of the first people to use scuba gear to dive on the Reef and spent more than 40 years working in the University of Queensland’s Zoology Department before retiring in 1990. “Bob was a leader in marine science and a key player in getting to where we are today in reef management,” said GBRMPA general manager Bruce Elliot. “Recognising and advocating the significant threat posed to coral ecology, Bob pioneered crown-of-thorns starfish research, and his research forms the basis of the work we are still doing today.” The reef was officially named by GBRMPA, the Royal Australian Navy’s Australian Hydrographic Office and the Queensland Government. Source: www.cairnspost.com.au/news/cairns/marine-scientist-dr-bob...

Qld State Archives has this man listed as Dr. Val McDowall not Thomas Elliott.

And on another site this exact photo is captioned as Dr. Val McDowall. thand.wordpress.com/ples/

We have Val McDowall listed as the photographer. Dr. McDowall owned the radio station but all the newspaper reports list Thomas Elliott as primarily responsible for the television experiments. This man is also identified as Thomas Elliott in this newspaper article. nla.gov.au/nla.news-article49687701

Harold Lethbridge (1880-1944) who had spent his youth on Forest Vale Station, observed much of the habits and customs of the Gunggari people. He studied at Brisbane Grammar School and having graduated from Sydney University with a Bachelor of Medicine in 1904, he commenced a long career as a medical practitioner in Narrandera, in the Riverina Region where he worked closely with the Wiradjuri people of NSW. During the First World War, Harold served with the Australian Army Medical Corps in Egypt, France, and England; his wife Gwen followed him wherever possible. The Lethbridge collection contains over 50 letters from Harold to his father, describing in detail his experiences in the Casualty Clearance Stations, and his pioneering work in No. 2 Australian Auxiliary Hospital, Southall - assisting men who were limbless, and for this work, he was awarded an MBE in 1918. Later in life, Harold became a collector and translator of Aboriginal songs and was given the name 'The great white father' by descendants of the Wiradjuri people, in recognition of his service to their community. Several of the songs he collected have been recorded, notably 'Maranoa Lullaby' which was performed by Aboriginal tenor Harold Blair in 1950 and chosen by the National Film and Sound Archive as one of its ‘Sounds of Australia' - you can listen to a snippet of this recording online. More contemporary recordings include - the Wiggles 'Emma' in 1991 and the Brodskey Quartet in 2015. Source: www.slq.qld.gov.au/blog/forest-vale-station