Ngadlu tampinthi ngadlu Kaurna Miyurna yartangka. Munaintya puru purruna ngadlu-itya. Munaintyanangku yalaka tarrkarriana tuntarri.
We acknowledge we are on Kaurna Miyurna land. The Dreaming is still living. From the past, in the present, into the future, forever.
By the time Womersley left England in 1930 he was an authority on Collembola. In Australia he became a world authority on Acarina. Continuing his research until a fortnight before his death, Womersley's most important contribution was his 1952 publication on the trombiculid of the Asia-Pacific region, the vector of scrub typhus. Womersley also contributed to the war effort by providing specialist taxonomic advice to both the Australian and United States of America armies.
Herbert Womersley was born on 10 April 1889 in Warrington, Lancashire, England. He was educated in his home town and from an early age developed a fascination for insects, possibly influenced by his father's (Fred) interest in Lepidoptera.
At 18 years of age, Womersley commenced an apprenticeship at 'Joseph Crossfield & Sons Limited' (established 1815), manufacturers of soap and chemicals. In his early twenties Womersley developed an interest in microscopy and under the guidance of Abraham Flatters (1848-1929), a renowned British microscopist, he accomplished a night course at the 'Manchester School of Technology in the staining, clearing and cutting of botanical specimens'. [1] In 1912, Womersley published his first article 'Teripineol, a new clearing agent' in the 'Micrologist'. Already a collector of Diptera, he turned his interest to Collembola, most which are more easily seen with the aid of a microscope. Womersley was able to apply his newfound skills.
In 1914 Womersley joined the Royal Army Medical Corps through the St John Ambulance Brigade in Manchester. He was placed in charge of a laboratory at Fort Chatham where duties included routine clinicopathological tests including bacteriology and routine pharmaceutical dispensing. [2]
In 1915, Womersley volunteered to join the Chemical Corps of Royal Engineers. He was transferred to one of the gas companies where duties included transporting cylinders of chlorine, phosogene and other gases into the trenches, and when the wind conditions were ideal, releasing them upon the enemy. Womersley took part in the first British attack upon the Germans using a poisonous gas at Loos, Battle for the Hohenzollern redoubt, and at Somme.Womersley was later transferred to explosives manufacture in Chester, Manchester and Dornoch working on TNT, nitroclycerine, acids and the recovery of alcohol and ether vapour in cordite stoves. He was discharged in 1917. [3]
In 1920, Womersley was appointed manager of the Fuel and Steamraising Department for Christopher Thomas & Bros Ltd (established 1745) soap manufacturers in Bristol. With his war service behind him, Womersley was able to resume his interest in entomology working on Apterygota and Diptera. He frequented the Bristol Museum and joined the Bristol Naturalists' Society where he became president for a term and made an honorary member when he departed for Australia in 1930. Womersley also promoted South-Western Union of Naturalists and served as Secretary from its inception until 1930 and became a fellow of the Entomological Society of London in 1926.
In 1930 Robin J Tillyard (1881-1937), Chief of the Division of Economic Entomology in Canberra, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CS & IR, currently Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation) secured Womersley's appointment as Entomologist of Section of Pasture and Field Pests in Western Australia. At the time infestations of the lucerne flea (Sminthurus viridis) and the red-legged earth mite (Halotydeus destructor) were causing damage to Australian crops, particularly in Western Australia. Before embarking for Australia, Womersley was seconded to the British Museum from January to May 1930 for training in Museum work to compensate for his lack of instruction in university biology. In particular he was to increase his knowledge in the group Acarina of the class Arachnida and the Order Collembola. Given the time constraint, he focussed upon the family Eupodidae of the Acarina and family Sminthuridae of the Collembola. Duties included: 'complete as far as possible a catalogue of these two families, to study and collect material both in the field and museums, making both slide and spirit collections, and mounts of dissected material'. [4] In the Collembola he was to concentrate upon Sminthurus, Sminthurinus, Bourletiella and make as many microscopic mounts of as many species as possible and a special study of S. viridis L (salvia) as it reaches a large size in Australia. 'Finally under "Control measures", Womersley was instructed by Tillyard to: "Draw up a report to me on the position in England at the present time as regards the mechanical, chemical and biological methods of control in use or being studied in connection with any of the above."' [5] To facilitate the studies, Tillyard sent Womersley a collection of mites and Sminthuridae from Australia. On 6 March 1930, Tillyard offered Womersley a three year appointment with CS & IR.
Womersley and his family left for Australia, stopping in South Africa for seven weeks to study the distribution and habits of the Halotydeus. whilst he was there, Womersley observed the predation of the bdellid mites upon Sminthurus. They arrived in Perth on 25 September 1930.
Given the financial constraints due to the Depression, Tillyard was unable to meet Womersley personally so he left duty instructions in a letter. Womersley's research on mites was to be divided as follows: Distribution in Western Australia, control by natural enemies, control by sprays and dusts and control by cultural methods. [6] He was to also look into the Sminthurus problem in Western Australia and collect and study Acarines, Collembola and related insects. In addition to his formal duties he was to work on a taxonomic programme for the Apterygota.
Finances did not improve over the next three years therefore Womersley's CS & IR contract was terminated. He applied for the position of Entomologist at the South Australian Museum which became vacant upon Arthur Mills Lea's (1868-1932, see AA 867) death (midday, Monday, 29 February 1932). The committee established to make the selection of a suitable candidate included Dr Thomas Draper Campbell (1893-1967, see AA 52) as Chair and Professor Thomas Harvey Johnston (1881-1951, see AA 161). Womersley took up the appointment on 1 January 1933, at a salary of £380 per annum, less percentage reductions of 10%. The appointment was subject to the usual conditions of employment at the time as well as: