ISSN 1039-3498 | no. 62 | April 2003
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Collection
of First Government Geologist of Papua New Guinea Acquired
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Left
to right: Jan Fullerton (Director-General, National Library of Australia),
Professor Fiona Stanley (University of Western Australia) and Linda Groom (Curator of Pictures) |
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The Library’s records of Australian administration in Papua New Guinea, and the work of Australian scientists, received a boost recently with the presentation of a collection of 90 glass lantern slides. Taken by the first Australian government geologist in Papua New Guinea, Evan Richard Stanley, they were presented to the Library in a small ceremony late last year by Stanley’s granddaughter Professor Fiona Stanley. The glass lantern slides, which have survived in remarkably good condition, show scenes of Papuan life such as boat building and food preparation. They join copies of photographs acquired earlier in the year which depict geologically-significant landscapes and the life of the Stanley family in Port Moresby. E.R. Stanley served as government geologist from 1911 to 1924. He produced
the first comprehensive reports of the geology of Papua and New Guinea.
His death from an infection at age 39 deprived Australia of a significant
and influential scientist. In his eulogy for Stanley, Sir Douglas Mawson
described him as a conscientious scientist who was ‘well fitted for work
in Papua by reason of his grand physique and natural ability for roughing
it’. Stanley’s passion for science has descended through two generations—his
son Neville became Professor of Microbiology at the University of Western
Australia and his grand daughter Fiona, who was recently announced as
Australian of the Year, leads the Institute of Child Health at the same
university. |
| Contents list for this issue of Gateways |
Please address any comments and enquiries to The Editor, Gateways: gateways@nla.gov.au