Basil Eric Balme

Basil Eric Balme (13 June 1923 – 10 July 2023) was an Australian palynologist, considered as one of the pioneers in the field of palynology in Australia as well as one of its greatest contributors.

Early life

Basil Eric Balme was born on 13 June 1923, in Perth, Western Australia. His educational foundation was laid at Scotch College, where he distinguished himself as a Coombe Scholar and recipient of a Council Scholarship. Balme entered the University of Western Australia in 1941, majoring in Geology.

Military career

Balme completed the first year of the geology course before enlisting in the Royal Australian Navy in 1942 during World War II at the age of 19. He was originally trained as a radar operator in Melbourne where he joined the corvette HMAS Cowar, His 1957 monograph on Mesozoic spores and pollen of Western Australia further solidified his reputation in the field.

In 1957, at age 34, Balme transitioned to academia after accepting a Lectureship in Geology at the University of Western Australia.

Balme married his partner Helen Cook in 1949, who worked at the Natural History Museum of London.