Herbert Andrewartha

Professor Herbert George Andrewartha, BS (UWA), MAgSc (Melb), DSc (Adel), FAA, (21 December 1907 – 27 January 1992) was a distinguished Australian research scientist in the fields of entomology, biology, zoology and animal ecology.

Early life Andrewartha was born the second of three children, on 21 December 1907 in Perth, Western Australia to George and Elsie. His father was a teacher, and the family moved frequently from school to school with the education department, in rural Western Australia.

Andrewartha received his Bachelor of Agriculture from the University of Western Australia. He later received his doctorate from the University of Adelaide in 1972.

Career Andrewartha became the most influential Australian ecologist, best known for attributing density-independent forces, such as weather, to be even more important than density-dependent factors in influencing population regulation. In 1933, Andrewartha began his studies on apple thrips, Thrips imaginis, but later transitioned his studies to the plague grasshopper, Austroicetes, when he moved to Adelaide in 1935. In 1945, when his mentor James Davidson died, Andrewartha inherited 15 years of data collected on thrips population. in Animal Ecology, University of Adelaide 1961 Introduction to the Study of Animal Populations published 1961 Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science (FAA) 1962–1972 Professor of Zoology, University of Adelaide (Emeritus Professor 1973) 1984 The ecological web : more on the distribution and abundance of animals published

Significant work General theory of the distribution and abundance of animals The ecology of Thrips imaginis The ecology of Austroicetes cruciata Diapause, period of suspended development in an invertebrate, or mammal embryo, especially during poor environmental conditions The Queensland fruitfly Dacus tryoni

Honours and awards Andrewartha received many prestigious awards including the Clarke Medal from the Royal Society of New South Wales, Verco Medal from the Royal Society of South Australia, and the Gold Medal from Australian Ecological Society in 1987. He was President of the Nature Conservation Society of South Australia and Chairman of the National Parks and Wildlife Advisory Council of South Australia. was established to recognise outstanding research by an early-career, young Australian scientist.