Dr George Bornemissza
| Town/City | Hobart |
|---|---|
| First name | Dr George |
| Last name | Bornemissza |
| Country of Origin | Hungary |
| Date of Birth | 11.2.1924 |
| Year of Arrival in Australia | 1951 |
| Submitted by | Attila Urmenyhazi |
Story
Story : Dr. GEORGE F. (GY…RGY F.) BORNEMISSZA A.O., entomologist, research scientist, naturalist-ecologist, world authority on beetles (1924 – )
PART 2
In 1983 George retired to Sandy Bay in Tasmania. But the introduced bovine dung beetles continue to thrive thanks to farmers and people on the land who saw the potential in George’s idea as a simple and cheap way of looking after their land. His first major work post retirement was to compile a collection of beetles for public display, which he donated to the Australian National Insect Collection in Canberra.
George Bornemissza spends his time adding to what is the largest mounted display collection of beetles in the world. He has nearly 100 drawers and 6000 beetles from all around the world. He has already generously donated to the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, countless display cases containing massive collections of intricately mounted beetles and insects. They are named as The Bornemissza Collection and have received considerable public acclaim. Dr. Bornemissza has also contributed to habitat conservation initiatives in Tasmania.
Some of the awards he was honoured with, are: Britannica Award Gold Medal, 1973, for his application of ecology for human benefit, Medal of the Order of Australia, 2001, for service to science and entomology, particularly through the ecological study of dung beetles and the introduction of new species to Australia, CSIRO Service from Science Award, 2003, in recognition of his dedication of time and effort to improve our knowledge of our insect biodiversity, Emeritus Fellow of Entomology, CSIRO, 2006, Australian Geographic Conservationist of the Year 2008.
Submitted by : Attila J.Ürményházi
Hobart, 18 Nov.2010