Harrison, Launcelot

Harrison completed his BSc in 1913 with 1st class honours in Zoology III, 2nd class honours in Botany III and the University Medal for Zoology (ref University Calendar 1914). In 1914, he worked as a junior demonstrator in biology for 5 months from 23rd March (G18: Salaries & Wages Register vol 2 folio 21). In August 1914, he took up a Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851 travelling scholarship in Cambridge. In 1915, he worked on the louse problem for the War Office at the Quick Laboratory, under Professor G H F Nuttall FRS. In 1916, he was offered the position of entomologist (civilian) to the Mesopotamia Expeditionary Force; he was subsequently gazetted as a military officer. He contracted malaria and typhus in April 1918 while carrying out experiments at the Isolation Hospital in Baghdad; he was invalided to India and thence to England. (Refer to Sydney University War Service records: S13)

Harrison rejoined the University staff in July 1919 as lecturer and demonstrator. From 1920 to 1922, he was acting Professor of Zoology, and from 1923 to 1928, Challis Professor of Zoology. (Senate Minutes 1923 and 1928: G1/1/16 page 324 and G1/1/19 pages 45, 113) Harrison carried out research on the embryology of the platypus. 

RELATED RECORD: personnel file G3/187 and G3_158

an ADB entry by GP Walsh is available online at https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/harrison-launcelot-6586 [seen 30/07/2021 KB]