Robin John Tillyard's 1936 Queensland excursion: uncivilized towns, unmitigated discomfort and fossil insects

Abstract

Robin John Tillyard was the pre-eminent Australian entomologist of the first half of the twentieth century and a world authority on fossil insects. In May 1936, he set off on a six week, 5,000-kilometre excursion through Queensland, mostly by train, in search of new discoveries of fossil insects and insect ancestors. With a long history of serious illness and disability, he undoubtedly suffered substantial discomfort and pain during the six weeks, and, consistent with his fearless and combative personality, on his return to Brisbane in June he launched a stinging attack on Queensland's inadequate railway system, poor hotel accommodation and its many “uncivilised” towns. Tillyard's critique drew a spirited defence from the State's politicians and civic leaders, and the debate raged in the local press for the next week. Except for a large collection of fossil insects from the then recently discovered site at Mount Crosby near Brisbane (which required no train travel), and a week of now long forgotten media entertainment, Tillyard's Queensland excursion produced little. Even though this lack of success may have contributed to his negative state of mind on his return to Brisbane, he remained very enthusiastic about the new discoveries from Mount Crosby. With his tragic death in January of 1937, however, their study had to await another generation of Australian entomologists, one of whom was his son-in-law, John William Evans.