TT Flynn
1883: Theodore Thomson Flynn was born in Coraki NSW. A country town 720km north of Sydney. He graduated BSc from University of Sydney in 1909.
He taught high school science until he was appointed a lecturer at UniTas. He and his wife moved to Hobart. Son Errol born June 1909.
1911: Prof Flynn first professor of new discipline Biology.
Flynn active member of Tasmanian Field naturalist Club.
Excursions to Freycinet and dredged the Derwent for specimens.
1912: Flynn joined Mawson’s Antarctic expedition. Biologist in charge. He dredged the deep southern seas.
Macquarie Island has a lake named after him. Flynn Lake.
1919: The TMAG contains a complete thylacine skeleton collected by Flynn.
He advocated the protection of the thylacine. He suggested placing some thylacines on a refuge island.
Published work on the birth of kangaroos. His aim was to tell the public the kangaroo was not born on the nipple.
Flynn published work on the reproductive behaviour of bettongs. Father and son trapped bettongs on Mt Wellington.
Flynn wrote about the Tasmanian Devil. He obtained specimens from Beaumaris Zoo.
He published on sea spiders and a freshwater sponge.
He described a fossil whale. Utas collection.
He promoted fishing based on science. Oysters and crayfish.
1931: Funding for Biology chair is cut and Flynn moves to Belfast.
‘The rapport was with my father. He looked Irish. He had red, bushy eyebrows, black hair; he was lean, angular, full of charm, good will, and a certain professorial quietness. He spoke with a clipped British accent, tinged with touches of Irish brogue.’ (Errol Flynn, My Wicked, Wicked Ways)
‘Theo Flynn was tall, slim, broad shouldered and blue-eyed; softly spoken, charming and witty. He was very industrious but also gregarious and friendly, enjoying dancing and tennis, as well as his academic interests. He was a very powerful personality full of drive and energy that led him into many adventures, credible or otherwise.’ (E. Guiler, Sunday Tasmanian, 8 July 1990)
Dear Professor Eric Guiler,
Having read the article in the Sunday Tasmanian (8th July 1990) on the life of Professor Flynn it has prompted me to write to you with a little information about the Professor. He boarded at the same guest house where I was, Pressland House in Melville Street, Hobart. That was in 19?1. He was at the Tasmanian University just above the Hobart Railway Station on the Domain. He was a very fine well groomed man. Always wore a black bowler hat. He never ever mentioned his wife but he was always greatly admired by the ladies of Hobart. He seemed to take great pride in himself and led a good life. He used to tell me about his son Erroll. Apparently he was often a great worry to his father. Father never knew where he was or what he did but he always had an appointment to meet outside McKeans boot shop in Elizabeth Street (now the Mall) at twenty minutes past eight. They had very little to say to each other except of course Erroll was always ‘broke’. The meeting took place every Friday evening. He thought a lot of his son, so I guess Erroll was the cause of father having difficulty in meeting his debts. I thought this information might be of interest to you. At the time I was working in a wholesale grocery business in Hobart. Times were bad: right in the big Depression.
Yours faithfully,
Louis F. Bisdee
He taught high school science until he was appointed a lecturer at UniTas. He and his wife moved to Hobart. Son Errol born June 1909.
1911: Prof Flynn first professor of new discipline Biology.
Flynn active member of Tasmanian Field naturalist Club.
Excursions to Freycinet and dredged the Derwent for specimens.
1912: Flynn joined Mawson’s Antarctic expedition. Biologist in charge. He dredged the deep southern seas.
Macquarie Island has a lake named after him. Flynn Lake.
1919: The TMAG contains a complete thylacine skeleton collected by Flynn.
He advocated the protection of the thylacine. He suggested placing some thylacines on a refuge island.
Published work on the birth of kangaroos. His aim was to tell the public the kangaroo was not born on the nipple.
Flynn published work on the reproductive behaviour of bettongs. Father and son trapped bettongs on Mt Wellington.
Flynn wrote about the Tasmanian Devil. He obtained specimens from Beaumaris Zoo.
He published on sea spiders and a freshwater sponge.
He described a fossil whale. Utas collection.
He promoted fishing based on science. Oysters and crayfish.
1931: Funding for Biology chair is cut and Flynn moves to Belfast.
‘The rapport was with my father. He looked Irish. He had red, bushy eyebrows, black hair; he was lean, angular, full of charm, good will, and a certain professorial quietness. He spoke with a clipped British accent, tinged with touches of Irish brogue.’ (Errol Flynn, My Wicked, Wicked Ways)
‘Theo Flynn was tall, slim, broad shouldered and blue-eyed; softly spoken, charming and witty. He was very industrious but also gregarious and friendly, enjoying dancing and tennis, as well as his academic interests. He was a very powerful personality full of drive and energy that led him into many adventures, credible or otherwise.’ (E. Guiler, Sunday Tasmanian, 8 July 1990)
Dear Professor Eric Guiler,
Having read the article in the Sunday Tasmanian (8th July 1990) on the life of Professor Flynn it has prompted me to write to you with a little information about the Professor. He boarded at the same guest house where I was, Pressland House in Melville Street, Hobart. That was in 19?1. He was at the Tasmanian University just above the Hobart Railway Station on the Domain. He was a very fine well groomed man. Always wore a black bowler hat. He never ever mentioned his wife but he was always greatly admired by the ladies of Hobart. He seemed to take great pride in himself and led a good life. He used to tell me about his son Erroll. Apparently he was often a great worry to his father. Father never knew where he was or what he did but he always had an appointment to meet outside McKeans boot shop in Elizabeth Street (now the Mall) at twenty minutes past eight. They had very little to say to each other except of course Erroll was always ‘broke’. The meeting took place every Friday evening. He thought a lot of his son, so I guess Erroll was the cause of father having difficulty in meeting his debts. I thought this information might be of interest to you. At the time I was working in a wholesale grocery business in Hobart. Times were bad: right in the big Depression.
Yours faithfully,
Louis F. Bisdee