Warren Billingsley Hitchcock
Encyclopedia
Warren Billingsley Hitchcock (18 December 1919 – 16 March 1984) was an Australian field biologist and ornithologist. He was born at Ashfield, New South Wales
and educated in Adelaide, South Australia
. During the Second World War
he served in the CMF
and AIF
in the Northern Territory of Australia as well as in New Guinea
and New Britain
.
Subsequently he worked for various Australian state museums and for the Northern Territory Administration when, in 1955, he was badly burned from the waist down in a vehicle accident that resulted in a permanent disability. Following two years of hospitalisation and convalescene he worked for the CSIRO Wildlife Survey Section as secretary of the Australian Bird Banding Scheme and as curator of the CSIRO's ornithological collections before retiring for health reasons in 1970. In 1978 he went to New Zealand and enrolled in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Auckland
though, because of ill-health, he was not able to graduate. He died in Auckland of congestive heart failure while he slept.
He joined the Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union
in 1938 and served it as Secretary 1951-1952, President 1962-1963, and as Editor of the Emu
1962-1965. He was a founder of the Canberra Ornithologists Group
in 1964.
Ashfield, New South Wales
Ashfield is a suburb in the inner-west of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Ashfield is about 9 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre for the local government area of the Municipality of Ashfield.The official name for the...
and educated in Adelaide, South Australia
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
. During the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
he served in the CMF
Australian Army Reserve
The Australian Army Reserve is a collective name given to the reserve units of the Australian Army. Since the Federation of Australia in 1901, the reserve military force has been known by many names, including the Citizens Forces, the Citizen Military Forces, the Militia and, unofficially, the...
and AIF
Australian Imperial Force
The Australian Imperial Force was the name given to all-volunteer Australian Army forces dispatched to fight overseas during World War I and World War II.* First Australian Imperial Force * Second Australian Imperial Force...
in the Northern Territory of Australia as well as in New Guinea
New Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
and New Britain
New Britain
New Britain, or Niu Briten, is the largest island in the Bismarck Archipelago of Papua New Guinea. It is separated from the island of New Guinea by the Dampier and Vitiaz Straits and from New Ireland by St. George's Channel...
.
Subsequently he worked for various Australian state museums and for the Northern Territory Administration when, in 1955, he was badly burned from the waist down in a vehicle accident that resulted in a permanent disability. Following two years of hospitalisation and convalescene he worked for the CSIRO Wildlife Survey Section as secretary of the Australian Bird Banding Scheme and as curator of the CSIRO's ornithological collections before retiring for health reasons in 1970. In 1978 he went to New Zealand and enrolled in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Auckland
University of Auckland
The University of Auckland is a university located in Auckland, New Zealand. It is the largest university in the country and the highest ranked in the 2011 QS World University Rankings, having been ranked worldwide...
though, because of ill-health, he was not able to graduate. He died in Auckland of congestive heart failure while he slept.
He joined the Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union
Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union
The Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union, also known as Birds Australia, was founded in 1901 to promote the study and conservation of the native bird species of Australia and adjacent regions. This makes it Australia's oldest national birding association. It is also Australia's largest...
in 1938 and served it as Secretary 1951-1952, President 1962-1963, and as Editor of the Emu
Emu (journal)
Emu, subtitled Austral Ornithology, is the peer-reviewed scientific journal of the Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union. The journal was established in 1901 and is the oldest ornithological journal published in Australia...
1962-1965. He was a founder of the Canberra Ornithologists Group
Canberra Ornithologists Group
The Canberra Ornithologists Group was founded on 15 April 1970 when the ACT branch of the Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union became defunct following drastic reform within the RAOU in the late 1960s which abolished all its branches. It publishes a quarterly journal, Canberra Bird Notes, as...
in 1964.