Antarctic Vignettes VII: The search for S. Tasman- postscript

Tasman Spaulding served as an Able Seaman on the S.Y. Terra Nova on the 1903–1904 voyage to Antarctica. A clerical error that reversed his given and family names meant he never knew of the bronze Polar Medal awarded for his services on the expedition. For the last 108 years the incorrectly named medal has languished in the archives of the Royal Mint in the United Kingdom but has been released for display at the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery in Hobart

Antarctic vignettes I: Mawson's sailmaker- James Forbes

A photograph by Frank Hurley of the sailmaker on the Australasian Antarctic Expedition 1911-14 is identified as the Dundee whalerman, James Forbes

Rotifers, and other aquatic invertebrates, from the Larsemann Hills, Antarctica

Seventeen species of rotifer (11 Monogononta and six Bdelloidea) three tardigrades, two arthropods, as well as protozoans, a plathyhelminth and nematodes were found in 13 freshwater lakes in the Larsmann Hills, Antartctic

Additions to the freshwater fauna of Heard Island

Freshwater collections from Heard Island yielded a fauna of protozoans, one species of platyhelminth, two species of tardigrades, at least four species of nematodes, 16 species of rotifer (including two new species and four new records for the island), one species of enchytraeid worm, and nine species of arthropod (four anomopodans, two copepods and three mites). No ostracods were found, nor was any evidence of insects with aquatic or semi-aquatic larvae

The chromosomes of some Tasmanian rodents

The karyotypes of three species of Tasmanian rodents, Rattus lutreolus Grey, 1841 (2n=42), Pseudomys higginsi Trouessart, 1897 (2n=48), and Hydromys chrysogaster Geoffrey, 1804 (2n=48), are described and illustrated. The most sucessful preparation method, from bone marrow,is described and the results discussed in the light of other published results

Asterodiscus truncatus (Coleman, 1911)- A new record for Tasmanian waters

Three specimens of the sea star Asterodiscus truncatus constitute the first records of this species from Tasmanian waters. The literature pertaining to the species is surveyed briefiy and some mention made of specimens held by various institutions

Innovative mechanical design with a case study of pumping systems for low yield tube wells

University of Technology Sydney. Faculty of Engineering.This thesis focuses on combinatorial methods of invention/innovation/design emphasizing the manipulation of form (as distinct from the manipulation of function alone) that help the designer to generate a wide range of good design alternatives. It is based on my case study of a morphological analysis of a ground water pumping system suitable for low volume flow pumping. The first premise of this approach is that the elements and functions of mature technologies such as mechanical machines are well documented and understood. Thus, innovations are more likely to involve new combinations of existing forms than the introduction of new machine elements. The second premise is that valuable information is available about most elements and the more popular sub-systems and machines. That information has evolved, sometimes over time spans ranging to hundreds of years, but it has not usually been systematically documented and categorised, thus leaving opportunities to investigate these areas and discover good design possibilities. Further, some valuable information is available only anecdotally or is tightly held by the managements of the companies that have manufactured the device(s) or own the intellectual rights. In recent years a proposed "design science" has been the subject of much research and many models have been proposed of processes for designers to follow. These typically model the design process in stages, including: clarifying the problem, conceptualising, embodiment selection and detailing. It is widely recognized that industrial invention/innovation/design processes are non-linear, and so complex that, despite extensive research, design science and models are still at an immature stage. The literature confirms that industry is often driven by cost/time constraints and short term thinking, rather than using “design science” methods. My methodology (abbreviated as TREND-MORPH-PDS) is an original contribution to design science. It outlines three stages to be followed by the designer: 1. Start with a general goal(s). Break this down into sub-areas/systems, including: socio-economic, near physical environment, power source, prime mover, gearing/matching, transmission, working sub-system and control system. Research and document historical trends in each of these areas and their possible influences on the design. 2. Apply morphological analysis to each sub-system, using rapid graphical techniques. Move to detail design for specific alternatives as satisficing sub-systems are identified. 3. At all times during these stages, take advantage of design knowledge/tools that are currently available, looking for ideas and opportunities. Work constantly on constructing the Product Design Specification (PDS). The conceptual design is complete when the PDS is finalized. Detail design, which would follow from the PDS is not treated in this thesis. The methods and ideas put forward in this thesis and its case study are an original contribution to design science. They also identify issues and differences between design science models and the design processes seen in industry. Several patentable inventions have resulted from my application of the methodology, and the dissertation is a significant contribution to the knowledge domains of mechanical machine design and the technology of ground water pumping

A new species of Bonellia (Echiuroidea) from northern Tasmania

A new species of Bonellia is described from Northern Tasmania. The female differs markedly from the other Australian species in the form of the nephridium and the dwarf male has no clasper or sucker at the posterior end

Antarctic vignettes VIII: Unsung heroes — researching the crew of the S.Y. Aurora 1911–1914.

The Steam Yacht Aurora made three voyages to the Antarctic and two to the sub-Antarctic during the Australasian Antarctic Expedition (AAE) 1911–1914. All told, 56 men served as members of the crew on these voyages. Most served on one or two voyages only, with just five men (four officers and one seaman) serving on all five. While the officers are reasonably well documented many of the seamen remain unknown though recent research has uncovered details of some of these unsung heroes of the AAE