Frederick Chapman

Frederick Chapman (13 February 1864 – 10 December 1943) was the inaugural Australian Commonwealth Palaeontologist.

Early life

Chapman was born in Camden Town, London, England and studied at Royal College of Science, London where he was initially an assistant to John Wesley Judd. Chapman qualified as a teacher of geology and physiography at the college and was encouraged by Judd's study of boring samples from around London. He published "Foraminifera. An Introduction to the Study of the Protozoa" (London, 1902) and went on to become a world authority on Foraminifera.

Career in Australia

Chapman was Palaeontologist to the National Museum, Melbourne, Australia from 1902-27. He published papers on the collection of fossils stored there including sponges, corals and fishes. He then served as the first Australian Commonwealth Palaeontologist 1927-35, where Irene Crespin was his assistant and later succeeded him.

Chapman was awarded the Lyell Prize for research by the Geological Society of London in 1899; the David Syme Research Prize of the University of Melbourne in 1920; the Lyell Medal, Geological Society, London 1930; the Clarke Medal by the Royal Society of New South Wales in 1932; the Australian Natural History Medallion by the Field Naturalists Club of Victoria in 1941.He was president of the Royal Society of Victoria 1929-30.

Chapman published "Book of Fossils" (London and Sydney) in 1934.

Late life

Chapman had married in 1890 (Helen, died 1940) and had a son, Wilfred. Chapman died on 10 December 1943 and was survived by Wilfred.

References

* [http://www.asap.unimelb.edu.au/bsparcs/biogs/P000938b.htm Chapman, Frederick (1864 - 1943)] at Bright Sparcs, Melbourne University
*Irene Crespin, ' [http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A070621b.htm Chapman, Frederick (1864 - 1943)] ', "Australian Dictionary of Biography", Volume 7, MUP, 1979, p. 612.

Additional sources listed by the "Australian Dictionary of Biography"::Linnean Society (London), "Proceedings", 1943-44, pt 3; Royal Society (New Zealand), "Proceedings", 75 (1944), no 3; "Herald" (Melbourne), 13 December 1943.