MAWSON EXPEDITION

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 656, 7 May 1929, Page 16

MAWSON EXPEDITION

CHANCE FOR AUCKLANDER MR. R. FALLA NOMINATED There is a possibility that an Aucklander will be included in the scientific personnel of the forthcoming British, Australian and New Zealand Antarctic expedition. This is the result of an invitation issued by the Australian Government to the Government of New Zealand. THE names and qualifications of two -*• New Zealanders have been forwarded to Sir Douglas Mawson. leader of the expedition. The Auckland candidate is Mr. Robert Falla, M.A., lecturer in nature study at the Auckland Training College. He is 28 years of age and has made a special study of marine biology, besides being a New Zealand authority on the habits and distribution of oceanic birds. Recently he accompanied the Royal Danish research ship Dana on a cruise off the East Coast of New Zealand. He is the author of several original papers on sea birds and is a member of the Council of the Auckland Institute and Museum, and secretary for th© committee for th© ecological survey of th© Waitemata Harbour. Mr. Falla received his primary education at Invercargill, and entered the Auckland Grammar School with a Junior National Scholarship. He continued his studies at the Auckland University College, taking his degree of Bachelor of Arts in 1924, and his M.A. two years later. He also won a University Senior Scholarship in Education in 1924. Mr. Falla is a son of Mr. G. Falla, formerly stationmaster at Auckland, who now resides at Devonport. It is understood that the other candidate is a meteorologist on the government staff at Wellington. If the services of the two New Zealanders are accepted by Sir Douglas Mawson, it is probable that they will have to travel to Capetown to join the expedition, which will leave there in October;