Archive of past Queensland Entomologists
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Henry HACKER (1876-1973)
Born Walthamstow, Essex, England, son of surgical instrument maker. Early experience at British Museum. Arrived Australia late 1890s and went gold prospecting and insect collecting in WA, SA and NQ, often travelling long distances by bicycle. Supplied Coleoptera to many Australian taxonomists. Fought in Boer War 1900-1901. Farmed on Mulgrave River in NQ 1909-10 and was neighbour to butterfly collector, Conrad Kelsall. Sold 6000 Coleoptera to Berlin Museum in 1910. Appointed insect curator at Queensland Museum 1911. Magnificent collector with great knowledge of habits and life histories. Built the QM research collections and made links with taxonomists around the world. Developed QM's public displays of insects. Skilled insect photographer. Published mainly on Hemiptera and Hymenoptera. Joined many of Perkins' UQ field trips. Seconded in 1929 to the Dept. of Agric. and Stock insect collection and served there until retirement in 1943, working 1-2 days per week at QM. Kept bees at his Herston home and became apiary inspector at time of foul brood outbreak in 1931. At retirement sold extensive collection of Hemiptera to American hemipterist, Carl Drake, whose collection went to the Smithsonian. Hacker was a founding member of Entomological Society of Queensland in 1923, serving on the first Council for 11 years, President in 1934 and Honorary Life Member from 1943.
Biographies: Marks, E.N. 1973. News Bulletin Entomological Society of Queensland 100: 13-16; Marks, E.N. & Dahms, E.C. 1974. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 17: 191-194: Monteith, G.B. & Mather, P. 1986. pp.172-197 in: A time for a museum. The history of the Queensland Museum 1862-1986. Queensland Museum, Brisbane