1. George Bornemissza studied science at the University of Budapest before obtaining his Ph.
13 Facts About George Bornemissza
1. 2.
George Bornemissza wrote scientific papers and books based on his research and contributed a collection of mounted beetle specimens to the Australian National Insect Collection and the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery.
3.
George Bornemissza began collecting and studying beetles in the forests around his hometown during his mid-teens and volunteered in museums and scientific institutions in Budapest.
4.
George Bornemissza hypothesized that the introduction of foreign dung beetle species that were able to roll and bury cattle dung pads would aid not only Australia's soil fertility by recycling the dung nutrients back into the ground, but would reduce the number of pestilent flies and parasitic worms which use the dung pads as a breeding ground.
5.
George Bornemissza joined CSIRO in 1955 and continued to advocate for the introduction of bovine dung beetles to Australia whilst working on several other projects and studies.
6.
Beyond his work in entomology, during the 1950s and 1960s, Dr George Bornemissza was a keen amateur filmmaker.
7.
From 1965, George Bornemissza traveled extensively in search of suitable dung beetles to introduce to Australia.
8.
The funding for the Australian Dung Beetle Project was withdrawn in 1985 after the restructuring of the Australian Meat Research Committee, but George Bornemissza believed that the full potential of the project had yet to be realized.
9.
George Bornemissza moved to Tasmania in 1979 and formally retired in 1983 but continued to work privately to foster awareness of beetles and conservation issues.
10.
George Bornemissza assessed, with Karyl Michaels, the effect of clear-felling and slash-burning of forest on lucanid beetles in Tasmania.
11.
George Bornemissza died in Australia on 10 April 2014 at age 90.
12.
George Bornemissza is the author or co-author of several articles in the field of entomology.
13.
George Bornemissza's work has appeared in a range of journals and books including Nature and the Australian Journal of Zoology and was published between the years 1956 - 1999.