|
| |
To listen to soundfile: click on the headphones icon
To download soundfile: click on the mp3 file name
|
|
| |
|
John Turnbull, from the Underwater Research Group (URG) reminds us of the valuable part Clarrie Lawler played in teaming diving with marine research. He first met Clarrie Lawler when he was doing research into the value of the marine environment and he was immediately struck by what a great storyteller he was. He could really bring the marine environment to life because he’d spent 40 years of his life in that underwater world. In the beginning Clarrie didn’t see himself as a very good swimmer so he was constrained and could only look from the surface with his snorkel.
|
|
| |
| 1961 Clarrie at Fairlight
One day he saw a head disappearing and staying under water for a long time. It was a scuba diver and at that time in the late 1950s and early 1960s scuba diving was not something people knew much about. This person came to shore with an odd -looking tank and hose arrangement and struck up a conversation with Clarrie. Urged to have a go, Clarrie strapped the tank onto his back and leapt into the water and, in his words, he never looked back.
Clarrie had a sense of exploration and wanted to tell others about marine life. Being a draftsman helped a lot as he was a technically competent artist so his drawings were scientifically accurate and his paintings reflected that craft. His drawing of a large coral at Bear Island near La Perouse was so accurate that 40 years later it has been remeasured, showing 10% growth. Even today you can look at his drawing of a butterfly fish and can tell the species.
|
|
|
| |
| As there were no underwater cameras back then, his drawings and records were important to science. He was one of the first citizen scientists 20 years before that term was even used! He would take specimens and drawings to the Australian Museum, helping to build a picture of underwater Sydney and the surrounding areas and how it changed over 50 years. In those days marine scientists were rare and constrained to the shore so they could only describe what got pulled to the surface in nets for example. Clarrie was a prolific writer and was published in many magazines and academic journals. He also published a book (Beneath Australian Seas) with Walter Deas, an early attempt to describe the underwater world.
1967: Clarrie and Steve Parish
|
|
|
| |
| Mainly 1970s regular URG camping and scuba holidays:There were many memorable coastal holidays, especially at Jervis Bay which the dive group visited monthly. The URG members pitched their tents at Green Patch. The divers would go off in the boat they had towed down (from outside the Lawler home where it was kept and the mums and kids would play on the beach, swim and snorkel. Most were from the Sutherland Shire.
|
|
|
| |
| 1967: Venomous sea urchin from Camp Cove In 1967 Clarrie found a Sea Urchin which was (unusually) covered with what looked like white flowers, not the usual black spikes. He took it to Elizabeth Pope for identification. Fortunately for Clarrie, he had worn gloves because Elizabeth said it was deadly venomous.. It was so unusual that a photo of the Sea Urchin featured in the Sydney Morning Herald the next day.
|
|
|
| |
|
His interests took URG into the direction of marine research and his massive contribution to URG has meant the survival and growth of that club in a time when clubs aren’t that popular. URG still has a culture of making contributions to science. Although he didn’t dive for the last 15-20 years he was still an active URG member, speaking at URG’s 60th anniversary about the early days of diving. As an influential member, he was also Secretary and President for many years. He has been recognised by the Australian Museum for his contributions. He made himself into a leading light of marine research in Australia.
|
|
| |
|
Recording by Ruby Vincent includes voices of John Turnbull, Clarrie Lawler, Denise Lawler and Rianti Bieleri. Images from URG, summary text by Victor Barry, June 2018
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 For more information, please contact us |
)
