Theo the fabulous Flynn

Paula Xiberras

Many might say Theodore Flynn’s son was God’s gift to women but it is actually the name Theodore that means ‘God’s gift’ and Theodore, or Theo was a gift to Tasmania and to the world of science with the important work he forged in marsupial embryoligy during his professorship tenure in Tasmania.

I had the pleasure of speaking to the authors of the book ‘Theodore Thomson Flynn, Not just Errol’s father’, Tony & Vicki Harrison recently. The writing of the book was a passion for both of them with Tony having had his post graduate study supervised by Eric Guiler, one of Theodore’s students; and Vicki having used her extensive librarianship skills to edit the book.

Theodore was born in NSW ( Wikipedia, here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodore_Thomson_Flynn )

A very bright child, Theo graduated and became a teacher at a very young age; with an innate curiousity which led to his interest and passion in biology. He worked at Hillston, in an outback NSW school.

It’s fitting too that he would find himself in Tasmania as the first head of Department of Biology at the University of Tasmania at the young age of 28; and find his research passion among Tasmania’s unique animals. When Theo arrived in Tasmania there was no biology department, so its early advance in sometimes difficult circumstances was a triumph for Theo.

The handsome foreigner was not always warmly welcomed perhaps in part too because of his friendship with Joe Lyons and the Labor Party.
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In spite of his handsome exterior and ability with dancing and socialising, Theo was predominantly a man of intelligence who was passionately committed to his study of the reproductive life of marsupials and involved with fisheries research. Theo was also a trustee of the museum and botanic gardens as well as being a member of the Royal Society of Tasmania.

Sometimes Theo struggled for specimens to study, as his required quantity was substantial, needing as he did, to study at each stage of embryological development. Often he had to rely on trappers for his supply and although he was a conservationist, in that he wanted to save the unique animals of Tasmania and Australia, he was also resigned to the fact – like many biologists – that evolution would decide that some species would disappear over time.

His career conjures up images which are as colourful as any movie his son could have made. For instance he often kept a potoroo in his office, not a sign of eccentricity but instead evidence of him being a 24 hour a day biologist.

When he later moved to Belfast’s Queens University he found it a more tranquil place but less productive for his research work.

There was a versatility about Theo, in that some may be surprised to know he wrote an article for the Australian Women’s Weekly, about his famous son.

Nowadays Theodore is remembered at the University of Tasmania by a sign at the foot of the campus fittingly near the beach where his wife taught young Errol to swim and so launched him on his romance with the sea; both in real life and in the movies.

There are too, of course a number of houses around Hobart where the Flynn family once lived.

The book is out now and available at Fullers Bookshop and at the TMAG bookshop.

You can view the Harrison’s blog at:

http://ttflynnotjusterrolsfather.wordpress.com/

• Today the Harrisons will be discussing Theo on The Science show (Radio National Saturday 3 August at noon). See the link below:

http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/scienceshow/tt-flynn3a-tasmaniae28099s-first-professor-of-biology/4859140