Western Australian Museum Annual Report 2003-2004

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36 Western Australian Museum– Science and Culture museums to examine their preserved specimens and is formulating a new classification that will assist ecologists and other taxonomists to recognise the large number of Australian species. Dr Framenau has publicised his research through public talks and lectures at various conferences. Mark Harvey and Julianne Waldock, along with Research Associate Barbara Main and volunteers Cameron Poustie and Karen Edward, visited the Stirling Range National Park and the Porongurup National Park searching for specimens of the elusive trapdoor genus Moggridgea to try to unravel the relationships and phylogeny of the various populations that are known from southwestern Australia. The Arachnology section continues to add significant specimens to the Museum’s collection, including the holotypes of several new species recently named by Museum staff and their collaborators. The collection continues to expand with donations from the public, other state agencies and Museum personnel, and has generated huge interest from researchers. Grants from the ABRS (with Drs Christopher Watts, Steven Cooper and John Bradbury, South Australian Museum), and the Australian Research Council (with Drs Steven Cooper and Andrew Austin) enabled Dr Bill Humphreys to continue his studies on the ecology, biogeography, systematics and molecular phylogeny of various lineages of stygofauna (animals confined to groundwater). This work has already found more than 65 species of blind subterranean diving beetles new to science, as well as numerous species of crustaceans belonging to many different groups. Collaboration continued with colleagues in Austria, Belgium, Korea, Italy, Poland, Spain and Taiwan, in one case facilitated by funding from Argyle Diamonds. Dr Humphreys undertook field-work to study stygofauna in the Gascoyne and Murchison regions with Steve Cooper, Chris Watts (South Australian Museum) and graduate student Colin Clay (University of Adelaide). Funding from the Waterhouse Club (South Australian Museum) enabled a traverse for subterranean fauna from Alice Springs via the Ngalia Basin and the Canning Stock Route that resulted in the collection of more than 300 lots of stygofauna with many species new to science. Research Officer Dr Ivana Karanovic has published important papers on groundwater ostracods of Western Australia and is revising the world Candoninae with a grant from the ABRS. Research Officer Dr Tomislav Karanovic has published several papers including a major monograph on groundwater Copepoda from the Yilgarn region and is describing the copepods resulting from the Pilbara Biological Survey under a grant from the Department of Conservation and Land Managment. In September, Dr Humphreys presented two papers and a poster at the Australian Society for Limnology Conference. He attended the XVI International Symposium of Biospeleology, Verona, Italy, where he presented papers on the anchialine (groundwater estuary) ecosystems of Australia (north-west WA and Christmas Island) and the evolution of subterranean diving beetles, plus a poster on new stygal (confined to groundwater) crustaceans. In January, he presented two papers at the Australian Speleological Federation Biennial Conference. In June he was the invited scientific expert on groundwater ecosystems at the National Workshop in Groundwater Dependent Ecosystems Policy and Management in Melbourne for Environment Australia. He also presented a number of seminars to scientific and natural history groups. In the Entomology Section, planning and preparations for relocation to Welshpool dominated the year. No new loans were issued in order to progress the stabilisation of specimens ready for the move. In excess of 4,000 insect specimens and specimen lots were accessioned into the collection, many originating from surveys by the Department of Conservation and Land Management and others from a variety of individuals. Thanks to funding from the Commonwealth Department of Environment and Heritage (DEH), the Museum was able to employ Ms Patricia McKenzie on a short-term contract to electronically database its collection of more than 3,000 native butterfly specimens. Much of this data was WESTERN AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM ANNUAL REPORT 2003–2004
37 Western Australian Museum– Science and Culture then provided to DEH. The DEH also purchased over 24,000 digitised records of native bees from the Entomology Section. Dr Terry Houston continued his research into the biology of sandgropers (Orthoptera: Cylindrachetidae), making five field trips to farms in the northern and central wheatbelt in order to sample populations thoughout the year. By excavating pits to depths of up to 2 m, over 570 specimens were collected and preserved ready for later dissection. Study of this preserved material has provided much information on the insects’ diet, reproduction, life cycle, parasites and other associated organisms. A possible undescribed species was represented in material collected from the Northampton region. TERRESTRIAL VERTEBRATES Collections have expanded greatly in 2003–04 with significant donations by consultants and government departments. The Salinity Action Plan, undertaken by the Department of Conservation and Land Management (CALM), has provided a major contribution to both the mammal and reptile collections, while collections from CALM regional ecologists, Biota Environmental Sciences and Ecologia have also added substantially. Over the year, 4,599 reptile and amphibian specimens, 210 birds and 366 mammals were added to the collections. The loan of collections material has been curtailed during the year in order to facilitate the packing and auditing associated with the relocation of the collection. Collaboration with CALM on whale strandings continues to provide a valuable source of material for collections, in particular increasing the breadth of the tissue collection. Several whale strandings were attended by Rachel O’Shea and Brad Maryan to assist CALM and Exhibition and Design staff to obtain material. They also continued to prepare the wet and dry collections for relocation and have supervised the technical appointments made to assist the relocation process. The appointment of Oliver Gomez and Kate Rogulskyj as relocation technicians greatly facilitated the stabilisation and packing of the departments’ extensive collections. The invaluable help of volunteers Lisa and Rebecca Davis also greatly assisted the department’s commitment to this process. They have been responsible for the auditing and packing of the entire ‘dry’ collection that numbers about 20,000 mammal and 35,000 bird specimens. The department lost Technical Officer Rachel O’Shea in April when she was granted 12 months’ leave without pay. Paul Doughty has begun collaboration with Professors Dale Roberts and Phil Withers at the University of Western Australia (UWA) as well as numerous CALM officers on local projects that seek to improve biodiversity information on regions within the state. Several grants have been submitted with collaborating institutions while Paul has also developed close working relationships with Biota Environmental Sciences and other environmental consultants to assist with phylogeography of the Pilbara herpetofauna. He also began revision of the lizard Field Guides series, with an update of the dragons and monitors guide well-advanced. Honorary Associate Laurie Smith has submitted his detailed re-examination of the Death Adders of Australia and adjacent areas. Brad Maryan, in collaboration with former Curator of Herpetology Ken Aplin, has completed a study of the morphology of the legless lizard (Delma pax) species complex, and with the support of Mark Adams of the Evolutionary Biology Unit of the South Australian Museum resolved the genetic distinctiveness of several species within the complex. Research Associate Professor Eric Pianka visited the department whilst he undertook further studies of reptile assemblages at his Great Victoria Desert study site. Honorary Associates Hugh Jones, David Pearson, Laurie Smith and Mark Cowan joined him in the field for varying lengths of time. The small dasyurid marsupials and rodents of WA have several ‘cryptic’ species within currently WESTERN AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM ANNUAL REPORT 2003–2004
Page 1 and 2: Western Australian Museum Annual Re
Page 3 and 4: contents 3 Public Access 4 Letter t
Page 5 and 6: 5 Letter to the Minister The Hon Sh
Page 7 and 8: PART 1 Introduction 7 Minister for
Page 9 and 10: 9 The Museum’s Vision, Mission, F
Page 11 and 12: 11 Executive Director’s Review As
Page 13 and 14: 13 Relocation The move from the Fra
Page 15 and 16: Visitors to Western Australian Muse
Page 17 and 18: 17 Trustees, Boards and Committees
Page 19 and 20: 19 Trustees, Boards and Committees
Page 21 and 22: 21 Western Australian Museum Founda
Page 23 and 24: 23 Friends of the Western Australia
Page 25 and 26: PART 2 The Year Under Review 25 WES
Page 27 and 28: 27 Western Australian Museum- Scien
Page 35: 35 Western Australian Museum- Scien
Page 41 and 42: Western Australian Maritime Museum
Page 43 and 44: 43 Western Australian Maritime Muse
Page 55 and 56: 55 Western Australian Museum-Albany
Page 57 and 58: 57 Western Australian Museum-Gerald
Page 63 and 64: 63 Western Australian Museum- Kalgo
Page 65 and 66: 65 Visitor Services EDUCATION AND L
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Page 71 and 72: 71 Visitor Services Sight Unseen: T
Page 73 and 74: 73 Museum Services The work of Dr I
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Page 77 and 78: Corporate Operations 77 WESTERN AUS
Page 79 and 80: 79 Corporate Operations With the op
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Page 83 and 84: 83 Corporate Operations EMPLOYMENT
Page 85 and 86: PART 3 Compliance Requirements 85 W
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Accounts and Financial Statements 8
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Accounts and Financial Statements S
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Accounts and Financial Statements N
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107 Outcomes, Outputs and Performan
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appendix A Our grateful thanks to t
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appendix B Volunteers The Trustees
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appendix C Staff List Terrestrial V
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appendix C Geoff Wall Moya Sharp Gr
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appendix D S. Anstey • Member, Ad
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appendix D • Editorial board, Jou
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appendix F RESEARCH PUBLICATIONS 12
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appendix F 127 Publications List Mo
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appendix F 129 Publications List De
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Western Australian Museum Annual Report 2003-2004

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