NORTH WITH MAWSON

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1043, 6 August 1930, Page 10

NORTH WITH MAWSON

MR. R. A. FALLA TO JOIN EXPEDITION STUDY OF BIRD LIFE The expedition conducted by Sir Douglas Mawson to the North Pole will include Mr. Robert A. Falla, M.A., lecturer in nature study at the Auckland Training College, who accompanied the Mawson expedition to the Antarctic last year. A request for permission for Mr. Falla to make the journey was made recently to the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research by Sir Douglas Mawson, and this morning

came before the Auckland Education Board, together with Mr. Falla’s resignation from his position at the Training College from the end of August. “No doubt he will be able to serve his country better in this way than he could possibly do in his present work,” commented the chairman, Mr. A. Burns, in moving that the resignation be accepted. Mr. Falla, who went south on the Discovery last year as assistant geologist specialising in ornithology, on whicli he is a recognised authority, has written a number of papers on his work. His investigations in the Antarctic included studies of the life of the penguin and the albatross. Mr. Falla, who is 29 years of age, received his primary education in Invercargill and entered the Auckland Grammar School with a Junior National Scholarship. He continued his studies at the Auckland University College taking his B.A. degree in 1924 and his M. A. two years later. He also won a University Senior Scholarship in Education in the same year. He is a son of Mr. G. 1-alla, formerly stationmaster at Auckland, who now lives in Devonport. During the cruise of the Danish research ship Dana along the eastern coast of New Zealand, Mr. Falla served with the scientific staff for a period. A member of the Auckland Institute and Museum, lie gave valuable help during the process of moving to the new building in arranging and classifying bird specimens. He was formerly secretary for the committee for the ecological survey of the Waitemala Harbour.