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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, Second Session (54-2)
2021-09-23 Daily Xml
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Lawson, Mr P.

Ms WORTLEY (Torrens) (15:41): Today, I would like to speak about a resident of Torrens, a much admired and respected South Australian, Paul Lawson, who last week left this world at the age of 103. Little did I know when I was invited to meet Paul on his 100th birthday that a friendship would develop. Paul was intelligent and inspirational and the enthusiasm and gleam in his eyes when he spoke with passion about his working life were truly amazing.

From creating the bust of the Somerton Man, to palaeontology and taxidermy at the South Australian Museum, Paul lived a full life. To understand his contribution, I draw from an article by my son, completed as part of his university degree and published on the City of Adelaide website. Dedicating his time to the interview was a demonstration of Paul's enthusiasm for encouraging young people to pursue their passion and be the best they can be, while at the same time talking about some of his own passions.

In the 1930s, as a young taxidermist employed in a junior role at the South Australian Museum, to undertaking top-secret work on the unidentified body found on Somerton Beach, to being part of an international expedition that uncovered fossils thousands of years old, Paul gave true dedication. Paul also had the sole responsibility for the safekeeping of the touring Apollo mission NASA moon rocks while they were in South Australia at the Museum. It is a journey Paul enjoyed reliving in minute detail.

In September 1936, as a 19 year old Paul won the South Australian clay target shooting championship. His passion for clay target shooting resulted in him becoming partially deaf and led him to pursue taxidermy as a lone pastime. During the Great Depression, Paul's father enrolled him in an expensive correspondence course at the Northwestern School of Taxidermy in Nebraska, USA, at what Paul describes as a great cost during the Depression. He reflected fondly on his memories of his father contacting the director of the South Australian Museum and the events that followed leading to his employment there.

In 1948, in his role at the South Australian Museum, Paul was called into the director's office to meet a senior police sergeant, along with four other policemen. The senior sergeant asked Paul if he could cast a bust for the unidentified corpse found on Somerton Beach. This infamous case became widely known as the Somerton Man. Paul recalled how secretive the whole situation was, being led down to the morgue to create the bust. He spoke about the eeriness of the situation as he sat in a darkened room, which has since been widely pictured and is now on display at the South Australian Police Museum.

In 1953, still in his role as a taxidermist at the South Australian Museum, Paul was asked to accompany American professor, Ruben Stirton, on an expedition to Lake Callabonna in search of the fossil remains of a prehistoric beast named the diprotodon. Sir Douglas Mawson had given Professor Stirton advice as to where to look. 'When we located the fossils it was very exciting. It took us weeks to dig them up', he told me. The fossils remain on display today at the museum in a glass cabinet on the first floor.

Paul accompanied Professor Stirton on five expeditions searching for fossils in Australia. He was invited to join Professor Stirton for more than a year at the University of Berkeley in California to assist in research. Wanting to give back to the South Australian Museum for the life it had given him, Paul contributed to the Museum's drone technology to assist future paleontology research.

Associate Professor Diego Garcia-Bellido is a senior researcher in paleontology at the South Australian Museum. He said:

Paul epitomises the adventurer we all have inside when growing up, but in his case he has been able to keep it up all along. He brought that energy, thirst for knowledge and eagerness to the South Australian Museum.

Paul led the Discovery Centre at the museum for a number of decades in the second half of the 19th century. His vision and generosity have allowed the Museum to develop new areas of reconnaissance with 21st century technology: drones and underwater ROVs.

Up until recently, Paul had regular visits from people he had met throughout his fascinating life, from retired federal police, retired police detectives and some still in service through to university professors and museum researchers. His friend, Verna, was a constant joy.

In recent times, during COVID restrictions visiting became more difficult, but I am glad I was able to visit with him last month on his 103rd birthday. His interests in solving the identity of the Somerton Man and paleontology research continued to his final days. Vale, Paul Lawson, one of life's true gentlemen.

Time expired.

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