Donald Trounson
Encyclopedia
Alfred Donald Trounson OAM (30 September 1905 – 29 January 2009) was a British
diplomat
and amateur
photographer
who settled in Australia
in his retirement to become a bird photographer and the founder of the National Photographic Index of Australian Wildlife
.
, Cornwall
, the son of a provisions merchant. He was educated at Mill Hill School
in north London
, where he displayed an early interest in photography when he won the Public Schools Photographic Competition with a landscape of St Ives
harbour.
On leaving school Trounson worked for several years in the hardware department of the family business, following which he became a management trainee with Marks and Spencer. He played the piano in musical festivals and was a member of the Cornwall Light Orchestra. In 1929 he competed in the Monte Carlo Rally
with rally driver and automotive designer
Donald Healey
. A brief first marriage failed.
into the Royal Army Service Corps
(RASC) as a second lieutenant
on 2 December 1939, shortly after the outbreak of the Second World War. With the RASC he was in charge of activities as various as distributing chocolate to soldiers returning from Dunkirk, escorting captured Italian soldiers to prison camp
s in Algeria
and organising food supplies in Sicily
. He was posted to Naples
where he met his second wife, Peggy Dow, a singer who was Harold Macmillan
's archivist. When the war ended he was a Lieutenant-Colonel with the Allied Control Commission in Rome
.
while settling in the village of Blackham in Sussex
. His career then continued with postings, first to the United Nations
in New York
and then to Canberra
, Australia, in 1957.
bird songs there, accumulating a collection of recordings, as well as reviving his interest in photography. After three years, during his mid-tour leave, he travelled with Peggy through Queensland
recording and photographing birds, producing pictures of 110 species. Following his retirement, he stayed in Australia, continuing his interest in bird photography. His success resulted in further expeditions, to the Cape York Peninsula
, Iron Range
, and the Simpson Desert
where he photographed the Eyrean Grasswren
, unseen since the 19th century and thought to be possibly extinct. After Peggy died he married Molly Clampett, with whom he authored several pictorial books and field guide
s on Australian birds.
s, reptile
s and amphibian
s and renamed the National Photographic Index of Australian Wildlife, a project based at the Australian Museum
in Sydney
, in association with the National Library of Australia
in Canberra. He served as the project’s chief executive officer until 1981.
On 26 January 2003 Trounson was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia
(OAM) “for service to the community as creator of the National Photographic Index of Australian Birds”.
Trounson was widowed twice, outliving both Peggy and Molly. He died at the age of 103.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
diplomat
Diplomat
A diplomat is a person appointed by a state to conduct diplomacy with another state or international organization. The main functions of diplomats revolve around the representation and protection of the interests and nationals of the sending state, as well as the promotion of information and...
and amateur
Amateur
An amateur is generally considered a person attached to a particular pursuit, study, or science, without pay and often without formal training....
photographer
Photography
Photography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
who settled in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
in his retirement to become a bird photographer and the founder of the National Photographic Index of Australian Wildlife
National Photographic Index of Australian Wildlife
The National Photographic Index of Australian Wildlife was founded as a project of the Australian Museum on 3 June 1969 to compile a comprehensive collection of photographs of Australian bird species. The founder, Donald Trounson, served as the project’s chief executive officer until 1981, when...
.
Early years
Trounson was born in RedruthRedruth
Redruth is a town and civil parish traditionally in the Penwith Hundred in Cornwall, United Kingdom. It has a population of 12,352. Redruth lies approximately at the junction of the A393 and A3047 roads, on the route of the old London to Land's End trunk road , and is approximately west of...
, Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
, the son of a provisions merchant. He was educated at Mill Hill School
Mill Hill School
Mill Hill School, in Mill Hill, London, is a coeducational independent school for boarding and day pupils aged 13–18. It is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference, an organisation of public schools in the United Kingdom....
in north London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, where he displayed an early interest in photography when he won the Public Schools Photographic Competition with a landscape of St Ives
St Ives, Cornwall
St Ives is a seaside town, civil parish and port in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The town lies north of Penzance and west of Camborne on the coast of the Celtic Sea. In former times it was commercially dependent on fishing. The decline in fishing, however, caused a shift in commercial...
harbour.
On leaving school Trounson worked for several years in the hardware department of the family business, following which he became a management trainee with Marks and Spencer. He played the piano in musical festivals and was a member of the Cornwall Light Orchestra. In 1929 he competed in the Monte Carlo Rally
Monte Carlo Rally
The Monte Carlo Rally or Rally Monte Carlo is a rallying event organised each year by the Automobile Club de Monaco which also organises the Formula One Monaco Grand Prix and the Rallye Monte-Carlo Historique. The rally takes place along the French Riviera in the Principality of Monaco and...
with rally driver and automotive designer
Automotive design
Automotive design is the profession involved in the development of the appearance, and to some extent the ergonomics, of motor vehicles or more specifically road vehicles. This most commonly refers to automobiles but also refers to motorcycles, trucks, buses, coaches, and vans...
Donald Healey
Donald Healey
Donald Mitchell Healey CBE was a noted English rally driver, automobile engineer, and speed record holder.- Early life :...
. A brief first marriage failed.
War service
Trounson was commissionedOfficer (armed forces)
An officer is a member of an armed force or uniformed service who holds a position of authority. Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereign power and, as such, hold a commission charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position...
into the Royal Army Service Corps
Royal Army Service Corps
The Royal Army Service Corps was a corps of the British Army. It was responsible for land, coastal and lake transport; air despatch; supply of food, water, fuel, and general domestic stores such as clothing, furniture and stationery ; administration of...
(RASC) as a second lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
on 2 December 1939, shortly after the outbreak of the Second World War. With the RASC he was in charge of activities as various as distributing chocolate to soldiers returning from Dunkirk, escorting captured Italian soldiers to prison camp
Internment
Internment is the imprisonment or confinement of people, commonly in large groups, without trial. The Oxford English Dictionary gives the meaning as: "The action of 'interning'; confinement within the limits of a country or place." Most modern usage is about individuals, and there is a distinction...
s in Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
and organising food supplies in Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
. He was posted to Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
where he met his second wife, Peggy Dow, a singer who was Harold Macmillan
Harold Macmillan
Maurice Harold Macmillan, 1st Earl of Stockton, OM, PC was Conservative Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 10 January 1957 to 18 October 1963....
's archivist. When the war ended he was a Lieutenant-Colonel with the Allied Control Commission in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
.
The diplomat
From the Allied Commission he transferred to the economic advisory department of the British Embassy in Rome as a First Secretary. After seven years there he returned to Britain to work in the news department of the Foreign OfficeForeign and Commonwealth Office
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office, commonly called the Foreign Office or the FCO is a British government department responsible for promoting the interests of the United Kingdom overseas, created in 1968 by merging the Foreign Office and the Commonwealth Office.The head of the FCO is the...
while settling in the village of Blackham in Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
. His career then continued with postings, first to the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and then to Canberra
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
, Australia, in 1957.
Australia
When Trounson went to Australia he began to recordSound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
bird songs there, accumulating a collection of recordings, as well as reviving his interest in photography. After three years, during his mid-tour leave, he travelled with Peggy through Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
recording and photographing birds, producing pictures of 110 species. Following his retirement, he stayed in Australia, continuing his interest in bird photography. His success resulted in further expeditions, to the Cape York Peninsula
Cape York Peninsula
Cape York Peninsula is a large remote peninsula located in Far North Queensland at the tip of the state of Queensland, Australia, the largest unspoilt wilderness in northern Australia and one of the last remaining wilderness areas on Earth...
, Iron Range
Iron Range National Park
Iron Range is a National Park located in Queensland, Australia, 1940 km northwest of Brisbane and 100 km east of Weipa in the Cape York Peninsula, Queensland. Within the National Park is the Iron Range , Scrubby Creek mining site and the Lockhart River Aboriginal Reserve...
, and the Simpson Desert
Simpson Desert
The Simpson Desert is a large area of dry, red sandy plain and dunes in Northern Territory, South Australia and Queensland in central Australia. It is the fourth largest Australian desert, with an area of 176,500 km² ....
where he photographed the Eyrean Grasswren
Eyrean Grasswren
The Eyrean Grasswren is a species of bird in the Maluridae family.It is endemic to Australia.-References:* BirdLife International 2004. . Downloaded on 25 July 2007....
, unseen since the 19th century and thought to be possibly extinct. After Peggy died he married Molly Clampett, with whom he authored several pictorial books and field guide
Field guide
A field guide is a book designed to help the reader identify wildlife or other objects of natural occurrence . It is generally designed to be brought into the 'field' or local area where such objects exist to help distinguish between similar objects...
s on Australian birds.
National Photographic Index of Australian Wildlife
In 1969 Trounson became the instigator of the National Photographic Index of Australian Birds, later expanded to include mammalMammal
Mammals are members of a class of air-breathing vertebrate animals characterised by the possession of endothermy, hair, three middle ear bones, and mammary glands functional in mothers with young...
s, reptile
Reptile
Reptiles are members of a class of air-breathing, ectothermic vertebrates which are characterized by laying shelled eggs , and having skin covered in scales and/or scutes. They are tetrapods, either having four limbs or being descended from four-limbed ancestors...
s and amphibian
Amphibian
Amphibians , are a class of vertebrate animals including animals such as toads, frogs, caecilians, and salamanders. They are characterized as non-amniote ectothermic tetrapods...
s and renamed the National Photographic Index of Australian Wildlife, a project based at the Australian Museum
Australian Museum
The Australian Museum is the oldest museum in Australia, with an international reputation in the fields of natural history and anthropology. It features collections of vertebrate and invertebrate zoology, as well as mineralogy, palaeontology, and anthropology...
in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, in association with the National Library of Australia
National Library of Australia
The National Library of Australia is the largest reference library of Australia, responsible under the terms of the National Library Act for "maintaining and developing a national collection of library material, including a comprehensive collection of library material relating to Australia and the...
in Canberra. He served as the project’s chief executive officer until 1981.
On 26 January 2003 Trounson was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia
Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
(OAM) “for service to the community as creator of the National Photographic Index of Australian Birds”.
Trounson was widowed twice, outliving both Peggy and Molly. He died at the age of 103.
Publications
- 1969 – 60 Camera Studies of Australian Birds. (With Molly Clampett, and with notes by Peggy Trounson). Australian Consolidated Press Ltd: Sydney.
- 1987 – Australia Land of Birds. (With Molly Trounson). Collins: Sydney. ISBN 000217314X
- 1991 – Australian Birds: An Index of 864 Photographs Simply Classified for Easy Identification. (With Molly Trounson). PR Books, Australia. ISBN 1864362413
- 2005 – Australian birds: a concise photographic field guide. (With Molly Trounson). Bluestone Press, Wingfield. ISBN 0975242849