Harrold, Arthur George AM (1918–2012)

Born in England in 1918; died in Noosaville, Qld, on 8 April 2012.

Arthur Harrold studied arts and medicine at Cambridge University, UK, gaining Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Surgery and Master of Arts degrees. A surgeon with the Royal Navy during World War II, he first came to Australia in 1945. He and his wife Marjorie settled in Noosa, Qld, in 1960. In 1962 Arthur Harrold formed the Noosa Parks Association and served as its Honorary Secretary for over 30 years. The Harrolds and the Association were instrumental in the establishment of Cooloola and Noosa National Parks. Arthur was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in 1986 for "service to conservation, particularly in Queensland".

The Arthur Harrold Nature Refuge on Noosa's North Shore, adjacent to the Great Sandy Region National Park, was established by Noosa Council and named in honour of Arthur. It now forms part of the National Reserve System.

Arthur Harrold collected plants between about 1962 and 1995, mostly in the area of Cooloola National Park. There are 438 of his plant specimens held at BRI as of February 2016. Symplocos harroldii Jessup (Symplocaceae) and Habenaria harroldii D.L.Jones (Orchidaceae) are named in honour of Arthur Harrold.

Sources: A.R.Bean (BRI), personal communication via email 15 Feb. 2016;
Noosa Parks Association website http://www.noosaparks.org.au/index.php?page=arthur-harrold [accessed 23 Feb. 2016];
"It's An Honour website" https://www.itsanhonour.gov.au/honours/honour_roll/search.cfm?aus_award_id=878322&search_type=simple&showInd=true [accessed 23 Feb. 2016].
Portrait Photo: from Pearn, John Hemsley (2001) 'A Doctor in the Garden, Nomen Medici in Botanicis, Australian Flora and the World of Medicine' Amphion Press, Brisbane, p.182.