Arthur W. Kallom

Arthur Bache Walkom was an Australian palaeobotanist and museum administrator whose career spanned several decades of scientific research and institutional leadership. Born in Grafton, New South Wales, in 1889, Walkom pursued his higher education at the University of Sydney, where he studied under the prominent geologist Professor Sir Edgeworth David and eventually earned his Doctor of Science degree in 1918.

Walkom's academic career began with teaching roles, including serving as an assistant lecturer in palaeontology and stratigraphy at the University of Queensland between 1913 and 1919. His expertise in fossil plants eventually led him to significant administrative roles, culminating in his appointment as the director of the Australian Museum, a position he held from 1939 until 1954. During this period, he also contributed to international cultural and scientific efforts, serving on the Australian committee for museums for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) from 1947 to 1954.

Over the course of his career, Walkom received notable recognition for his contributions to Australian science. In 1948, he was awarded the Clarke Medal by the Royal Society of New South Wales for his distinguished work in the natural sciences. His legacy in the field of palaeobotany is also preserved taxonomically through the fossil conifer genus Walkomiella, which was named in his honor.