As part of the King’s Birthday 2025 Honours, former WA Museum Curator of Crustacea, Dr Raymond W. George, was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for service to science and to the community of Albany. The honour recognises a remarkable career that has left a lasting mark on Western Australia’s understanding of marine life.
Dr George joined the WA Museum in 1953 as the first Curator of Carcinology (later renamed Crustacea) and remained in the role until 1984. Over three decades, he curated the Museum’s Crustacean and Worm Collections, building a foundation of knowledge still drawn on today.
Ray also carried out extensive research and fieldwork, describing four new species of rock lobster and eight new species of crabs. In 1962, he formally described and named Panulirus cygnus, better known as the Western Rock Lobster.
His meticulous records, preserved in 44 field notebooks held by the WA Museum Library, chart marine surveys from across Western Australia and beyond, including Singapore, South Africa, the Pacific Islands, New Guinea, Indonesia and Europe. These notebooks remain an irreplaceable historical resource for researchers today.
In recognition of Ray’s contributions to marine science, three species have also been named after him: the barnacle Paralepas georgei (Daniel, 1970), the fish Anthias georgei (Allen, 1976) and the crab Ovalipes georgei (Stephenson & Rees, 1968).
Receiving an OAM in the King’s Birthday Honours is a wonderful recognition of Dr George’s lifelong dedication to marine science, and a moment of celebration for all who have worked with him.
