THE 
QUEENSLAND NATURALIST 
JOURNAL OF THE QUEENSLAND NATURALISTS’ CLUB 
AND NATURE-LOVERS’ LEAGUE 
VOL. XII. APRIL, 1945 No. 5 
GEORGE KENNETH JACKSON MEMORIAL 
NUMBER 
VALE GEORGE KENNETH JACKSON 
By IIEBER LONGMAN, Director, Queensland Museum. 
(Plate I.) 
The Greek poet tells us that in the Golden Age men 
died of old age, passing away as if mastered by sleep. The 
dire tragedy of modern war is the death of young men of 
great promise. The news that Lieut. Ken Jackson was 
killed in action in New Guinea on the 12th January, 1943, 
was a crushing blow to his many friends. Ilis attractive 
personality, his vivacity, his optimism, his enthusiasm, and 
the zest with which he tackled with a smiling face any 
problem gained for him many admirers and friends who 
profoundly regret the loss of this “Good Companion. ’’ 
Born in Brisbane in 1914, he was educated at the 
Church of England Grammar School at East Brisbane and 
later studied privately. For two years he was at 
Thylungra Station, near Quilpie, and he wrote articles for 
magazines on his western experiences. 
In 1937 Ken Jackson joined the staff of the Queens- 
land Museum, attaining a long-hoped-for position. Here 
he did excellent work, especially in the Ethnological sec- 
tions. As an instance of his enthusiasm, the reconstruc- 
tion of Waiet, the Torres Strait god of fertility, from a 
multitude of small fragments gathered from the cave on 
Waier (Wyer) Island, forms an attractive exhibit in our 
Upper Gallery. He was a good all-round Museum man, 
and a keen collector. He made a special study of the 
aborigines of Moreton Bay and much of his work is on 
exhibition. 
Ken Jackson was a member of the Royal Society of 
Queensland, of the Queensland Naturalists’ Club, and of 
the National Parks Association of Queensland. Many 
aboriginal artifacts were shown by him as exhibits, but his 
