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| Dr Jack Barnes holding an Australian Box jellyfish (Chironex fleckeri) at Mission Beach, North Queensland, 1966. (Detail of Photo 2) Photographer: John Carnemello |
JCU Library is excited to announce that two important JCU publications by Barbara Kinsey concerning the work of pioneering toxinologist Dr Jack Barnes are now available freely online via NQHeritage@JCU (the online repository for the Special Collections). See the links to the works below in Dr Michela Mitchell’s endorsement. Many thanks to Dr Mitchell for her interest in the John Handyside Barnes Archive and both her and Dr Barnes family’s ongoing support of the JCU Library Special Collections.
Digitisation of Barnes on Box Jellyfish and More Barnes on Box Jellyfish
Dr Michela Mitchell, CF
I have greatly anticipated the digitisation of Barnes on Box Jellyfish (Kinsey, 1986) and More Barnes on Box Jellyfish (Kinsey, 1988). This championed the digitisation cause with Ms Bronwyn McBurnie, Manager Special Collections, JCU Townsville campus. These volumes are a much welcome addition to NQHeritage@JCU as an international resource.
Without even having met the man, it is evident that Dr “Jack” H. Barnes (photo) was a force of nature. His meticulous, detailed research records on marine stingers and poisonings have had a profound and long-lasting impact, not only in North Queensland, but all of Australia. His research is a treasure trove for future projects and his methodology of combining general medical practice (GP) and research is a model for trainee medical officers even today.
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| Dr Jack Barnes jelly fishing at Mission Beach, North Queensland in 1966. (Photo 1)Photographer: John Carnemello |
Jack was by all accounts a dedicated GP and clinical toxinology researcher, heralding insights into severe jellyfish envenomation from the 1950’s onwards, with a particular interest in the box jellyfish. He was relentless, sometimes making “personal sacrifices”, in his hunt to understand envenomation by the notorious Australian Box jellyfish (Chironex fleckeri Southcott, 1956) (Kinsey, 1986). Jack also had a major interest in the Irukandji syndrome. Through Jack’s effort the syndrome and the responsible jellyfish Carukia barnesi Southcott, 1967 were finally linked. Dr. Ronald V. Southcott, Jack’s long-standing colleague, taxonomically described and named the jellyfish after Jack.
The Box jellyfish tomes published in 1986 and 1988 were written by Ms Barbara Kinsey, whilst at the Sir George Centre for Tropical Marine Studies at JCU. She painstakingly compiled information from cassette tapes of voice recordings, notes and conversations with Jack to help consolidate his research for dissemination. These books hold a wealth of information on everything from preservation of cubomedusae (box-jellyfish) to clinical symptoms and seasonal data.
Whilst Jack never got to see the finished books his work lives on for all to draw upon thanks to the dedication and efforts of Barbara. Box jellyfish envenomation is still a life-threatening global occurrence. The now easily accessible resource can be used by clinical and marine toxinology researchers no matter where they are. Whilst his methods of research on stingers may be seen as somewhat controversial today, without it the Australian community would be much poorer. I much admire his dedication to the cause and am indebted for the research legacy he has left behind for all.
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| Barbara Kinsey, c. 1985. Photographer Unknown. |
Though, none are more delighted that these books are now widely available than Barabara Kinsey herself (Photo) and Jack Barnes’ family is equally happy as when daughter Jenny shared the news ‘Nick, Rud and I are delighted to have the books digitised’.
Kinsey, Barbara. (1986). Barnes on box jellyfish. James Cook University of North Queensland. https://nqheritage.jcu.edu.au/1026/
Kinsey. Barbara. (1988). More Barnes on box jellyfish. James Cook University of North Queensland.
Southcott. R. (1967). Revision of some Carybdeidae (Scyphozoa: Cubomedusae) including a description of the jellyfish responsible for the “Irukandji syndrome.” Australian Journal of Zoology, 15(3).
Southcott, R. V. (1956). Studies on Australian Cubomedusae, including a new genus and species apparently harmful to man. Marine and Freshwater Research, 7(2), 254–280. https://doi.org/10.1071/MF9560254
Further Reading
Pearn, J., & Fenner, P. (2006). The Jellyfish hunter—Jack Barnes: A pioneer medical toxinologist in Australia. Toxicon, 48(7), 762–767. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.toxicon.2006.07.024
Acknowledgments
Thanks to Ms Jenny Roberts for proofreading the article, supplying photos. We thank Jon Carnemello for permission to reproduce his photos.
Author Biography
Dr Michela Mitchell, CF, is a marine taxonomist and the senior medical scientist leading research in the Toxinology Department, Women's and Children's Health Network (WCHN), Adelaide. With co-appointments as a Senior Lecturer, Adelaide University, SA, and a postdoctoral research assistant, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD and an independent researcher.
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