Daniel James Mahoney (1878-1944), was an Australian scientist in the field of geology and petrology. He was a specialist in the Victorian Mines Department, undertook research in

Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cambridge bec ...

and was director of the

Museum of Victoria Museums Victoria is an organisation which operates three major state-owned museums in Melbourne, Victoria: the Melbourne Museum, the Immigration Museum and Scienceworks Museum. It also manages the Royal Exhibition Building and a storage faci ...

from 1931 to 1944.Thomas A. Darragh, 'Mahony, Daniel James (1878–1944)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, published first in hardcopy 1986, accessed online 28 February 2016
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Early life and education

Daniel James Mahoney was born on 25 March 1878 in

East Melbourne, Victoria East Melbourne is an inner-city suburb in Melbourne, Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia, east of Melbourne's Melbourne central business district, Central Business District, located within the City of Melbourne Local government areas of ...

. His parents were Irish-born Daniel Mahony, who was mayor of

Fitzroy Fitzroy or FitzRoy may refer to: People As a given name *Several members of the Somerset family (Dukes of Beaufort) have this as a middle-name: **FitzRoy Somerset, 1st Baron Raglan (1788–1855) ** Henry Charles FitzRoy Somerset, 8th Duke of Beau ...

, and Catherine, née Finnigan. Mahoney was educated at

Downside School Downside School is a co-educational Catholic independent boarding and day school in the English public school tradition for pupils aged 11 to 18. It is located between Bath, Frome, Wells and Bruton, and is attached to Downside Abbey. Originall ...

Somerset, England ( en, All The People of Somerset) , locator_map = , coordinates = , region = South West England , established_date = Ancient , established_by = , preceded_by = , origin = , lord_lieutenant_office =Lord Lieutenant of Somerset , lord_ ...

, and then

Xavier College Xavier College is a Roman Catholic, day and boarding school predominantly for boys, founded in 1872 by the Society of Jesus, with its main campus located in Kew, an eastern suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Classes started in 1878. ...

in Melbourne. He studied at the

University of Melbourne The University of Melbourne is a public research university located in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1853, it is Australia's second oldest university and the oldest in Victoria. Its main campus is located in Parkville, an inner suburb nor ...

and was enrolled at

Ormond College Ormond College is the largest of the residential colleges of the University of Melbourne located in the city of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is home to around 350 undergraduates, 90 graduates and 35 professorial and academic residents. H ...

from 1898. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science in 1904 and a Master of Science in 1906 in geology. Professors J. W. Gregory and E. W. Skeats were his supervisors. Manoney filled in for Gregory in 1902-04, demonstrating in geology. In 1912 he deputised at the

University of Adelaide The University of Adelaide (informally Adelaide University) is a public research university located in Adelaide, South Australia. Established in 1874, it is the third-oldest university in Australia. The university's main campus is located on N ...

for Antarctic explorer (Sir)

Douglas Mawson Sir Douglas Mawson OBE FRS FAA (5 May 1882 – 14 October 1958) was an Australian geologist, Antarctic explorer, and academic. Along with Roald Amundsen, Robert Falcon Scott, and Sir Ernest Shackleton, he was a key expedition leader during ...

. Mahony was one of the first specialists with a higher degree to be appointed to the Victorian Mines Department briefly replacing as petrologist (Sir) Albert Kitson when he resigned. This appointment was made permanent on 23 February 1915. He made a significant contribution to petrology with H. J. Grayson for the study of the Mount Elephant and Camperdown district. He completed several bibliographies as editor in the department. Mahony enlisted as second lieutenant in the Royal Artillery in Britain in 1915 and was promoted to the rank of acting captain in August 1917. He saw service on the Western Front and following discharge, joined petrological research at

Sedgwick Museum The Sedgwick Museum of Earth Sciences, is the geology museum of the University of Cambridge. It is part of the Department of Earth Sciences and is located on the university's Downing Site in Downing Street, central Cambridge, England. The Sedgw ...

in Cambridge. He returned to Melbourne in March 1920 to resume his duties in the Mines Department.

Australian appointments

Mahony was made director of the

National Museum of Victoria National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, c ...

in April 1931 replacing J. A. Kershaw, where he encouraged research and scholarship among the existing staff, despite the funding cuts imposed by the Government during the Depression. He also re-established the ''

Memoirs of the National Museum of Victoria ''Memoirs of Museum Victoria'' is a peer-reviewed annual scientific journal covering natural sciences pertinent to Victoria and/or the museum's collections. It is published by Museum Victoria and the editor-in-chief is Richard Marchant. The journa ...

'' He also started the practice of engaging honorary staff to assist in the museum's work and promoted its public image through a new display program on modern American methods that had been demonstrated in Australia in 1937, for which he raised funds from private individuals and through a grant from the Carnegie Corporation; he also made a personal benefaction. In 1937 Mahony was one of the founders of the Art Galleries and Museums Association of Australia and New Zealand and was elected first president. A member of the Royal Society of Victoria from 1901, he was president in 1939-40. In addition to his geological interests on which he contributed several scientific papers and reports, Mahony was keenly interested in Australian ethnology, particularly the question of the antiquity of man in Australia on which he published major papers. Mahony was a founding member of the Art Galleries and Museums Association of Australia and New Zealand in 1937 and President of the

Royal Society of Victoria The Royal Society of Victoria (RSV) is the oldest scientific society in the state of Victoria in Australia. Foundation In 1854 two organisations formed with similar aims and membership, these being ''The Philosophical Society of Victoria'' (fou ...

in 1939-40 and retired from the Museum on 31 July 1944, but died soon after at the

Melbourne Club The Melbourne Club is a private social club established in 1838 and located at 36 Collins Street, Melbourne. The club is a symbol of Australia's British social heritage and was established at a gathering of 23 gentlemen on Saturday, 17 Decembe ...

of peritonitis from diverticulitis on 27 September 1944. Forty-one friends subscribed to install a memorial plaque at the museum which was unveiled May 1945.Monuments Australia
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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mahony, Daniel James Geologists from Melbourne University of Melbourne alumni 1878 births 1944 deaths Deaths from diverticulitis People from East Melbourne Australian people of Irish descent 20th-century Australian geologists People educated at Downside School People educated at Xavier College Australian art curators Academics from Melbourne Australian expatriates in England Royal Artillery soldiers British Army personnel of World War I Military personnel from Melbourne