Summary

This paper briefly summarises the 70-year research career of K. Radway Allen, which developed from an early interest in aquatic biology in the streams of England, to more quantitative analyses of freshwater ecology and fisheries biology in New Zealand, Canada and Australia. Dr Allen undertook significant research on fish which live in the ocean as adults but migrate to freshwater streams to spawn (such as Atlantic salmon), and he also made valuable contributions to the development of fisheries population dynamics theory. He had a pivotal involvement with the Scientific Committee of the International Whaling Commission, and was an acknowledged expert on the assessment of whale stocks. His career included being Director of the premier fisheries research laboratories in three countries, and he authored more than 100 scientific manuscripts and books. The Australian Society for Fish Biology named its most prestigious award in Dr Allen’s honour - the award is given at the discretion of the Society’s president for an outstanding contribution in fisheries science. Dr Allen passed away in Sydney in February 2008 at the age of 97, and this paper was developed from a tribute to Dr Allen presented at the Annual Conference of the Australian Society for Fish Biology in September 2008.