Background
Mackerras was born in Balclutha, New Zealand to James Murray Mackerras, and Elizabeth Mary (née Creagh), both farmers.
Mackerras was born in Balclutha, New Zealand to James Murray Mackerras, and Elizabeth Mary (née Creagh), both farmers.
Ian was educated at Sydney Grammar School, matriculating in 1915. Mackerras studied medicine at the University of Sydney in April 1919 but soon switched to zoology.
On 17 December 1915 Mackerras enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force after advancing his age. He was designated laboratory attendant in IHS Karoola on 19 December 1915. He later saw action in France and was gassed on 28 May 1918.
He returned to Australia, arriving in Melbourne on 13 April 1919.
In March 1924 Mackerras graduated Bachelor of Medicine, Magister Chirurgiae, Bachelor of Science, with First Class Honours in Zoology, the University Medal in Zoology, and shared the John Coutts Scholarship). Mackerras was awarded the Linnean Macleay Fellowship in Zoology in 1925.
He wrote papers on the flies Nemestrinidae and Mydaidae. From January 1927 he worked at the Bureau of Microbiology of the New South Wales Department of Public Health.
In 1928 the newly founded Council for Scientific and Industrial Research was looking for entomologists.
Mackerras joined the new organisation on 1 December 1928 and soon moved his family to Canberra. He worked on the buffalo fly and sheep blow-fly problems. Mackerras served in the Middle East and Guinea in World World War II, advising on sanitation and malaria.
On 2 June 1947 Mackerras became the first Director of the newly established Queensland Institute of Medical Research (QIMR) in Brisbane.
Mackerras edited a text-book, The Insects of Australia. lieutenant includes some of his own drawings.
Australian Academy of Science.