Recent Events

Russell, an experienced taxonomist and photographer, will reflect on the place of the Kimberleys in the unfolding story of Australia’s unique flora.

Dr Russell Barrett grew up in the Kimberleys and his fascination with this vast area of gorges and desiccated sandstone escarpments has endured. Russell worked as a Research Botanist with the Botanic Gardens and Parks Authority in Perth prior to moving to the Australian National Herbarium in Canberra. He is currently located with the ABRS.

Deirdre will celebrate National Parks Week by talking about ‘Baldur Byles: A forester above the tree line.’

I have chosen to tell you about Byles (1904-75) because he was one of my unsung heroes of Kosciusko National Park as we know it today. Although he was a forester, his lasting memorial is his work for the snow country, where he was active in both science and administration from 1932 to 1967.

Native seed conservation and research

Dr Lydia Guja, Research Scientist and Manager, National Seed Bank at ANBG Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research, CSIRO, Canberra.

At least 1,253 plant species are listed as threatened with extinction in Australia alone. To protect plants from extinction the National Seed Bank collects and stores seed, and extends seed longevity by storing seeds under special conditions which exploit their inherent ability to survive drying and delay germination. In this presentation Lydia will discuss the seed banking process, some of the science behind it, and the diverse regions that are currently the focus of their efforts at the Seed Bank. She will conclude by presenting results from recent studies into the seed ecology of species we conserve. This research focuses on how environmental variation affects seed dormancy and germination, and therefore the life cycles and establishment of obligate seeding plant species.

Louisa Atkinson (1834–1872) was writer and naturalist who lived near Berrima and collected as far afield as the Canberra region. A frail but independent young woman, at 19 she became Australia's first woman natural history journalist and, not long after, the first Australian-born woman novelist. She began illustrations for a book on Australian natural history. The initial plates were sent to Germany for publication. However, war intervened and the plates were lost.