NT scientist to present Allan Sefton Memorial Lecture

Sep 18, 2006

A scientist who was awarded the Eureka Prize for biodiversity research in 2001 and the Serventy Medal for his lifetime contribution to research on Australian birds will present the 2006 Allan Sefton Memorial Lecture tomorrow (Tuesday 19 September) at the University of Wollongong.

Dr John Woinarski is Principal Scientist with the Northern Territory’s Department of Natural Resources, Environment and the Arts, a project leader with the Tropical Savannas Cooperative Research Centre and Adjunct Professorial Fellow with Charles Darwin University.

He has lived in Darwin for 20 years, and worked across the north on a broad range of conservation and management issues, including the impacts upon biodiversity of fire regimes and pastoralism, reserve design, biogeography, environmental history, and the management of threatened plant and animal species.

The title of his talk will be Beyond the pale: an ecological and land management perspective from northern Australia.

Dr Woinarski will argue that the ecological characterisation and management of Australia has been dominated by perspective from the populous temperate southern fringe.

He will refer to how a series of recent policy debates (or perhaps debacles) has drawn attention to the myopic limitations of this unhealthy solipsism. Dr Woinarski will refer to what he calls the grandiose dreams to turn the northern rivers south, and the rediscovered recognition of the poverty and social dysfunction typical of Aboriginal communities in northern and central Australia.

He will address some aspects of the ecological and social fabric of northern Australia. Dr Woinarski will argue that it is one of the world’s most important natural areas, but the little worth generally accorded it has led to neglect and decay.

The Allan Sefton memorial Lectures have been held since 1993. Allan Sefton was well known to residents of the Illawarra and further afield for his work as a naturalist and conservator of the local environment. An employee of the Port Kembla steelworks, his spare time was spent recording information about the local flora and fauna, advising on the proper use of resources and attempting to ensure the local environment was properly managed. His efforts were recognised by the award of the British Empire Medal (1975), the Order of Australia and the prestigious Australian Natural History Medallion (1978). His contributions to environmental science and conservation in the Illawarra were also recognised by the University of Wollongong which awarded Allan Sefton an Honorary PhD in 1989. Unfortunately Dr Sefton died in May 1989, a few days before he was due to receive the award.

At 6.30pm, a poster display on environmental activities at UOW will precede the lecture as well as the presentation of prizes including the awarding of the Allan Sefton Memorial Prize for the best graduate in the Bachelor of Environmental Science program which this year has gone to the joint winners of Kellie Parker and Shelley Reis.

Time and Venue: The Lecture will be given at 7.30pm. [Note: The Mayor of Wollongong, Cr Alex Darling, will introduce the speaker.] UniCentre Function Room 1, University of Wollongong.

For further information contact Sandra Quin on 4221 4134.

For more information, contact:

media@uow.edu.au
University of Wollongong
Ph: (02) 4221 5942; fax (02) 4221 3128