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Obituaries Dr Ross Ewen Beever MSc (Auckland), PhD (Leeds), FRSNZ, FNZIAHS, FAPPS 3 January 1946 – 3 June 2010 Ross trained as a botanist at Ross received many awards during Auckland University and although his career, including Fellowship of he later specialised in the study of the Royal Society of New Zealand. fungi, he retained an interest, indeed One award that gave him particular a love, for our native plants. He was pleasure was being elected an encouraged in this by his father, Honorary Life Member of the Jim Beever, author of the book A Auckland Botanical Society, in Dictionary of Maori Plant Names, by recognition of his work for the Society, mentors such as Lucy Moore and Bill an honour that had previously been Hamilton, and by his wife Jessica, one bestowed on his father. Another was of New Zealand’s most distinguished his nomination for the Allan Mere, Dr Ross Beever was a mycologist bryologists. given each year to a distinguished New Zealand botanist. In November and plant pathologist with Landcare For Ross, botany was a hobby but 2010, Dr Jessica Beever received on Research in Auckland. His main he was much more than a mere his behalf the posthumous award of professional interest was in fungi, enthusiast or hobbyist – he brought to the Allan Mere. their taxonomy, their genetics, their his botanical studies the same rigour physiology and the diseases that they that characterised his work on fungi. Ross was a skilled naturalist with cause. He studied the large-leafed variants an extensive knowledge of native Early in his career he collaborated on off-shore islands, he studied the plants and fungi. He was always in novel and innovative research on incompatibility breeding systems of willing to share his knowledge with the uptake of phosphorus by fungi, cabbage tree (Cordyline) species, and others, scientists or amateurs. He work that had important implications with Warwick Harris demonstrated was committed to his research and for both our native plant communities that cabbage trees are adapted to undertook research that was relevant and for agricultural and horticultural their local environments. This interest to the needs of New Zealand. He crops. Many soils in New Zealand are in cabbage tree biology meant that he was an excellent mentor of younger low in phosphorus and plants rely on was well placed to lead the team that scientists and students and a good symbiotic fungi for its uptake. successfully investigated the “Sudden friend to his many colleagues. Decline” of cabbage trees. The cause Ross Beever was a good friend and Another major interest was control was found to be the phytoplasma he will be missed. of Botrytis cinerea, one of the most “Candidatuss Phytoplasma destructive of fungal pathogens. In australiense”. More recently, he was Obituary compiled by Ross New Zealand it is a particular problem leading a team from different scientifi c Ferguson. Ross Ferguson and of grapes, kiwifruit, berryfruit and groups studying the death of kauri Peter Buchanan published a many ornamentals. Ross and his caused by Phytophthora species. more detailed obituary in the co-workers made a long-term study New Zealand Journal of Botany On a happier note, by physiological of fungicide resistance in Botrytis. 48(3–4): 139–151 (2010). This work established the genetic and manipulation he was able to biochemical basis of fungal resistance obtain viable seed of the single to dicarboximides, one of the more remaining plant of Pennantia important groups of fungicides used baylisiana, a female plant lacking for control of Botrytis. This work the corresponding male, and the was the basis for practical advice many hundreds of offspring grown on managing fungal resistance in have ensured the survival of this general. endangered native of the Three Kings Islands. 28 New Zealand Garden Journal, 2010, Vol. 13(2) Dr Eric John Godley OBE, Hon. DSc (Cantuar), FRSNZ, AHRIH 10 May 1919 – 27 June 2010 Godley, a former senior-grade rugby He was a kind and considerate boss player, chummed up with Molloy, a who “rescued” many botanists from former All Black. The pair spent many jobs in which they were unhappy and a Saturday afternoon on the bank at provided positions for them, Molloy Lancaster Park (AMI Stadium), rounding says. “He was always friendly. His door it off with a couple of pints at their was always open, to staff and visitors.” favourite pub. He employed only one secretary and Molloy remembers leaving the park did most of the division’s administration after a Canterbury defeat, amid the himself. “He was an unobtrusive scowling faces of disappointed fans. communicator and an administrator Godley commented on what a miserable extraordinaire.” evening these fans would have. Then he Botanist Dr Colin Meurk says Godley added: “But we’re all right, Brian. We’ve was “very supportive of young, budding got our plants.” scientists, took them under his wing and Eric Godley with his favourite native plant, Godley was a contented and accepting helped them get a foot on the career kowhai. He grew this tree from seed man. Even in later years, with ladder”. collected from Ohingaiti in the 1960s. In declining health and in pain from a He trusted people to do a good day’s 2001 it was described as a new species and leg amputation, he never complained. named Sophora godleyi in his honour. work and developed a “great esprit Photo: Peter Heenan. Godley died aged 91. de corps in his staff”. He won the Father of post-war botany and old- Raised in Auckland, he was head affection of staff members. He was a school scientist Dr Eric Godley prefect at Takapuna Grammar School classic example of the “gentleman and combined science with “people skills”. and starred in rugby, cricket and scholar”. athletics. He graduated with an MSc The eminent botanist popularised the Godley’s research led to many from Auckland University in 1942, then publications in his speciality, the study of plants. He was able to relate to served with the army in Italy. people at every level. He was a down- reproductive biology of New Zealand’s to-earth bloke who enjoyed watching After World War II, he completed his native fl ora. His work in Chile and rugby and having a few beers. PhD in Cambridge, England. He married on sub-Antarctic islands sparked in 1955, but the marriage did not last. international interest in the link between Fellow botanist Dr Brian Molloy says He had no children. New Zealand and South American of Godley: “Very few scientists could Godley lectured in plant genetics at native plants. He suggested the communicate with the general public as Antarctic had played a role in the link, well as he could.” Auckland University from 1948 to 1951, then joined the Crop Research Division as some form of bridge. Godley’s long-running magazine of the Department of Scientifi c and He established New Zealand’s column, A Botanist’s Notebookk, Industrial Research at Lincoln as a national herbarium and a network of introduced many people to the science geneticist. botanical stations around the country. of plants. It later formed the basis of He was director of the division from He took lead roles in many research Godley’s popular book of the same organisations. In retirement, he name1. 1952 to 1958, when he was made director of Botany Division, a position researched and wrote on the history of “Eric was a scientist of great eminence, he held for 22 years. Then, freed from botanical study in New Zealand. especially in plant breeding systems, administrative duties, he continued with His work in explaining the variation in the botany of the sub-Antarctic islands, the division for fi ve years as a scientist. kowhai was acknowledged with the relationships between New Zealand His successor as director of the Botany naming of a previously unknown species and South American plants, and his after him, Sophora godleyi. He was favourite plant, the kowhai. Division, Dr Henry Connor, says: “I would call him the father of post-war the fi rst president of the New Zealand He was known internationally in the botany in New Zealand.” Botanical Society and a Fellow of the botanical sciences and he received Royal Society of New Zealand, and was many awards2,” Molloy says. Godley oversaw the botany division’s awarded the OBE in 1990. shift in 1960 from central Christchurch For many years, Godley spent the to Lincoln, where it expanded However, his honorary Doctor of Christmas-New Year break botanising in signifi cantly. Science, from the University of the mountains around Maruia Springs. Canterbury, meant the most to him. Molloy says his leadership style was “He believed you learnt most from direct based on trust. He left his staff to get on Meurk says Godley was of the “old contact with the plants. He belonged with their work. He once said that, if he school”. He was critical of modern with the plants and he enjoyed being spotted a staff member on the beach structures governing science and 3 with them,” Molloy says. during work hours, he would not mind, research . He agreed with the concept as the staff member would be thinking of accountability, but not with “the about botany. sledgehammer approach” to it. 1 Reviewed in the New Zealand Garden Journal, 2007, Vol. 10(1): 27–28 2 For example, Eric Godley was made an Associate of Honour of the RNZIH in 1984. 3 Godley, E. (1986/87): Editorial: A set-back for science. Annual Journal of the Royal New Zealand Institute of Horticulture 14: 91. New Zealand Garden Journal, 2010, Vol.

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