Newsletter No. 152 September 2012 Price: $5.00 Australasian Systematic Botany Society Newsletter 152 (September 2012) AUSTRALIAN SYSTEMATIC BOTANY SOCIETY INCORPORATED Council President Vice President Peter Weston Dale Dixon National Herbarium of New South Wales Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney Mrs Macquaries Road Mrs Macquaries Road Sydney, NSW 2000 Sydney, NSW 2000 Australia Australia Tel: (02) 9231 8171 Tel: (02) 9231 8111 Fax: (02) 9241 2797 Fax: (02) 9251 7231 Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Treasurer Secretary Frank Zich John Clarkson Australian Tropical Herbarium Dept of National Parks, Recreation, Sport and Racing E2 building, J.C.U. Cairns Campus PO Box 156 PO Box 6811 Mareeba, QLD 4880 Cairns, Qld 4870 Australia Australia Tel: +61 7 4048 4745 Tel: (07) 4059 5014 Fax: +61 7 4092 2366 Fax: (07) 4091 8888 Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Councillor (Assistant Secretary - Communications Councillor Ilse Breitwieser Pina Milne Allan Herbarium National Herbarium of Victoria Landcare Research New Zealand Ltd Royal Botanic Gardens PO Box 40 Birdwood Ave Lincoln 7640 South Yarra VIC 3141 New Zealand Australia Tel: +64 3 321 9621 Tel: (03) 9252 2309 Fax: +64 3 321 9998 Fax: (03) 9252 2423 Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Other Constitutional Bodies Public Officer Hansjörg Eichler Research Committee Annette Wilson Bill Barker Australian Biological Resources Study Philip Garnock-Jones GPO Box 787 Betsy Jackes Canberra, ACT 2601 Greg Leach Australia Nathalie Nagalingum Christopher Quinn Affiliate Society Chair: Dale Dixon, Vice President Papua New Guinea Botanical Society Grant application closing dates: Hansjörg Eichler Research Fund: ASBS Website on March 14th and September 14th each year. www.anbg.gov.au/asbs Australian Conservation Taxonomy Award: Webmaster: Murray Fagg on March 14th 2013. Centre for Australian National Plant Biodiversity Research Cover image: Alloxylon flammeum (Proteaceae), Australian National Herbarium reproduced with the permission of David Mackay (the Email: [email protected] artist) and RBG Sydney. Publication dates of previous issue Austral.Syst.Bot.Soc.Newslett. 151 (June 2012 issue) Hardcopy: 7 August 2012; ASBS Website: 23 July 2012 Australasian Systematic Botany Society Newsletter 152 (September 2012) From the President The ASBS conference in Perth was fast approaching that have inadvertently crept into the fabric of and I was busily preparing for it (as well as for the rules. It is an essential, ongoing process that a trip to Africa) when I wrote the first draft of relies on the willingness of members to engage this, my last “From the President” column1. The actively in running the Society and I am grateful conference program looked terrific and indeed it that a large number of members chose to support turned out to be so, with numerous fascinating their Society in this way by voting in the postal titles from a great selection of speakers and poster ballot. I am also delighted that all resolutions presenters, including some of the world’s and were overwhelmingly passed. Australasia’s most eminent botanists, as well as a The AGM was a significant landmark for me good representation of the next generation of plant personally because chairing it was my last official systematists. Moreover, the whole show seemed to duty as ASBS President. My term as President run faultlessly. The organizing committee clearly (2009–2012) was been a stimulating, educational, did a fantastic job and again I want to thank Kevin mostly enjoyable, but occasionally frustrating Thiele’s team of Kelly Shepherd, Juliet Wege, experience. Highlights for me include: Ryonen Butcher, Kristina Lemson, Matt and Russell Barrett and Peter Jobson for the thought • conferences that have been held under the and hard work that they invested in this meeting Society’s auspices in Armidale, Lincoln and on behalf of the Society. Perth; The standard of the three ASBS conferences • the move to transform our Society from a that were held during my presidency (Armidale, national to an international body; Lincoln, Perth) was so high that the task of • two rounds of constitutional reform; organising the next one has become quite daunting. However, the joint meeting of ASBS and the • significant enhancement of our ability to Society of Australian Systematic Biologists, to be support research by students and early held in Sydney in late November 2013, got off to a career plant systematists through the Eichler good start in late August with the formation of an Awards and the new Australian Conservation organizing committee. This is mostly composed of Taxonomy Award; staff members of the National Herbarium of NSW • awarding Nancy Burbidge Memorial Medals and the Australian Museum but also includes to two eminent plant systematists, Professors Murray Henwood from the University of Sydney. Mike Crisp and Pauline Ladiges; It has already held two meetings and is now in the process of finalising both a venue and conference • conferring life membership of ASBS on organising company. We expect to broadcast a John Clarkson and Dr Bill Barker for their first circular later in November 2012. sustained, energetic support of the Society. ASBS Council had a lot on its plate leading up to I am grateful to all members for entrusting me our Annual General Meeting in Perth, which this with the duty of leading the society for three year included the approval by members of five years and especially to those who have served on Special Resolutions to change 25 of the Society’s ASBS Council during my presidency: Michael rules, in addition to the regular items such as Bayly (Treasurer), Gillian Brown (Councillor, reports from the President and Treasurer and Secretary), Tanya Scharaschkin (Councillor), Dale the election of Council members. Constitutional Dixon (Vice President), Frank Zich (Treasurer), reform, of which these Special Resolutions are a Pina Milne (Councillor (Assistant Treasurer)), good example, enables societies like ours to adapt John Clarkson (Secretary), Ilse Breitwieser to their changing environment, to take advantage (Councillor), and in ex officio positions: Russell of technological advances, and to iron out wrinkles Barrett, Peter Jobson, Gael Campbell-Young (Newsletter editors), Murray Fagg (Web Master), 1 Ed. note: PW updated this column after the conference. 1 Australasian Systematic Botany Society Newsletter 152 (September 2012) Annette Wilson (Public Officer), Barbara Briggs, is being harmed along with the rest of science by Rod Henderson, Betsy Jackes, Chris Quinn, this barrage of anti-scientific propaganda in the Greg Leach, Kristina Lemson, Biller Barker, popular media. At the same time, systematics Philip Garnock-Jones, and Nathalie Nagalingum is facing an existential threat from cuts in (Hansjörg Eichler Research Committee). government funding at State level (where most systematists are employed). Programs to reduce As Dale Dixon also stepped down from the position the public sector workforce by tens of thousands of Vice President at the AGM, having spent the of positions this year, in several states, with further maximum allowable six years on Council, ASBS cuts promised for coming years, have already sent Council is now being led by a new President, Bill some of Australia’s most experienced systematic Barker and a new Vice President, Mike Bayly. biologists into premature retirement and threaten Bill and Mike bring a wealth of experience to to curtail the botanical careers of some of our most these positions of leadership, having both served promising young scientists. in senior roles on Council previously and I want to take this opportunity to congratulate both of Interestingly, problems of this kind and scale do them on their election. not seem to be emerging elsewhere in Australasia, where more balanced policies seem to be holding What is the most pressing challenge confronting sway. Would it be helpful for ASBS to become ASBS heading towards 2013? A number of us have more active, perhaps even militant, in arguing concluded that it is deciding how best to respond against attacks on scientific knowledge and to growing threats to Australian science generally funding in Australia? I think so and have agreed to and to plant systematics in particular. I think it be part of a “brains trust” of ex-Council members is not an exaggeration to say that mainstream on which our new leadership can call to discuss Australian science is under unprecedented attack such questions. from political ideologues disputing the veracity of well-corroborated scientific knowledge and Peter Weston especially that relating to climate change. Biology Immediate Past President From the Editors Do you have some time to agencies in WA has meant a shift in the availability spare? of work and the results of this change for one of the editors are still uncertain. Ideally, the editorship We want you! would be shared across three individuals (who do not have to be in the same geographical area), Expressions of interest for editorial roles with the responsible for 1. Receiving and editing copy; 2. Newsletter are being called for due to uncertainties Compilation of the Newsletter in Adobe InDesign; in the work commitments of the current editors. and 3. Printing and distribution of the Newsletter. At this stage, the current editors are not standing down, but interest in taking on the roles is being Please contact Russell Barrett or Bill Barker if sought in case the need to pass on the baton arises any of these roles interest you. in the near future. Cuts to Government-funded The editors Death Notices It is with sadness that we note the recent deaths of at BRI) and D.J. (Don) McGillivray (formerly at long-term members of the Society, Bob Anderson NSW). Obituaries will be sought for future issues (South Australia), R.W. (Bob) Johnson (formerly of the Newsletter. 2 Australasian Systematic Botany Society Newsletter 152 (September 2012) Articles Nancy Tyson Burbidge – a centenary Alex George Kardinya, W.A.