Honorary Membership

Rachel obtained a B.A. (Nat. Sci.) from Cambridge University before being appointed to the Commonwealth Institute of Biological Control in Trinidad, West Indies. After a PhD at the University of the West Indies on insects on Siam weed, she moved to Tucuman, Argentina to investigate insects on Harrisia cactus.

After marriage, Rachel came to the Department of Lands, Alan Fletcher Research Station, Sherwood in 1976. She worked on several weed biocontrol programs with great success – parthenium, Harrisia cactus, annual ragweed, fireweed and rubbervine. She travelled extensively including overseas to Kenya, Ivory Coast, Madagascar, South Africa, and South-East Asia. Rachel was responsible for the introduction and host testing of 19 insects, with 14 being released and monitored. She initiated biological control research on Siam weed in Indonesia, the Philippines, PNG and East Timor, where three insects greatly reduced the problem.

Rachel was Principal Scientist from 1991, then manager of research until 2003, when she was appointed Director of the CRC for Australian Weed Management. When the CRC ended in 2008, she retired, but remained active, being appointed to the Biosecurity Queensland Ministerial Advisory Committee in 2019, and Chair of the Queensland Invasive Plants and Animals Committee in 2022.

Rachel has published many scientific papers, been a speaker and keynote speaker at national and international conferences and is one of three authors of “Biological Control of Weeds in Australia”.

Rachel has supported the Society since 1976 and was President in 2011 – 2012. She was convenor of the International Course on Biological Control of Tropical Weeds, Brisbane, 1993 and 1995, and lecturer 1995 to 2003. In the 1st International Weed Control Congress, Melbourne in 1992, she was co-convenor of a Symposium on Biological and Other Alternative Control Measures.

Rachel was awarded a CAWS Medal in 1999, elected a Life Member of the International Organization of Biological Control in 2010, and appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for “services to biosecurity and entomology” in 2022.

Bruce completed a B.Agr.Sc (Hons) and a PhD at the University of Hawaii.  On returning, he was appointed as a QDPI agronomist leading to 13 years of weed research at the Qld Wheat Research Institute in Toowoomba.  His efforts were on wild oats, and the longevity of weed seed populations in the soil, assisted with study leave at the Weed Research Organisation in England.  Bruce was senior author of “Crop Weeds of Northern Australia”.

Bruce headed north in 1987 to be the first Officer-in-Charge, Department of Lands Tropical Weeds Research Centre in Charters Towers.  Here, enthusiastic staff covered the northern two-thirds of Qld.  To support this, Bruce was awarded a Churchill Fellowship to the U.S.A.

After five years, he moved to Brisbane management roles in policy and research leading to appointment in 1997 as General Manager, Land Protection (later, Invasive Plants and Animals).  He retired after 14 years.

Bruce managed the development of the first Qld Weeds Strategy, first Qld Pest Animal Strategy, the Land Protection Act 2002 and Qld strategies for key pests and issues such as weed spread prevention and weed awareness.  Bruce represented Qld on the Australian Weeds Committee for 18 years. He was on the writing team for the first Australian Weeds Strategy and the Executive Committee driving implementation, including the development of the WONS.

Bruce has been a supporter of the Society since the first meeting in 1975.   He was Newsletter Editor for three years from 1983 to 1986, CAWS rep for six years from 1994 to 1999 and then President of CAWS from 2000 to 2002.  When Qld hosted the Australian Weeds Conference in 1981, he was senior editor of the Proceedings. Bruce was Chair, Organising Committee for the 12th Qld Weeds Symposium at Hervey Bay in 2013, and assisted with the development of the Society’s weed books.  Bruce was awarded a CAWS Medal in 2004.

Rodney (Rod) left school at age 15 to join the Brisbane City Council (BCC).  After further education, he was assigned to weed control, initially the destruction campaign for groundsel bush. Thus, an outstanding career started.

For decades, Rod successfully led the Council’s weed control program and made a major contribution to weed management in Queensland with many innovations.  He introduced rain drop nozzles and foam spray nozzles to minimise drift.  He developed a tractor mounted boom that conformed with the profile of concrete kerb and channel, with individually controlled nozzles, and a hovercraft for water weed control. He initiated reformulation of wetting agents to avoid flammable liquid issues.

Rod established a biocontrol breeding farm in 1995 which produced large numbers of weevils for salvinia, water hyacinth and water lettuce.  Weevils were also supplied to other local governments.

In 1996, Weed Bug was introduced, with small rotating disc-mounted wick wipers for concrete kerb and channel.  He introduced Truxor, a small machine for harvesting water weeds, and in 1999, developed a “Sensor Truck” which measured the reflectance of a light beam to detect weeds.

Rod also contributed to weed management with his support for the Weed Society of Qld.  In 1975, he assisted with the establishment of the Society by arranging the venue for the initial meetings at Gona Barracks, Kelvin Grove. He was one of three people to prepare a draft constitution and was subsequently auditor for many years.  Rod continued an active involvement, and in 2007 received a Weed Society Award for dedication over time to the cause of weed management, new concepts, and for significant additions to existing knowledge.  

After 55 and a half years with BCC, Rod retired in December 2011.

As the son of Frederick Parkhurst Dodd, Alan was involved from childhood in the North Queensland family business of collecting and preserving insects for sale worldwide. In 1912 at age 16, he was appointed Assistant Entomologist with the Bureau of Sugar Experiment Stations in Gordonvale. During WW1, he volunteered for the Medical Corps and served in France. He was re-employed by the Sugar Bureau until 1921 when he began work with the Commonwealth Prickly Pear Board (CPPB) at Sherwood, with no formal qualifications. Alan was Officer-in-Charge, Prickly Pear Investigations from 1925 until the CPPB was disbanded in 1939. He then became Director of the Biological Branch (later Alan Fletcher Research Station), Qld Department of Lands at Sherwood. He was awarded an M.B.E. in 1939, an O.B.E in 1962, and retired in 1962.

Alan made a major contribution to weed science in Queensland as the leader of prickly pear research. In particular, he visited the Americas, collected the moth Cactoblastis cactorum in Argentina and shipped it back to Queensland in 1925 for host-testing and release. It resulted in the almost miraculous destruction of the prickly pear over thousands of square kilometres in 1927-30. He also collected cochineal insects that established on other pest pears. He later initiated other biological control programs on Noogoora burr, lantana and crofton weed. Many insects, including a species of Cactoblastis, are named after him. Alan was the first Honorary member of WSQ.

Selwyn started in the botany ection of the Department of Agriculture and Stock as a cadet and studied science as an evening student, gaining his B.Sc. in 1937. He was then appointed to Blackall for five years where he developed his deep love for western Queensland and the arid country. He spent four years in the Royal Australian Air Force returning to the Department, this time in Brisbane. Economic botany was his strength and his early interest in the management of pastures expanded into studies of poisonous plants, edible trees and shrubs, and weeds and weed control. In 1954, he succeeded W. D. Francis as government botanist and oversaw the modernisation of the Queensland Herbarium, retiring in 1976.

Selwyn made an outstanding contribution to weed science in Queensland with his work on poisonous plants, pioneering work on weeds, and dissemination of information through many publications. His early work included a major role in identifying the poisonous plants causing Birdsville horse disease, and Georgina River and St George diseases of sheep and cattle. He produced one of the first weeds books for Queensland, Common Weeds of Farm and Pasture (1957). Of his many publications, Poisonous Plants of Australia (1974) was his greatest achievement, and has remained a definitive work.

An unforgettable character, irrepressible and at times overpowering, Selwyn had great enthusiasm and energy and a prodigious memory for scientific facts.

Selwyn chaired the inaugural meetings to establish WSQ and was emphatic that the society should focus broadly to assist everyone engaged in weed management, not just scientists. He remained supportive of WSQ until his retirement.

John (known as Jack) was born at Greenmount, Qld in 1905 but moved to Sydney as a child. He worked with an entomologist in Sydney until he was encouraged, without any qualifications, to join the Commonwealth Prickly Pear Board (CPPB) in 1923 as a field assistant at Biniguy in NSW. He soon moved to Sherwood, and was Officer-in-Charge at Sherwood 1927-29, Research Entomologist at Chinchilla 1929-34 and Sherwood 1934-39. In 1939 when the CPPB was disbanded, Jack was taken on as Entomologist in the Biological Section of the Lands Department. He was appointed Investigation Officer in 1952 and Director when Alan Dodd retired in 1962. Jack was awarded an M.B.E., an Honorary D.Agr.Sc and retired in 1970.

Jack made a major contribution to weed science in Queensland with his work on biological control of weeds. He received the first shipment of Cactoblastis cactorum and commenced the rearing and testing at Sherwood in 1925, and later the mass rearing and distribution. He was thus part of the team that achieved biological control of prickly pear. Jack then contributed to subsequent biological control projects, travelling overseas in search of insects for lantana, Noogoora burr and Harrisia cactus. As Director, he had responsibility for all research on chemical and biological control of weeds. His tenure marked a period of enthusiasm, scientific resourcefulness, and primary industry recognition.

Jock joined the Division of Plant Industry, CSIRO, in Canberra in 1947 after four years in the Army. He worked on weed problems of southern Australia – in cropping (skeleton weed, hoary cress), alpine areas (leafy bossea) and grazing (Eucalypt regrowth), using new herbicides – 2,4-D, 2,4,5-T and picloram. Jock transferred to his home State in January 1963, and remained at Gatton for the rest of his career.

Jock made an outstanding contribution to weed science in Queensland in developing methods for control of timber and associated species – sandalwood, black wattle, poplar box regrowth, lime bush, Chinee apple and tea-tree. He initially determined the best herbicide, formulation, application technique and timing for control of poplar box in south-west Qld. He then determined the best chemical methods on other eucalypt species and soil types across Queensland as far north as Townsville, and on the associated species. His recommendation on using the tree injector and picloram was still in use after 50 years. Jock later worked on the role of fire for control of unwanted woody species such as Cassia, sandalwood and black wattle. He recorded his work in 25 scientific papers.

Jock joined WSQ in 1975, the year of formation, and continued as an active supporter until his retirement in 1984. Jock passed away in July 2012, aged 88 years.

John was a crop weed agronomist in the Department of Agriculture and Stock (later Primary Industries) based in Kingaroy, Biloela and Gatton over a 29 year career from 1955 to 1984 (1974-84 at Gatton).

He made an outstanding contribution with the development of practical weed control practices in crops such as peanuts, sorghum, maize, cotton and soybeans, and control methods for specific weeds such as nutgrass. One of John’s early findings was the first chemical control for grasses in peanuts, that is, 2,4-D applied immediately after planting. This provided control for a month until cultivation could be used, and this remained widely used until trifluralin became available several years later. At Biloela, John responded to a major problem with black pigweed in sorghum; he found that very early post-emergence use of a low rate of atrazine was both effective and economically acceptable

A weed research team was developed in the Department with further appointments of weed agronomists. John was the leader of the team until retirement and thus contributed to improved crop weed management across Queensland through his coordination of the team.

John participated in the inaugural meetings to establish WSQ in 1975 and continued to actively participate in WSQ activities until his retirement.

Bill was born in Brisbane and raised mainly on a property at Sunnybank. He joined the RAAF in WW2, gained his Wings and was posted to New Guinea in January 1945. On discharge in 1946, Bill won a scholarship to the University of Queensland and completed his BSc (Entomology). He started as an entomologist in the Biological Branch, Lands Department, Sherwood in 1958. In 1970, he became the Director of the Branch at what had become the Alan Fletcher Research Station.

Bill made an outstanding contribution to weed science in Queensland with his work on biological control of weeds and administration of research. He worked on weeds such as crofton weed and groundsel bush, and introduced several biocontrol agents. His 15 years as director saw a strengthening of scientific research capability, a much improved quarantine facility, construction of the Tropical Weeds Research Centre in Charters Towers and the establishment of several overseas field stations. He initiated the biocontrol program for Harrisia cactus. In 1973, parthenium was first recognised as a problem; Bill successfully lobbied for a major integrated management program. Herbicide research was strengthened.

Bill also contributed through his active participation in WSQ. He participated in the inaugural meetings and gave strong support in the early days. Bill further contributed through national roles – he was inaugural President of the Council of Australian Weed Science Societies (CAWSS) in 1977. Bill was one of the first recipients of a CAWSS Medal in 1984.

Charles started from humble beginnings as a migrant from Cornwall working as a labourer with the Irrigation and Water Supply Commission at Clare, and then at the Burdekin River Authority’s Experimental farm. In 1952, he joined the Qld Public Service in water distribution, moved in 1956 to the Mareeba Dimbulah Irrigation Area and controlled the first water release from Tinaroo Dam. In 1962, Charles was promoted to Officer-in-Charge, Dawson Valley Irrigation Area, Theodore, before moving on to Brisbane as Supervising Water Superintendent. He retired in 1986.

Charles made a major contribution to weed science in Queensland with his work in what became the Qld Water Resources Commission. He developed knowledge of aquatic weeds out of necessity and achieved successful control. Charles became an Australian authority on tropical water weeds and recorded his knowledge in the first Weed Control Manual for the Commission. Within a National Working Group, he was convenor of a committee which produced the practical ‘Guidelines for use of Herbicides near Water’.

Charles also contributed through WSQ. He was a foundation member, instrumental in its early functioning as the second Treasurer (1976-78) and later as President (1981-82). Charles was also the main instigator for the WSQ sponsoring, organising and achieving TAFE backing of Weed Control Courses for Supervisors and Operators. He had a major input to the WSQ Weed Control Manual and was actively involved in setting course assignments and lecturing.

John completed his training in Scotland, England (Cambridge) and Trinidad before moving to West Africa for six years primarily to do research on cocoa agronomy. This was followed by six years lecturing at the West of Scotland Agricultural College. John moved to Queensland in 1970 where he was a Weed Science Lecturer at Queensland Agricultural College (now University of Queensland, Gatton) for many years to 1993.

John was one of the first weed science lecturers in Australia and contributed greatly to weed management through his enthusiastic training of many undergraduates. He further supported training by writing the book ‘Basic Weed Science’ in 1981.

John also contributed to weed science in Queensland through his active participation in WSQ. He participated in the inaugural meetings and was the first Newsletter Editor, producing newsletter No 1 in July 1975. John went on to contribute as Vice-President, CAWSS delegate and Treasurer. He was chair of the organising committees for the 10th Australian Weeds Conference/ 14th Asian Pacific Weeds Conference in 1993, and the 6th ueensland Weeds Symposium in 2001. He was a joint editor of the Proceedings for the 6th Australian Weeds Conference, 1981.

John further contributed through national roles. He was inaugural Secretary/Treasurer for the Council of Australian Weed Science Societies (CAWSS), first editor of the journal “Australian Weeds” (it later became “Plant Protection Quarterly”) and author of a variety of informative articles. He received one of the first CAWSS Medals for his services in1984.

Trevor completed a B.Agr.Sc and B.Econ degrees at the University of Queensland and was a weed agronomist at the Alan Fletcher Research Station, Sherwood for most of his career, from 1975 to his retirement in 2006. He conducted research on many invasive weeds and his results were used to register herbicide treatments. Trevor combined his results with knowledge of farming, grazing and natural area management to make an outstanding contribution with practical and economically viable weed management programs. He was recognised by many for his encyclopedic knowledge of chemical control methods and integrating them with other practices. He worked on a wide range of succulents, woody weeds, herbaceous and grass weeds, vines and waterweeds.

Trevor also made an outstanding contribution to weed science in Queensland through WSQ. Trevor was an inaugural member of WSQ in 1975 and on many occasions he conducted field days as joint activities of AFRS and WSQ to convey information to members as well as local operators and land managers. Trevor contributed through WSQ in formal roles as President, Vice-President, newsletter editor and SEQ representative, and also significantly in organising forums, workshops, conferences and symposia. He assisted with the WSQ Technical and Further Education (TAFE) Training courses for Supervisors and Operators. Trevor promoted the concept of Queensland Weed Symposia and chaired the committee for the first symposium in Rockhampton in 1990; these have been held biennially since then and are important for improving knowledge and weed management across Queensland.

Chris Love completed his degree at UQ Gatton, where his final year project won the WSQ Student Project Prize, thus starting an early involvement with WSQ. Chris joined DOW Chemical in Sydney in 1986, later moving with the company to Bundaberg, Townsville and Tamworth, then overseas stints in New Zealand, England, France and Indianapolis, USA. In 1996, he moved back to Brisbane where he continues to work with DOW AgroSciences as the Development Manager for Woody Weed Herbicides. Chris has a love for the land and owns a cattle property in the Mundubbera area where his family hales from.

Chris has contributed to weed science in Queensland through his employment and his active participation in WSQ. Chris contributed to the development of several well-known herbicides for woody weed and fallow weed control and was integral to the development of the DOW Woody Weed Control app.

Chris has contributed to WSQ as the: SEQ Representative (1999), Treasurer (2000-2004), President (2005-2006), Vice President (2007-2008) and Treasurer (2009-2013).

Chris contributed to the Weeds of Southern Queensland 3rd edition as a committee member, and organised the printing and sales of the book; 84,000 copies were distributed across Qld. In 2013, Chris was instrumental in the development of the Weeds of Southern Queensland app. Chris has had key roles on the organising committees of many conferences and symposia, and was the WSQ’s representative on the 2013 Biosecurity Queensland Invasive Plants and Animals Committee. Chris also received the WSQ Award for 2009.