Person

Morris, Albert (1886 - 1939)

Born
13 August 1886
Bridgewater, South Australia, Australia
Died
9 January 1939
Broken Hill, New South Wales, Australia
Occupation
Botanist

Summary

Albert Morris obtained a diploma in metallurgy from Broken Hill Technical College, but spent his working life studying ways to revegetate eroded and barren lands. He experimented with plants from other arid countries, but found that local species thrived and survived the best. Morris went on numerous expeditions to study and collect local vegetation specimens and in the end had a collection of over 5000. He also spent much time and money giving away free plants to schools and public bodies to encourage revegetation with suitable plants. His biggest fight was to convince mining companies to adopt his green belt plan which involved planting local vegetation which could survive the harsh conditions, stopping animal grazing in the area and setting up fences to protect the existing vegetation and soil from the strong and drying winds. In May 1936 his dream was realised when Zinc Corporation Pty. Lyd. Set up Albert Morris Park and allowed Morris to put his ideas into action. Within eighteen months the park was a great success and his conservation principals were adopted by other mining companies and government bodies alike. Although Albert Morris did not live to see it, his project lead to the greening of Broken Hill and established a new phase in Australian conservation.

Details

Chronology

1920 - 1939
Career position - Co-founder and Secretary, Barrier Field Naturalists' Club
1936 -
Career position - Albert Morris Park established by Zinc Corporation Ltd and maintained by Morris

Archival resources

Adolph Basser Library, Australian Academy of Science

  • Australian Botanists - Biographies, MS 064; Adolph Basser Library, Australian Academy of Science. Details

Published resources

Book Sections

  • Kennedy, B. E., 'Morris, Albert (1886-1939), botanist and assayer' in Australian dictionary of biography, volume 10: 1891 - 1939 Lat-Ner, Bede Nairn and Geoffrey Serle, eds (Melbourne: Melbourne University Press, 1986), p. 591. http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A100575b.htm. Details

Resources

McCarthy, G.J.

EOAS ID: biogs/P001261b.htm

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