Person

Landy, John Michael (1930 - 2022)

AC MBE

Born
12 April 1930
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Died
24 February 2022
Castlemaine, Victoria, Australia
Occupation
Agricultural scientist, Governor and Naturalist

Summary

John Landy was an agricultural scientist, a world-record holding athlete, and Governor of Victoria. His career as an agricultural scientist included 11 years as Research and Development Manager of the Biological Group of ICI Australia, but he is best known for his involvement in athletics and a wide range of scientific organisations. In the 1950s Landy represented Australia at the Olympic Games, and for several years held the world records for the mile and the 1,500 metres. His lifelong engagement in athletics included terms as a director of the Australian Institute of Sport and as Chairman of the Athletics International Trust. Landy was active in a wade variety of organisations with a scientific or conservation focus. These include the Wool Research and Development Corporation, Greening Australia, the Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry at the University of Melbourne, and the Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research. Landy was a naturalist of some note and collector of butterflies from a young age.. His published works include the books Close to nature: a naturalist's diary of a year in the bush (date) and A coastal diary: a study of one of Australia's wildest and most beautiful coastlines (date). For eight years Landy was a member of the Land Conservation Council of Victoria, during which time the area of national parks in Victoria expanded considerably and the Council's policies firmly established. He also had a long connection with the Australian National Insect Collection (ANIC), and in 2016 donated to ANIC his own collection of moths. His butterfly collection, estimated at over 10,200 specimens, was donated to the Australian Museum in 2015.

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Details

Chronology

1954
Education - Bachelor of Agricultural Science (BAgSci), University of Melbourne
1955
Award - Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) - Amateur Athletics
1957 - 1959
Career position - Farmer in Walkerville, Gippsland, Victoria
1959 - 1962
Career position - Technical Officer, National Parks Authority
1962
Career position - Agriculture Service Secretary, Commonwealth Fertilizers
1971 - 1979
Career position - Foundation Member, Land Conservation Council of Victoria
1972
Career position - Member, Graduate Council, University of Melbourne
1972 - 1983
Career position - Manager, Research and Development, Biological Group, ICI Australia
1973 - 1977
Career position - President, Athletics International
1974 - 1984
Career position - Member of the Board, Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry, University of Melbourne
1984 - 1996
Award - Fellow, Australian Institute of Agricultural Science
1985
Career event - Book "Close to nature : a naturalist's diary of a year in the bush" published
1985
Award - C. J. Dennis Award for Close to nature
1985 - 1987
Career position - Member, Board of Directors, Australian Institute of Sport
1987 - 1992
Career position - Member, Advisory Committee, CSIRO Division of Plant Industry
1989 - 1991
Career position - Chairman, Australian Wool Corporation
1990 - 1994
Career position - Chairman, Clean-up Australia Committee
1991 - 1994
Career position - Chairman, Wool Research and Development Corporation
1991 - 1995
Career position - Member of the Board, Australian National Insect Collection Fund
1993
Career event - Book "A coastal diary : a study of one of Australia's wildest and most beautiful coastlines" published
1993 - 1997
Career position - Member, Australia-Indonesia Institute
1994
Award - Hon LLD, University of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
1994 - 1999
Career position - Member, Advisory Committee, Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research
1995 - 1998
Career position - Chairman, Meat Research Corporation
1995 - 2001
Career position - Chairman of the Board, Australian National Insect Collection Fund
1997
Award - Hon DRurSc, University of New England
1997 - 2000
Career position - Chairman, Athletics International Trust
1997 - 2022
Award - Fellow, Australian Institute of Agricultural Science and Technology
1998 - 2000
Career position - President, Greening Australia
2000
Award - Australian Sports Medal - 1952/56 Olympic Games competitor bronze medallist member, athletics international
2001
Award - Centenary Medal
2001
Award - Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) - In recognition of service to innovation in rural research and development, for contributions to increasing public awareness of broad environmental issues, and for support for a wide range of community and sporting activities
2001 - 2006
Career position - Governor of Victoria
2003
Award - Doctor of Laws (LLD), honoris causa, University of Melbourne
2003 - 2022
Award - Fellow, Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering
2004
Award - Living Australian National Treasure, National Trust
2005
Award - Named Legend of Australian Sport, Sport Australia Hall of fame
2006
Award - Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (CVO)
2009
Award - 2003 Award - Doctor of Laws (LLD), honoris causa, University of Melbourne
2009
Career position - Chairman, Advisory Panel, Victorian Bushfire Appeal Fund, Australian Red Cross Society

Published resources

Books

  • Landy, John, Close to nature: a naturalist's diary of a year in the bush (Ringwood, Vic.: Viking O'Neil/Penguin Books Australia, 1988), 150 pp. Details
  • Landy, John, A coastal diary: a study of one of Australia's wildest and most beautiful coastlines (Chippendale, N.S.W.: Pan Macmillan, 1993), 242 pp. Details

Journal Articles

  • Braby, M. F., Edwards, E. D. and Horak, M., 'Obituary. John Michael Landy AC MBE, 12 April 1930 - 24 February 2022', Moths and Butterflies Australasia Inc. newsletter, 2 (2022), 19-22. Details
  • Edwards, Ted and Horak, Marianne, 'John Landy's moth collection donated to ANIC', ANICdotes 10:4-5, 10 (2017), 4-5. Details

Resources

See also

  • Ashton, D. H.; Ducker, S. C., 'John Stewart Turner 1908-1991', Historical Records of Australian Science, 9 (3) (1993), 278-290. https://doi.org/10.1071/HR9930930278. Details
  • Clode, Danielle, As if for a thousand years: a history of Victoria's Land Conservation and Environment Conservation Councils (East Melbourne: Victorian Environmental Assessment Council, 2006), 200 pp. Details
  • Robson, Alexandra K.; Production Manager and Editor eds, Who's who in Australia 2019 (Southbank, Vic.: AAP Directories, 2018), 1788 pp. Details

Rosanne Walker and Helen Cohn

Created: 30 June 1997, Last modified: 14 November 2023

EOAS ID: biogs/P002421b.htm

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