Wheeler, Wilson Roy (Roy) (1905 - 1988)

Summary

Roy Wheeler was a postman and keen ornithologist. He was active in the cause of conservation of birds and their habitats, and particularly interested in the distribution of birds. This resulted in the publication of his book A handlist of the Birds of Victoria (1967). Wheeler was a keen member of several ornithologial organisations. From 1950 he was Convener of the Altona Survey Group (later Victorian Ornithological Research Group), whose work on the Silver Gull formed one of the earliest banding studies in Australia. In 1953 he joined CSIRO's bird-banding scheme. As Council Member of the Gould League of Bird Lovers from 1950, he judged many of their competitions and helpied in the preparation of film strips shown to thousands of school children. Wheeler also conducted adult education classes at Mt Beuauty, Victoria. He served as President of the Bird Observers' Club and the Royal Australasian Ornithological Union. On the international stage Wheeler was editor of the World Bird Day bird lists from 1951 to 1960 (jointly 1951 - 1954) and sometime Chairman of the International Council of Bird Preservation. The W. Roy Wheeler Medallion for Excellence in Field Ornithology was inaugurated by Bird Observers' Club of Australia in 2005 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Club.

Details

Chronology

1921

Career event - Joined the Postmaster General's Department

1950 - ?

Career position - Council Member, Gould League of Bird Lovers

1950 - ?

Career position - Convenor, Altona Survey Group

1951 - 1954

Career position - President, Bird Observers' Club

1954 - 1971

Career position - Secretary, Bird Observers' Club

1963 - 1971

Career position - Treasurer, Bird Observers' Club

1964 - 1965

Career position - President, Royal Australasian Ornithologists' Union

1965

Award - Australian Natural History Medallion, Field Naturlaists Club of Victoria

1969

Award - Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE)

1970 - 1988

Award - Honorary Member, South Australian Ornithological Association

1971 - 1988

Award - Fellow, Royal Australasian Ornithologists' Union

1975 - 1988

Award - Honorary Life Member, Bird Observers' Club

Related entries

Published resources

Books

• Wheeler, W. R., A handlist of the birds of Victoria (Melbourne: Victorian Ornithological Research Group, 1967), 88 pp. Details
• Wheeler, W. Roy, The birds of Victoria and where to find them (West Melbourne: Thomas Nelson, 1980), 175 pp. Details

Journal Articles

• Wheeler, W. R., 'Obituaries: Gordon Binns', Emu, 77 (2) (1977), 89. Details

Resources

• Wikidata, http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q8023195. Details
• VIAF - Virtual International Authority File, OCLC, https://viaf.org/viaf/55556796. Details
• 'Wheeler, W R (1905-1988)', Trove, National Library of Australia, 2009, https://nla.gov.au/nla.party-614627. Details

See also

• Robin, Libby, The Flight of the Emu: a Hundred Years of Australian Ornithology 1901-2001 (Melbourne: Melbourne University Press, 2001), 492 pp. Details