Person
Bravery, James Andrew Leslie (Jim) (1896 - 1975)
- Born
- 1896
- Died
- 1975
- Occupation
- Bird observer and Dairy farmer
Summary
Jim Bravery was a coal miner in Queensland before serving with the Australian Imperial Force in France during WWI. On discharge he took up a soldier-settlement lease at Tolga in the Atherton Tableland. He lived here for the rest of his life. Bravery was a keen bird observer, recording species, numbers and behaviour. Over a long period he observed brolgas, noting the rise in population numbers, and the historical importance to brolgas of woodland swamps in the local area. He also noted decline in brolga numbers because these swamps were being cleared. With his experience of farming he was not inclined to believe that brolgas caused significant crop damage. Over time he saw that the migratory sarus cranes, which he first recorded in 1967. These birds overwintered on the tableland, becoming the more dominant species. Bravery published a number of papers on his observations.
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Details
Chronology
- 1917 - 1919
- Military service - Served with the Australian Imperial Force
- 1920
- Life event - Granted Soldier Settlement lease in Tolga, Queensland
Published resources
Journal Articles
- Bravery, J. A., 'Field notes on the oriental cuckoo, Cuculus saturatus', Emu, 66 (3) (1967), 267-71, https://doi.org/10.1071/MU966267. Details
- Bravery, J. A., 'The sarus crane in north-eastern Queensland', Emu, 69 (1) (1969), 52-3, https://doi.org/10.1071/MU969047e. Details
- Bravery, J. A., 'The birds of Atherton Shire, Queensland', Emu, 70 (2) (1970), 49-63, https://doi.org/10.1071/MU970049. Details
- Scambler, Elinor C., 'Jim Bravery's cranes: brolgas and sarus cranes on the Atherton tablelands, 1920 - 1975', North Queensland naturalist, 50 (2020), 12-24, https://www.nqnat.org/_files/ugd/003377_23e9c86e30504a81952f7c328190bafd.pdf. Details
Helen Cohn
Created: 28 January 2025