Person
Jackes, Betsy Rivers (1935 - )
AM
- Born
- 19 March 1935
Bingara, New South Wales, Australia - Occupation
- Conservationist, Plant ecologist and Plant taxonomist
- Alternative Names
- Paterson, Betsy Rivers (maiden name)
- Website
- https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5645-9767
Summary
Betsy Jackes is internationally recognised for her expertise in the tropical flora of northern Queensland. In her taxonomic research she studied a wide range of plants, particularly the families Vitaceae and Myrsinaceae. She also investigated the ecology, distribution and properties of these plants. Her many publications ranged from regional floras, including off-shore islands, and environmental consultancy reports. Over 4,000 of her plant collections were deposited in Australian herbaria. For many years Jackes taught at the James Cook University of North Queensland (later James Cook University). She was also Dean of the Faculty of Science and a member of the Academic Board. In 2015 Jackes became a Life Member of the Australian Native Plants Society, and in 2023 was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia.
Details
Chronology
- 1957
- Education - BSc, University of New England
- 1959
- Education - MSc, University of New England
- 1959
- Award - Fulbright Scholarship, University of Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A.
- 1959 - 1961
- Career position - Research scholar, University of Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A
- 1961
- Education - PhD, University of Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A.
- 1962 - 1963
- Career position - Tutor in botany, University of Queensland
- 1964 - 1966
- Career position - Assistant Professor, James Cook University of North Queensland
- 1971 - 1972
- Career position - Assistant Professor, James Cook University of North Queensland
- 1973 - 1975
- Career position - Research Fellow, James Cook University of North Queensland
- 1973 - 2000
- Career position - Queensland State Botanist, State of Queensland
- 1976 - 1993
- Career position - Senior Lecturer, James Cook University of North Queensland
- 1980 - 2000
- Career position - Member and Deputy Chair, Northern Queensland Natural Heritage Panel, Australian Heritage Commission
- 1991 - 1997
- Career position - Member, Academic Board, James Cook University of North Queensland
- 1993 -
- Career position - Member, Scientific Research Committee, Australian Flora Foundation
- 1993 - 1997
- Career position - Dean, Faculty of Science, James Cook University of North Queensland
- 1993 - 1997
- Career position - Professor of Botany, James Cook University of North Queensland
- 1995 - 1996
- Career position - Director, CRC for Tropical Rainforest Ecology and Management
- 1998 - 2000
- Career position - Head, Tropical Plant Science, James Cook University
- 1998 - 2000
- Career position - Member, Academic Board, James Cook University
- 1998 - 2018
- Career position - Professor of Botany, James Cook University
- 1999 - 2000
- Career position - Deputy Head, School of Tropical Biology, James Cook University
- 2003 - 2011
- Career position - Member, Research Grants Committee, Australian Systematic Botany Society
- 2006
- Award - Cassowary Award for Science, Wet Tropics Management Authority
- 2011 - 2013
- Career position - Member, Research Grants Committee, Australasian Systematic Botany Society
- 2015 -
- Award - Life Member, Australian Native Plants Society
- 2018
- Life event - Retired
- 2021
- Award - DSc honoris causa, James Cook University
- 2023
- Award - Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for significant service to botany, to conservation, and to tertiary education
Related entries
Published resources
Books
- Jackes, Betsy R., Plants of Magnetic Island (Townsville, Qld: Department of Botany, James Cook University of North Queensland, 1987), 141 pp. Details
- Jackes, Betsy R., Poisonous plants in northern Australian gardens including plants with irritant properties (Townsville. Qld: Botany Department, James Cook University of North Queensland, 1992), 46 pp. Details
- Jackes, Betsy R., Plants of the tropics: rainforest to heath, an identification guide (Townsville, Qld: School of Tropical Botany, James Cook University, 2001), 226 pp. Details
Conference Papers
- Jackes, Betsy R., 'Retracing the Botanical Steps of Leichhardt and Gilbert in June 1845', in History of Systematic Botany in Australasia: Proceedings of a Symposium Held at the University of Melbourne, 25-27 May 1988 edited by Short, P.S. (Melbourne: Australian Systematic Botany Society, 1990), pp. 165-170.. Details
Journal Articles
- Dixon, Dale J., Jackes, Betsy R. and Bielig, L. M., 'Figuring out the figs: the Ficus obliqua - Ficus rubiginosa complex (Moraceae: Urostigma sect. Malvanthera)', Australasian systematic botany, 14 (2001), 133-54, https://doi.org/10.1071/SB99029. Details
- Duke, N. C. and Jackes, Betsy R., 'A systematic revision of the mangrove genus Sonneratia in Australasia', Blumea, 32 (2) (1987), 277-302. Details
- Jackes, Betsy R., 'Revision of Myrsine (Myrsinaceae) in Australia', Australasian systematic botany, 18 (5) (2005), 399-438, https://doi.org/10.1071/SB04022. Details
- Jackes, Betsy R., 'Taxonomic revision of Australian Myrsinaceae: Ardisia Sw. and Tetrardisia Mez.', Austrobaileya, 8 (1) (2009), 1-23, https://www.jstor.org/stable/41739102. Details
Resource Sections
- 'Dr Betsy Rivers Jackes: Member of the Order of Australia', in It's an Honour, Australian Awards and Honours Secretariat, Australian Government, Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, 2023, https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/search?searchText=betsy%20jackes. Details
See also
- Fagg, Murray, 'Jackes, Betsy Rivers (1935 - )', Australian Plant Collectors and Illustrators, Council of Heads of Australian Herbaria (CHAH), 2010, https://www.anbg.gov.au/biography/jackes-betsy-rivers.html. Details
Helen Cohn
Created: 27 November 2025