Corporate Body

Field Naturalists' Club of Ballarat (1952 - )

From
1952
Ballarat, Victora, Australia
Functions
Citizen science, Natural history and Naturalists' society
Alternative Names
  • Ballarat Field Naturalists’ Club (Also known as)
Website
https://fieldnatballarat.wordpress.com/

Summary

The Field Naturalists Club of Ballarat was founded in 1952. Its objectives are to stimulate interest in natural history and encourage the preservation and protection of the natural environment. As well as holding monthly meetings the Club lobbies for he preservation of environmentally significant public land, makes inventories of bush sites and assists in tree-planting programs. It also manages an iNaturalist project, recording information from monthly field trips, and participates in local BioBlitzes. Connections with similar organisations across Australia are maintained through membership of the Australian Naturalists Network and the South East Australian Naturalist Association. Foundation members included Allan Sonsee (President), Jack Wheeler (Secretary) and Eric Crimmins (Treasurer). Other noted members included Patricia Murphy and Stella Bedggood, who was Secretary for 13 years. The Ballarat naturalist has been published by the Club since 1974. Although the Club was preceded by the Ballarat Field Club and Science Society and the Ballarat Science and Field Naturalists Club, there is no direct connection with these earlier organisations.

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Published resources

Books

  • Field Naturalists' Club of Ballarat, The Field Naturalists' Club of Ballarat 1952 - 1977 (Ballarat (V ic.): Field Naturalists’ Club of Ballarat, 1977), 51 pp. Details
  • Field Naturalists' Club of Ballarat, Discovering Ballarat's bushland: a guide to the 34 selected natural places in the Ballarat region (Ballarat (Vic.): Field Naturalists' Club of Ballarat, 2002), 42 pp. Details
  • Field Naturalists' Club of Ballarat, Wattles of Ballarat (Ballarat West (Vic.): Field Naturalists' Club of Ballarat, 2009), 32 pp. Details

Journal Articles

  • Wallis, Robert L., 'Natural history clubs in Victoria - the early years', Victorian naturalist, 143 (1) (2026), 13-20. Details

Theses

  • Kruss, Susan, 'A voice for nature: a history of the Field Naturalists' Club of Ballarat', PhD thesis, Federation University Australia, 2024, 594 pp. Details

Helen Cohn

Created: 12 May 2026

EOAS ID: biogs/P008031b.htm

This Edition: 2026 May - New Office
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