Harry Butler
| Harry Butler AO CBE | |
|---|---|
| Born |
William Henry Butler 25 March 1930 Perth, Western Australia, Australia |
| Died |
11 December 2015 (aged 85) Perth, Western Australia, Australia |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Alma mater |
Claremont Teachers College Western State College |
| Occupation |
Environmental consultant television presenter |
| Employer | ABC |
| Known for | Environmentalism, songwriting |
| Television | In the Wild – ABC Television |
William Henry "Harry" Butler AO CBE (25 March 1930 – 11 December 2015) was an Australian naturalist and environmental consultant. He was a populariser of science and natural history for both child and adult audiences and, as conservation consultant to the Barrow Island oilfield and many other projects, played a major role in environmental conservation and restoration in Australia. He presented the popular Australian Broadcasting Corporation television series In the Wild. He also authored the books In The Wild, In the Wild (Part II) and Looking at the Wild.
Butler was born on 25 March 1930 in Perth, Western Australia.[1] He attended Claremont Teachers' College in Western Australia and later the Western State College in the United States.[2]
In 1968, he participated in the fifth of the Harold Hall Australian ornithological collecting expeditions. He has lectured, and been honoured, at museums in Western Australia, Canada, and the United States. Butler was a supporter of development projects such as mining, working with corporations and state governments as an environmental consultant. He co-wrote the UK Top Ten music hit "Sun Arise" with fellow Western Australian Rolf Harris.[3]
Butler died of cancer, aged 85, at a hospital in Perth on 11 December 2015.[4]
Honours
In 1970, Butler was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire.[5] In 1980 this was upgraded to Commander level (CBE).[6]
In 1979, Butler was named the Australian of the Year,[7] jointly with Neville Bonner.
In 1993, he was awarded a cash prize for his 30 years of work with the petroleum industry.
On 4 March 2012, he was added to the National Trust of Australia's National Living Treasures list.[8][9]
On 11 June 2012, he was named an Officer of the Order of Australia for "distinguished service to the community through the promotion of public understanding of natural history and wildlife conservation, to the development of collaborative environmental partnerships with industry, and to the community."[10]
A species of Mulga snake, Pseudechis butleri, and a spider, Synothele butleri, are named for Butler.[11][12]
On 17 April, 2016, the new Western Australian Museum research facility and storage centre in Welshpool was named in his honour.[13]
References
- ↑ Australian of the Year Awards: Harry Butler CBE, 1979 (2006). Retrieved on 4 December 2007.
- ↑ "Butler, William Henry (1930 – )". Encyclopedia of Australian Science. Retrieved 7 May 2013.
- ↑ Morgan, Joyce (29 September 2003). "Chairman of the wobble board". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 12 December 2015.
- ↑ "Harry Butler: Conservationist dies of cancer in Perth aged 85". ABC News. 12 December 2015. Retrieved 12 December 2015.
- ↑ It's an Honout: OBE
- ↑ It's an Honour: CBE
- ↑ Lewis, Wendy (2010). Australians of the Year. Pier 9 Press. ISBN 978-1-74196-809-5.
- ↑ "Seven added to national living treasure list". Dr Butler said it was a shame thousands of his colleagues were not joining him on the list. Fairfax Media. SMH. 5 March 2012. Retrieved 19 December 2015.
- ↑
- ↑ "Officer (AO) in the General Division of the Order of Australia – The Queen's Birthday 2012 Honours Lists" (PDF). Official Secretary to the Governor-General of Australia. 11 June 2012. p. 5.
- ↑ Raven, Robert; Marshall, Tracey. "A spider honours list?". Staff publications. University of Queensland. Retrieved 6 March 2009.
- ↑ "Pseudechis". kingsnake.com. 1998. Retrieved 28 February 2009.
- ↑ http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-04-17/new-museum-facility-honours-harry-butler/7333324
- McCarthy, G.J (4 December 2006). "Butler, William Henry (1930 – )". Bright Sparcs Biographical entry. The University of Melbourne eScholarship Research Centre (Australian Science and Technology Heritage Centre). Retrieved 4 December 2007.
Butler was an honorary associate of the Western Australian Museum and the American Museum of Natural History.
- Robyn Williams (presenter) (27 July 2006). "Harry Butler". In Conversation. ABC – Radio National. Retrieved 4 December 2007.
| Awards | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Alan Bond and Galarrwuy Yunupingu |
Australian of the Year Award 1979 Served alongside: Senator Neville Bonner |
Succeeded by Manning Clark |