Person
Purchase, David (Dave) (1934 - 2015)
- Born
- 26 November 1934
United Kingdom - Died
- 27 October 2015
Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia - Occupation
- Naturalist and Ornithologist
Summary
Dave Purchase was an ornithologist and naturalist who for nearly 20 years was Secretary for the Australian Bird Banding Scheme. He was widely acknowledged as a meticulous administrator and a strong supporter of amateur researchers and banders in particular. Purchase came to Australia in 1957, where he joined the CSIRO Wildlife Research Section to work on rabbits. The following year he started banding bats at Wee Jasper, New South Wales. Between 1962 and 1966 he was Biologist with the Australian National Antarctic Research Expeditions (ANARE): nearly three years of this period was spent on Macquarie island where he studied Royal Penguins and the Southern Skua. As Secretary for the Scheme, he faced a number of challenges, including: technical issues of band design, manufacture and supply; record-keeping and logistics, largely in a pre-computer era; managing professional scientists and enthusiastic amateurs; and state authorities who were inclined to go their own way. Purchase joined the Canberra Ornithologists Group in 1967 and for ten years was Editor if its journal, Canberra bird notes.
Details
Chronology
- 1957 - 1962
- Career position - Researcher, CSIRO Wildlife Research Section
- 1962 - 1966
- Career position - Biologist, Australian National Antarctic Research Expeditions (ANARE)
- January 1967 - 1982
- Career position - Secretary, Australian Bird Banding Scheme, CSIRO Division of Wildlife Research
- 1967 - 2015?
- Career position - Member, Canberra Ornithologists Group
- 1968 - 1978
- Career position - Editor, Canberra bird notes
- 1982 - 1984
- Career position - Secretary, Australian Bird Banding Scheme, CSIRO Division of Wildlife and Rangelands Research
Related entries
Published resources
Journal Articles
- Hermes, Neil, 'Vale David Purchase', Canberra bird notes, 40 (3) (2015), 286-7, https://canberrabirds.org.au/wp-content/canberra-bird-notes/CBN-40-3-final-Jan-19.pdf. Details
- Hermes, Neil, 'David Purchase (1934 - 2015): Secretary, Australian Bird and Bat Banding Scheme 1967-1984', Corella, 40 (3) (2016), 78-9, https://absa.asn.au/corella_documents/obituary-david-purchase/. Details
- Hermes, Neil, Lenz, Michael and Purchase, David, 'A brief history of Canberra bird notes', Canberra bird notes, 39 (2014), Anniversary issue, https://canberrabirds.org.au/wp-content/canberra-bird-notes/CBN-39-Anniversary-issue.pdf. Details
- Purchase, David, 'Obituary: John Henry Calaby', Canberra bird notes, 23 (2) (1998), 40-3, https://canberrabirds.org.au/wp-content/canberra-bird-notes/cbnvol23no2.pdf. Details
- Purchase, David, 'The formation and operation of the ACT branch of the Royal Australian Ornithological Union (1964 to 1970)', Canberra bird notes, 39 (Anniversary issue) (2014), 36-52, https://canberrabirds.org.au/wp-content/canberra-bird-notes/CBN-39-Anniversary-issue.pdf. Details
Helen Cohn
Created: 27 August 2026