P001463 revised AU-VU:EOAS Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation

All key entry types: Awards; Concepts; Corporate Bodies (Organisations); Cultural Artefacts; People; etc

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 English AACR2 Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules Person created 1993-10-20 human Gavan McCarthy [P004098] and Helen Cohn updated 2026-03-31 human https://www.eoas.info/biogs/P001463b.htm person Webb Leonard James AO AACR2 28 October 1928 25 November 2008 Place of Birth Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia Place of Death Queensland, Australia Botanist Ecologist Leonard Webb was a botanist and ecologist who was widely recognised for his expertise in Australia's rainforest plants. Most of his career was with the CSIRO Rainforest Ecology Section, from which he retired in 1980 as Senior Principal Research Scientist. After an initial period involved with the Australian Phytochemical Survey, the object of which was to identify potential sources of drugs in tropical plants, Webb moved to studying. factors that controlled the nature and distribution of rainforest. With colleagues, he made extensive field surveys. They determined that the growth of eastern Australian rainforests was dependent on more than just climate, and provided the beginning of a system for forest classification. Webb played a leading role in the crusade to protect Australia's rainforests as a non-renewable resource, and provided advice to governments on proposals to exploit fragile rainforest regions. 1947 1947 Education - Bachelor of Science (BSc(Hons)), University of Queensland 1948 1948 Education - Master of Science (MSc), University of Queensland 1956 1956 Education - Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), University of Queensland 1963 1963 Career position - Vice-President, Queensland Wildlife Preservation Society 1965 1965 Career position - Member of Council, Australian Conservation Foundation 1974 1980 Career position - Member, Australian National Man and Biosphere (MAB) Committee 1975 1976 Career position - Member, UNESCO National Commission, Australia 1979 1990 Career position - Member, Commission on Ecology, International Union for the Conservation of Nature 1980 Career position - Honorary Professor, Division of Environmental Studies, Griffith University 1980 1980 Life event - Retired as Senior Principal Research Scientist. CSIRO Rainforest Ecology Section 1983 1983 Award - Ecological Society of Australia Gold Medal 1983 1983 Award - Mueller Medal, Australian and New Zealand Association for the Advancement of Science 1984 1984 Award - BHP Pursuit of Excellence (Environment) Prize 1987 1987 Award - Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for service to conservation, particularly in the field of rainforest ecology 1991 1991 Award - Doctor of the University, Griffith University 1 Jan 2001 1 Jan 2001 Award - Centenary Medal - for service to conservation and the environment in Queensland Ecological Society of Australia Gold Medal (1983 - )

Awarded the Medal 1983

 Australian Conservation Foundation (1966 - )

Member of Council 1965

 Mueller Medal, Australian and New Zealand Association for the Advancement of Science (1904 - 2006)

Awarded the Medal 1983

 CSIR/O Division of Plant Industry, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (1929 - c. 2014)

Retired from the RainForest Ecology Section 1980

 Webb, Leonard J. (1920-)

Trove

 'Webb, Leonard James', in Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation, Centre for Transformative Innovation, Swinburne University of Technology Webb, Leonard James Swinburne University of Technology, Centre for Transformative Innovation Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation Edited Book: Australian tropical rainforests : science - values -meaning Webb, L. J.; and Kikkawa, J. Australian tropical rainforests : science - values -meaning Melbourne CSIRO 1990 Resource Section: Leonard James Webb Ward, C. Leonard James Webb Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) 2011 CSIROpedia Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) Resource: Australian Plant Collectors and Illustrators Fagg, Murray Australian Plant Collectors and Illustrators Council of Heads of Australian Herbaria (CHAH) 2010 Leonard J. Webb - Records Queensland Herbarium Leonard J. Webb - Records 1945 - 1965 Documents concerned with the work 'Alkaloids in Queensland Flora' by L.J. Webb and H.J.G. Hines comprising typescript lists, notes and the reports in 2 files, 1945-47; 93 field notebooks of work done with J. Tracey, 1944-65. 95 volumes