P005695 new AU-VU:EOAS Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation

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 English AACR2 Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules Person created human Helen Cohn updated 2025-06-12 human https://www.eoas.info/biogs/P005695b.htm person McCusker Alison AACR2 13 September 1933 18 December 2015 Place of Birth Tocumwal, New South Wales, Australia Place of Death Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia Botanist Science administrator Alison McCusker was appointed first Director of flora programs at the Australian Biological Resources Study (ABRS), and was instrumental in turning the Flora of Australia from a hopeful concept into viable project. She convened a national editorial committee, recruited early staff, and established the standards and format. Over 35 volumes of the Flora have been published following the plan devised under her supervision. McCusker's early career was as lecturer in botany at Universities of New England, Ghana and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. From ABRS McCusker moved in 1984 to the Environment Strategy Division of the Department of the Environment Sport and Territories, where she was involved in the preparation of cases for world heritage listing. As Deputy Director of the International Plant Genetic Resources Institute McCusker had world-wide responsibilities, including for the Institute's nine research centres in developing countries working to conserve genetic material of important crop plants. She played major role in preparing a report to the F.A.O., State of the World's Plant Genetic Resources (1996). From 1994 McCusker resumed her contribution to the Flora as a volunteer, writing flora treatments and assisting with editing.

Note from the family: 'Alison McCusker was the daughter of the late Neal McCusker CBE , who spend 49 years working for the NSW Railways, including 16 years as the NSW Railways Commissioner.'

1954 1954 Award - Linnean Macleay Fellowship (Botany), for study at the University of Sydney 1961 1964 Career position - Lecturer, Botany Department, University of Ghana 1964 1974 Associate Professor and Head of Department, Department of Botany, University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania 1974 1984 Career position - Director of Flora Section, Australian Biological Resources Study 1984 1987 Career position - Assistant Director, Environment Strategy Division, Commonwealth Department for the Environment, Sport and Territories 1987 1994 Career position - Deputy Director, International Plant Genetic Resources Institute, United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization, Rome 2009 2009 Career position - Voluntary Associate Scientist, Australian Biological Resources Study Linnean Macleay Fellowship (1905 - )

Awarded the Fellowship (Botany) 1954

Wikidata

VIAF - Virtual International Authority File

 McCusker, Alison (19330913-20151218)

Trove

 'McCusker, Alison', in Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation, Centre for Transformative Innovation, Swinburne University of Technology McCusker, Alison Swinburne University of Technology, Centre for Transformative Innovation Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation Book Section: Flora George, Alex and McCusker, Alison Flora Broadway Fairfax, Syme & Weldon Associates 1987 Australians, a Guide to Sources D. H. Borchardt and Victor Crittenden 94-103 Book Section: A History of Systematic Botany in Australia George, A.S.; McCusker, A.; and Orchard, A.E. A History of Systematic Botany in Australia 2nd ABRS & CSIRO Publishing 1999 Flora of Australia, Volume 1: Introduction Orchard, Anthony E. & Thompson, Helen E. Newspaper Article: Botanist Alison McCusker's Flora of Australia remains a formidable legacy Briggs, Barbara Botanist Alison McCusker's Flora of Australia remains a formidable legacy 2015 Sydney Morning Herald Journal Article: Alison McCusker and the Flora of Australia George, Alex Alison McCusker and the Flora of Australia 2015 Australasian Systematic Botany Society Newsletter 165 62-4 Journal Article: Vale Alison McCusker OAM 13 September 1933 - 18 December 2015 Briggs, Barbara Vale Alison McCusker OAM 13 September 1933 - 18 December 2015 2015 Australasian Systematic Botany Society Newsletter 165 60-2