About
Our Society was founded in 1973
The Australian Systematic Botany Society was established to encourage the exchange of ideas about systematic botany research in Australia, scrutinise existing scientific practices, discuss approaches to training young botanists, and provide a medium for its members to get to know and support each other.
In response to growing interest from colleagues across the region, the membership voted in 2011 to expand our scope to represent systematic botany across Australia, New Zealand, New Guinea, and surrounding islands. To reflect this change, we adopted a new name and became the Australasian Systematic Botany Society (ASBS).
ASBS is a Registered Charity with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission, with a Deductible Gift Recipient status.
The Governing Council is elected each year at the Annual General Meeting (AGM). Council members volunteer their time and are elected for a one year term. Each member is eligible to serve for up to six years consecutively in each role, except the President and Vice President, who may serve no more than 3 years consecutively.
Current Office Bearers
President
Katharina Nargar
Australian Tropical Herbarium,
James Cook University/CSIRO, Smithfield, QLD, Australia
Vice President
John Clarkson
Retired, Atherton, QLD, Australia
Secretary
Tim Collins
Queanbeyan, NSW, Australia
Treasurer
Mike Bayly
School of BioSciences,
The University of Melbourne,
VIC, Australia
Councillor
Lalita Simpson
Australian Tropical Herbarium,
James Cook University, Smithfield, QLD, Australia
Councillor
Kerry Ford
Allan Herbarium,
Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research, Lincoln, New Zealand
History of Office Bearers
- Swipe across to view all
Years Active |
President |
Vice President |
Treasurer |
Secretary |
Councillor 1 |
Councillor 2 |
| 1973-75 | Trevor Whiffin | Dennis Carr | Andrew Kanis | Don McGillivray | Des Boyland | Alex George |
| 1975-76 | Trevor Whiffin | Rod Henderson | Mike Lazarides | Karen Wilson | Jim Armstrong | Alex George |
| 1976-77 | Roger Carolin | Trevor Whiffin | Mike Lazarides | Karen Wilson | Jim Armstrong | Alex George |
| 1977-79 | Roger Carolin | Rod Henderson | Mike Lazarides | Karen Wilson | Alex George | John Jessop |
| 1979-80 | John Jessop | Roger Carolin | Mike Lazarides | Judy West | Andrew Mitchell | Karen Wilson |
| 1980-81 | John Jessop | Roger Carolin | Barry Conn | Judy West | Andrew Mitchell | Roger Hnatiuk |
| 1981-83 | Trevor Clifford | Bryan Barlow | Barry Conn | Judy West | Rod Henderson | Laurie Haegi |
| 1983-85 | Bryan Barlow | Barbara Briggs | Philip Short | Judy West | Rod Henderson | Laurie Haegi |
| 1985-86 | Bryan Barlow | Barbara Briggs | Philip Short | Laurie Haegi | Rod Henderson | Mike Crisp |
| 1986-88 | Barbara Briggs | Judy West | Don Foreman | Laurie Haegi | Rod Henderson | Mike Crisp |
| 1988-89 | Barbara Briggs | Judy West | Don Foreman | Barry Conn | Gordon Guymer | Mike Crisp |
| 1989-90 | Judy West | Mike Crisp | Don Foreman | Barry Conn | Gordon Guymer | Jim Powell |
| 1990-92 | Judy West | Gordon Guymer | Don Foreman | Barry Conn | Jim Powell | Jenny Chappill |
| 1992-93 | Mike Crisp | Gordon Guymer | D. Bedford | Barry Conn | Jeremy Bruhl | Tim Entwisle |
| 1993-94 | Mike Crisp | Jenny Chappill | Peter Wilson | Chris Puttock | John Clarkson | Tim Entwisle |
| 1994-95 | Mike Crisp | Gordon Guymer | Peter Wilson | Chris Puttock | John Clarkson | Tim Entwisle |
| 1995-96 | Peter Wilson | Tim Entwisle | Peter Wilson | Chris Puttock | John Clarkson | Robyn Barker |
| 1996-97 | Tim Entwisle | Chris Puttock | John Clarkson | Robyn Barker | Peter Weston | Terry Macfarlane |
| 1997-98 | Tim Entwisle | Chris Puttock | John Clarkson | Robyn Barker | Peter Weston | Terry Macfarlane |
| 1998-99 | Tim Entwisle | Chris Puttock | John Clarkson | Robyn Barker | Peter Weston | Terry Macfarlane |
| 1999-00 | Barry Conn | Bill Barker | Elizabeth Brown | Robyn Barker | Bob Makinson | Kris Lemson |
| 2000-01 | Barry Conn | Bill Barker | Elizabeth Brown | Robyn Barker | Bob Makinson | Kris Lemson |
| 2001-02 | Barry Conn | Bill Barker | Anthony Whalen | Brendan Lepschi | Bob Makinson | Andrew Rozefelds |
| 2002-03 | Stephen Hopper | John Clarkson | Anthony Whalen | Brendan Lepschi | Bob Makinson | Andrew Rozefelds |
| 2003-04 | Stephen Hopper | John Clarkson | Anthony Whalen | Brendan Lepschi | Darren Crayn | Marco Duretto |
| 2004-05 | Stephen Hopper | John Clarkson | Anna Monro | Brendan Lepschi | Darren Crayn | Marco Duretto |
| 2005-06 | John Clarkson | Darren Crayn | Anna Monro | Brendan Lepschi | Marco Duretto | Kirsten Cowley |
| 2006-07 | John Clarkson | Darren Crayn | Anna Monro | Kirsten Cowley | Marco Duretto | Dale Dixon |
| 2007-08 | John Clarkson | Darren Crayn | Anna Monro | Kirsten Cowley | Marco Duretto | Dale Dixon |
| 2008-09 | Marco Duretto | Peter Weston | Mike Bayly | Kirsten Cowley | Dale Dixon | Tanya Scharaschkin |
| 2009-10 | Peter Weston | Dale Dixon | Mike Bayly | Gill Brown | Tanya Scharaschkin | Frank Zich |
| 2010-11 | Peter Weston | Dale Dixon | Frank Zich | Gill Brown | Tanya Scharaschkin | Pina Milne |
| 2011-12 | Peter Weston | Dale Dixon | Frank Zich | John Clarkson | Pina Milne | Ilse Breitwieser |
| 2012-13 | Bill Barker | Mike Bayly | Frank Zich | John Clarkson | Pina Milne | Ilse Breitwieser |
| 2013-14 | Bill Barker | Mike Bayly | John Clarkson | Frank Zich | Ilse Breitwieser | Leon Perrie |
| 2014-15 | Bill Barker | Mike Bayly | John Clarkson | Leon Perrie | Dan Murphy | Kelly Shepherd |
| 2015-16 | Darren Caryn | Dan Murphy | John Clarkson | Leon Perrie | Jen Tate | Mike Bayly |
| 2016-17 | Darren Caryn | Dan Murphy | John Clarkson | Jen Tate | Ryonen Butcher | Matt Renner |
| 2017-18 | Darren Caryn | Dan Murphy | Matt Renner | Jen Tate | Ryonen Butcher | Heidi Meudt |
| 2018-19 | Dan Murphy | Heidi Meudt | John Clarkson | Jen Tate | Ryonen Butcher | Herve Sauquet |
| 2019-20 | Dan Murphy | Heidi Meudt | John Clarkson | Herve Sauquet | Ryonen Butcher | Katarina Nargar |
| 2020-21 | Mike Bayly | Heidi Meudt | John Clarkson | Herve Sauquet | Kelly Shepherd | Katarina Nargar |
| 2021-22 | Mike Bayly | Herve Sauquet | John Clarkson | Heidi Meudt | Kelly Shepherd | Katarina Nargar |
| 2022-23 | Katarina Nargar | Mike Bayly | John Clarkson | Heidi Meudt | Kelly Shepherd | Lalita Simpson |
| 2023-24 | Katarina Nargar | John Clarkson | Mike Bayly | Tim Collins | Kerry Ford | Lalita Simpson |
Public Officers and Administrators
Public Officer
Anna Monro
Australian National Botanic Gardens, Canberra, ACT, Australia
Website Administrators
Anna Monro
Australian National Botanic Gardens, Canberra, ACT, Australia
Kelly Shepherd
Western Australian Herbarium, Kensington, WA, Australia
Facebook Group Administrators
Mike Bayly
School of BioSciences,
The University of Melbourne,
VIC, Australia
Local Chapter Conveners
Chapter Conveners are ASBS representatives located in most capital cities and some regional cities.
Armidale
Andrew Thornhill
N.C.W. Beadle Herbarium,
School of Environmental and Rural Science
University of New England, Armidale NSW, Australia
How to run for office?
We encourage members at all career stages to consider running for Council to ensure a diverse governance group that reflects the membership.
Nominations for Council positions are sought annually. They are called at least 10 weeks prior to the Annual General Meeting and must close 6 weeks prior to the meeting. If more than one nomination is received for a position, a ballot is held before the AGM, with the results announced at the meeting.
Nominations are currently closed.
ASBS Research Committee
All eligible applications for project funding from the scientific research funds are assessed by a Research Committee, whose members are appointed by ASBS Council.
The current Research Committee comprises:
- Mike Bayly (Chair ex officio), School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, VIC, Australia (vice-president.asbs@gmail.com)
- Benjamin Anderson, Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, Perth, Australia
- Janet Gagul, University of Papua New Guinea, Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea
- Peter Heenan, Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research, Lincoln, New Zealand
- Murray Henwood, University of Sydney, Australia
- Sarah Mathews, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, USA
- Jennifer Tate, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
Early Career Researcher Subcommittee
Early Career Researchers (ECRs) in the Society include students and postdocs in the early stages of their careers (up to 10 years post PhD). A key aim of this subcommittee is to build better dialogue between Council and ECR members and to identify ways in which we can better support ECRs. The committee will report to Council, with key members routinely attending the regular council meetings.
2023 ECR representatives:
- Helen Kennedy (University of New England)
- Paulo Baleeiro (University of Queensland)
- Patrick Fahey (University of Queensland)
- Andrew McDougall (University of Adelaide)
Contact the Council
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