Half a Century of Botanical Research and Discovery in Western Australia by Kings Park and Botanic Garden

Abstract

Kings Park and Botanic Garden is a globally recognised botanic garden and research institution in the biodiversity hotspot of southwest Western Australia. A history of the contribution of staff and researchers at Kings Park and Botanic Garden to the knowledge and promotion of the flora of Western Australia is provided. Through an analysis of the published literature, reports, and correspondence with former staff, a strong history of collaborative, world-class research is outlined. This paper focuses on the contributions of staff and students who have discovered and promoted Western Australian flora from the planning and establishment of the Botanic Garden in 1961 up to 2015. Early research was conducted by a small number of individuals with structured research programs emerging much later. Significant contributions have been made in the fields of plant conservation, plant ecology, seed biology, ecosystem restoration, plant systematics and mycorrhizal associations. Key partnerships with universities, other government organisations and industry have been fundamental to the focus and success of research programs.

1. Introduction

Kings Park and Botanic Garden is situated in the heart of the city of Perth, the capital of Western Australia (Figure 1), retaining over 270 ha of natural bushland within five kilometres of the central business district [1]. It is a globally recognised botanic garden and research institution located in the biodiversity hotspot of southwest Western Australia. Mount Eliza, overlooking the Swan River and around which Kings Park is centred, has a very significant place in local Noongar history, being known by a number of names, including Karta Koomba (the big hill), Karra katta (the hill of the spiders), Yongariny (place for catching kangaroo), Geenunginy Bo (the place for looking a long way) and Karlkarniny (place for sitting by the fire), each with their own cultural context [2]. While only 103 m high, Mount Eliza is one of the tallest points on the extensive Swan Coastal Plain along which the city of Perth is spread. Kings Park also has a relatively long European history (by Australian standards), with William de Vlamingh exploring the Swan River as far as Mount Eliza in 1697, representing the first contact between Noongar and European cultures [3].

The land around Mount Eliza was set aside for ‘public purposes’ by Lieutenant Governor James Stirling and Surveyor General John Septimus Roe in the 1830s; then, it was gazetted as a public reserve by Surveyor General Malcolm Fraser in 1871 and expanded to near its current size by Surveyor General John Forrest in 1890 [1,4]. It was first named the King’s Park, for King Edward VII of England, in 1901. It has become the most popular tourist destination in Western Australia, attracting over 5 million visitors each year [5].

While this review is focused on flora, it is noted that the natural bushland within Kings Park provides significant habitat for a wide range of native fauna. The snail Bothriembryon indutus (Menke) [6], the trapdoor spider Aganippe rhaphiduca Rainbow & Pulleine [7], the ridged trapdoor spider Idiosoma sigillatum (Cambridge) and the lungless midget spider Chasmocephalon neglectum Cambridge (see [8]) were all described from Kings Park.

A second urban bushland area within the Perth Metropolitan area, Bold Park (Figure 1A), named for town clerk William Bold, was first established in 1936, but its management was only transferred to a common management authority with Kings Park with the creation of the Botanic Gardens and Parks Authority in 1998. Research activities over the period of this review (1961–2015) are therefore highly focussed on Kings Park, until more recent times when the addition of Bold Park precipitated more detailed studies particularly relating to bushland restoration [9]. A key outcome of the addition of Bold Park was the compilation and publication of two editions of a popular field guide to all plant species known to occur in the bushland areas of these two parks [1,10].

The first staff appointment to Kings Park with botanical and horticultural experience was Jeremiah Sheath, in 1904, and Sheath had visions of creating a botanical garden on the site, but this plan was not executed during his tenure [11]. Jeremiah Sheath made at least 230 plant collections from the southwest of Western Australia, including the type of Eucalyptus sheathiana Maiden [12], cultivated at Kings Park in 1911, with most of his collections held at the National Herbarium of New South Wales (NSW). Sheath is also honoured by Gyrostemon sheathii W.Fitzg. [13] and Melaleuca sheathiana W.Fitzg. [14]. Knowledge of the natural history values of Kings Park was particularly developed through staff and students at the University of Western Australia, located in the adjacent suburb of Crawley, at the foot of Kings Park, with the work of Alison Baird being particularly important for our historical knowledge of the Kings Park bushland [15,16]. Current management decisions are influenced by the vegetation condition and species diversity recorded by Baird.

Kings Park as we know it today was significantly shaped by the appointment of England-born and Oxford-educated forester John Beard as the Director of Kings Park in 1961. John Beard was tasked with the establishment of a botanic garden within the bounds of Kings Park. The Kings Park Botanic Garden was officially opened in October 1965 and celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2015 [17,18] (Figure 2). To commemorate the work of staff, students and volunteers in knowledge generation and promotion of the Western Australian Flora, the Botanic Gardens and Parks Authority (BGPA), the management authority for Kings Park and Botanic Garden, commissioned a project to name 50 new plant species discovered or studied by Authority staff [19]. An earlier version of the current paper was drafted in parallel to these 50th anniversary celebrations, but for various reasons, it was not published at that time. The opportunity is therefore taken here to reflect the scientific output of this Western Australian botanical research group from 1961 to 2015.

This paper focuses on those staff and students with roles directly promoting knowledge of the Western Australian flora during and following the establishment of the Botanic Garden from 1961 to 2015. Successful research programs rely on extensive and complex networks, yet they can also be driven by relatively few individuals. Research history at Kings Park and Botanic Garden reflects both facets. While a small number of individuals conducted research early in the history of Kings Park and Botanic Garden, dedicated research programs came much later, particularly those built on collaborative networks, such as with local universities and other research-focused organisations. The environment necessary for research and driving the development of specific research programs lies in great part with individuals who are members of societies, like the Western Australian Naturalists’ Club, that promote research and conservation outcomes [20].

Significant achievements by staff at Kings Park include the mapping of Western Australian floristic communities by John Beard, which was a landmark study driven primarily by John himself, though it was assisted behind the scenes by many others (Figure 3). The research work that John Beard undertook was part of his role as director of Kings Park, but his primary role focussed more on development of the botanic garden and management of the park rather than research outcomes (Figure 4).

Genuine research roles were only established in the 1980s, which was well after the establishment of the Botanical Garden. The research roles were created in part to address public concerns over the management of Kings Park itself [21]. The establishment of research programs and staff positions within Kings Park led to increased calls for science-based land management and horticultural practices, which encouraged the further development of scientific programs aimed at improving research and management outcomes. Over time, researchers based at Kings Park also took on important roles with industry and university partners to address broader issues for the state of Western Australia, seeking to gain a greater understanding of its flora to further assist in the horticultural development of native species along with addressing conservation concerns. Based within a biodiversity hotspot with a Mediterranean climate, Kings Park and Botanic Garden holds many parallels with the South African Biodiversity Information Network (SANBI) whose work was recently reviewed by Sebola and Willis [22].

Members of the Western Australian Naturalists’ Club have been prominent on the board of Kings Park on many occasions, and the club has always represented a broad cross-section of the research community in Western Australia [20], demonstrating the co-dependencies inherent in communities with limited population size. The Wildflower Society of Western Australia has also been closely linked to Kings Park through the promotion of Western Australian native plants in cultivation [23] (Figure 5). Enthusiasts of natural history commonly form relatively tight-knit groups, which in this case are no doubt enhanced by the natural isolation of Perth from other Australian cities. Botanical research projects often require broad collaborations based on dispersed networks of skill sets and access to plant materials to achieve optimum outcomes. Many members of the Western Australian Naturalists’ Club have facilitated research in this way, providing advice, assisting with collection of data and specimens, providing co-supervision for students, and acting as independent examiners for theses and papers.

Kings Park and Botanic Garden, for its prominence and natural biodiversity in the heart of the city of Perth, therefore provided a natural venue for people to address common concerns and conduct collaborative research. Physical proximity to the University of Western Australia also created natural links for student projects and co-supervision that continue today. Regular science seminars and local themed workshops based at Kings Park have provided opportunities for students and researchers to present unpublished work to informed audiences prior to formal submission and receive valuable feedback. The social functions of science are all too often overlooked but are especially important for students and early-career researchers. The presentation of wildflowers and research projects at annual Wildflower Festivals was also key to public engagement and for attracting support and students to partner with Kings Park and Botanic Garden (Figure 6).

Geographical context is key to the contributions of Kings Park and Botanic Garden to global biodiversity and conservation research. The flora of Western Australia is globally recognised for its many iconic and endemic species. Western Australia hosts a very diverse flora, and remarkably, almost 10% of recognised native species are yet to be formally described (

Table 1. Key statistics for the flora of Western Australia in 2024 summarised from FloraBase (https://florabase.dbca.wa.gov.au/statistics/; accessed 12 January 2026).

	Pteridophytes	Gymnosperms	Vascular Plants	Total
Current species	97	30	13,133	13,260
Current native species	90	17	11,797	11,904
Current alien species	7	13	1336	1356
Additional infra-taxa	8	0	1104	1112
Number of unnamed taxa *	0	0	1040	1040

* Includes both manuscript names and phrase names.

). Five families, Anarthriaceae, Cephalotaceae (Figure 7), Ecdeiolcoleaeceae, Emblingiaceae, and Eremosynaceae, are endemic to Western Australia. Dasypogonaceae is a ‘near-endemic’ family with just one of its 21 species found outside Western Australia. Research on the propagation of many species endemic to Western Australia was first undertaken at Kings Park and Botanic Garden, including the Haemodoraceae (Figure 8). In addition to endemic families, there are a very large number of endemic genera and species (Figure 9).

With seeds of native plant species not commercially available, staff conducted wide-ranging field trips in search of horticulturally attractive species to add to the botanic garden (Figure 10). As research on the flora itself increased, field trips focused on the collection of research and conservation material, employing a wide range of means to reach remote field sites (Figure 11). However, new discoveries have not always come from far-flung corners of the state with the natural bushland areas of Kings Park retaining very significant biodiversity. Four species, Acacia benthamii Meisn., Dodonaea hackettiana W.Ftizg., Jacksonia calcicola Chappill, and Poranthera moorokatta R.L.Barrett, have the majority of their known populations within Kings Park and are endemic to the Perth metropolitan region (Figure 12).

The contribution of a research group to science across an extended period can be difficult to judge and quantify. This paper looks at the 50-year period coincident from the founding of the Botanic Garden in Kings Park, which was established with the express purpose of promoting knowledge of the Western Australian flora, and it looks at the consequences of this establishment for our understanding of the flora from a research perspective. Although a significant focus is placed on publications, especially those from staff, there are many additional contributions from students, unpublished reports and practical on-ground activities, and contributions to public policy and legislation, which are natural outcomes from a body of researchers, that can be even more challenging to measure.

Publication outputs and research activities over the 50-year period covered largely coincide with a period of independent research before Kings Park and Botanic Gardens became part of the broader Department of Conservation, Biodiversity and Attractions in 2017.

2. Materials and Methods

Historian Dorothy Erickson has detailed much of the history of Kings Park and the establishment of the Botanic Garden in her book A Joy Forever: The Story of Kings Park and Botanic Garden [4], and only a brief summary is provided here. Former CEO Mark Webb has edited a book that summarises the work of Kings Park on the horticulture and promotion of Western Australian native plants over the last 50 years [17], and this work is cross-referenced to the research activities detailed here. A summary of the Kings Park bushland is presented in the introduction to Perth Plants [1,10].

Major works on the recent history of Kings Park and general botany in Western Australia have been consulted [4,24] along with staff and student publications and a number of internal documents (e.g., annual reports) of the Kings Park Board and its successor, the Botanic Gardens and Parks Authority. Only selected staff and student publications have been included in the references with complete publication lists for most current and many past staff being available through individual profiles on ResearchGate and Google Scholar.

A summary of research at Kings Park and Botanic Garden up to 2004 was presented by former CEO Stephen Hopper as the Serventy Memorial Lecture for the Western Australian Naturalists’ Club on 19 May 2004, and that presentation was utilised in preparing this paper. The 2004 Serventy Memorial Lecture presentation was a natural continuation of a paper published by Albert (Bert) Main and Dominic (Dom) Serventy in 1957 that reviewed the natural history values of Kings Park in response to various development proposals [25].

Records in the Kings Park Herbarium database (official acronym KPBG) were consulted, as many KPBG collections are not duplicated at the Western Australian Herbarium (PERTH). Staff collections are commonly held at both KPBG and PERTH. While many state and national herbaria are co-located with botanic gardens globally, the Western Australian Herbarium (PERTH) has always been separate from the state botanic garden, both physically and administratively, so most taxonomic research on the Western Australian flora was undertaken at PERTH [26], along with the University of Western Australia’s herbarium (in the then Botany Department; UWA), so taxonomic outputs from Kings Park staff have been relatively modest by comparison, but they are by no means insignificant [19].

3. Major Research Projects at Kings Park (1961–2015)

Among the many researchers based at Kings Park and Botanic Garden, there have been key figures in the history of the research programs, beginning with John Beard and the establishment of the Botanic Garden [4,17]. Once the Botanic Garden was established, Beard set about mapping the vegetation of the state and prepared a descriptive checklist of its flora. Beard also encouraged the development of Western Australian native plants for use in gardens. Beard was followed by Paul Wycherley (1971–1992), who developed broad research programs in plant biology and the control of veld grass [27]. During Wycherley’s time, Kingsley Dixon was appointed as a researcher and in time became the Director of Science. Dixon oversaw the development of many research programs, especially in integrated plant conservation, orchid ecology and seed biology. Long-standing interests in determining the causes of seed dormancy would eventually lead to the discovery of active chemicals contained in smoke that dramatically increase germination levels in a wide range of plant species.

Following the discovery by de Lange and Boucher [28] in South Africa that smoke promoted the germination of seeds with previously unknown germination requirements, investigations began into the role of smoke in germination of Western Australian native species. Postgraduate student Shauna Roche investigated the range of native Australian species with dormant seeds that germinate in response to the application of smoke water or aerosol smoke [29]. Many more detailed studies and publications followed [30,31,32,33,34,35,36] along with research into the key chemical stimulant(s) contained in smoke that break dormancy mechanisms. After much persistence, these studies were eventually successful, with PhD student Gavin Flematti isolating and synthesising the primary compound [37,38,39,40], along with additional bioactive compounds [41,42,43,44].

Early staff that worked under Wycherley include Arthur Fairall, who conducted considerable horticultural research on the native flora; Ernst Wittwer, who identified how to cultivate many native species that had not previously been grown in a garden setting, Pauline Fairall, who was instrumental in the establishment and management of the Kings Park Herbarium, and Les Bousefield, who was the first research botanist. Greg Keighery, also a research botanist, developed a broad range of research programs on the ecology, biology, evolution, phytogeography and conservation of the Western Australian flora.

To expand the research base at Kings Park, Bob Dixon was appointed as a horticultural advisor, later becoming the biodiversity officer. Eric Bunn was appointed to develop a tissue culture program for plants that could not be grown by more conventional means. Eleanor Bennett was appointed to manage botanical displays as well as the herbarium, with perhaps her most significant achievement being the production of The Bushland Plants of Kings Park Western Australia, which was illustrated by renowned botanical artist Pat Dundas [45].

Stephen Hopper followed Wycherley as the Director in 1992, pursuing research in plant evolution, biogeography, plant conservation, plant systematics, orchid taxonomy and conservation, and the ecology of granite outcrops. Orchids, as one of the most charismatic plant groups, have attracted much research attention and public interest. Building on the research interests of Dixon and Hopper, many students, including Robert Ramsay, Andrew Batty, Nika Debeljak, Penny Hollick, Nura Abdul Karim, Nigel Swarts, Sofi Mursidawati, Siti Nurfadilah, Ryan Phillips and Belinda Newman (Davis) and staff including Mark Brundrett have worked to develop a range of tools critical for the conservation and restoration of terrestrial orchid species.

While epiphytic orchids are popular worldwide, growing Western Australia ground orchids, which die back to a tuber or rhizome each year, is a far greater challenge. Through a program sponsored by the power utility company Western Power, an Orchid Seed Kit was developed, including orchid seed, mycorrhizal fungi, and specific native leaf mulch, that allowed the public to grow their own terrestrial orchids from seed for the first time [46]. This technology can now be applied at a broader scale for the restoration of terrestrial orchids in degraded ecosystems [47,48,49].

Long-term conservation programs have also been a research priority for Kings Park. The development of novel cryopreservation techniques for the indefinite storage of genetic material of rare species that can generate new plants has been a major breakthrough [50,51,52,53,54,55,56]. This has included the combination of orchid seed and their partner fungi required for germination, as well as protocorms, which each have their own storage requirements [57,58]. The bizarre Western Australian underground orchid, Rhizanthella gardneri Rogers, a threatened species associated with a specific fungus that grows on Melaleuca scalena Craven & Lepschi and M. uncinata R.Br., has also been a major research focus [59,60,61].

Interest in vegetation patterns, particularly within the biodiversity hotspot in the southwest floristic province, lead to a new floristic phytogeographic map being produced by Steve Hopper and Paul Gioia in 2004, based on earlier mapping by Diels, Gardner and Beard, and the digital specimen data at the Western Australian Herbarium [62].

In such a complex biological landscape, issues associated with conservation and restoration programs require considerable research. A significant investment has been made by Siegy Krauss and colleagues to understand and define issues of genetic provenance for germplasm collection and restoration programs, e.g., [63,64,65,66,67,68]. This research is vital given the long history of decline in the condition of urban bushland on the Swan Coastal Plain. Documentation of the condition of bushland in Kings Park was begun by Alison Baird [15,16] with the degree of change being reviewed by Crosti et al. [69,70]. Fungi play a vital role in nutrient cycling, being agents of both plant nutrition and disease. Within Kings Park and Bold Park, fungal diversity is remarkably high. Surveys undertaken by Neale Boucher and others have recorded over 480 species of microfungi [71,72].

Bushland decline has influenced both plant and animal diversity with over half of the mammal diversity previously found on the Swan Coastal Plain extinct in this area by 1978. Inappropriate fire frequency, predation from cats, dogs and foxes and competition from rabbits has driven these local extinctions [73,74,75,76]. The larger species of fauna found in Kings Park have been documented by Tingay et al. [77]. Smaller animal species, particularly insects, have managed to retain high levels of diversity in the Kings Park bushland [78,79]. Studies by an honours student on spider diversity in Kings Park found 151 species in only eight 100 × 100 m grids with long-unburnt vegetation providing habitat for the highest number of species [80]. Studies on food resource allocation during mating in zaprochiline katydids found in Kings Park have shown quite complex shifts between male and female feeding patterns and resource sharing when food is scarce [81,82,83].

Over 400 research papers have been published by staff and students based at Kings Park from 1961 to 2015. There have also been many significant books and special journal issues published during this time, which have been authored or edited by staff or published by Kings Park. These include Descriptive Catalogue of West Australian plants [84]; its 2nd edition [85]; West Australian Native Plants in Cultivation [86]; The Bushland Plants of Kings Park Western Australia [45]; Orchids of Western Australia. Cultivation and Natural History [87]; Kangaroo Paws and Catspaws: a Natural History and Field Guide [88]; Gondwanan Heritage: Past, Present and Future of the Western Australian Biota [89]; Conservation into the 21st Century [90]; Germplasm Conservation Guidelines for Australia [52]; Granite Outcrops Symposium [91]; Life on the Rocks: the Art of Survival [92,93]; Islands in the Bush. Management of Granite Outcrops Symposium [94]; The Western Australian Flora. A Descriptive Catalogue [95]; Microorganisms in Plant Conservation and Biodiversity [96]; Orchid Conservation [97]; Perth Plants. A Field Guide to the Bushland and Coastal Flora of Kings Park and Bold Park, Perth, Western Australia [1,10]; Generic Concepts and Modern Taxonomy [98]; Soul of the Desert [99]; Orchids of Western Australia [100]; Coastal Plants. A Guide to the Identification and Restoration of Plants of the Perth Region [101]; Australian Native Plants: the Kings Park Experience [17]; Pilbara Seed Atlas and Plant Field Guide [102]; and Restoration of Perth’s Banksia Woodlands [103].

Kings Park staff have made significant contributions to the collection of herbarium specimens held primarily at the Kings Park and Botanic Gardens (KPBG) herbarium and Western Australian herbarium (PERTH). Collection locations for the most prolific collections are mapped below (Figure 13 and Figure 14).

4. Key Contributions to Research at Kings Park and Botanic Garden (1961–2015)

• John S. Beard (Director, 1961–1970)

John Beard, as the director in charge of the establishment of the botanic garden, was one of the most influential figures in Western Australian botany during this period. Promoting a strong research-based approach to the discovery and utilisation of the native flora of Western Australia, Beard was a champion of the use of local species in gardens as being better suited than many of the more popular European species that were commonly planted at the time [17]. Interestingly, more recent research has revealed that this work still has a long way to go with public perception of native species as garden plants still holding significant reservations [11]. Beard also chose the appointments of Superintendent Arthur Fairall and nurseryman Ernst Wittwer, both of whom were critical in the development and early success of the botanic garden and the native plant collections program [4]. Beard also bought in the expertise of seed collector and nurseryman Fred Lullfitz, who travelled, often with Beard, the length and breadth of the state in search of plants for the botanic garden [4,104].

Beard began publishing articles that promoted the state’s flora soon after arriving at Kings Park and called for further studies [105]. Beard also prepared a series of publications to coincide with the opening of the botanic garden to ensure that the general public had access to information on the Western Australian flora to further any interest generated by the opening [84,106,107,108,109]. Key among these was the first edition of the Descriptive Catalogue of West Australian Plants, which was a novel checklist of the flora of Western Australia with basic descriptive data and flowering times. It was compiled with significant assistance from Charles Gardner, then retired from the Western Australian Herbarium, and from Pauline Fairall [84,110]. A second, expanded edition of ‘Beard’s catalogue’ was later prepared by Pauline Fairall [85].

Additional studies were undertaken on the classification of grasslands in Australia [111]; the nature of the woodlands in Kings Park [112]; heath, banksia woodland and mallee communities in southern Western Australia [113,114,115], similarities of northern Australian vegetation communities to those of tropical Africa and America [113]; an isolated, inland occurrence of mangroves in northern Western Australia [116], drought effects in the Gibson Desert [117], patterns of endemism in the Western Australian flora [118], Allocasuarina pinaster (C.A.Gardner) L.A.S.Johnson, an unusual species with directional growth [119], the phytogeography of Western Australian deserts [120] and desert exploration in Western Australia [121].

A number of other research topics developed or researched during his time at Kings Park were not published until after Beard left, including papers on kwongan [122], the evolution of Australian plants [123,124,125], the vegetation of central Australia [126,127], Western Australian landforms [128], bioclimatic conditions [129], vegetation structure [130], plant adaptations to specific environments [131,132], biogeography [133], ecological regions [134], Banksia woodlands [115], coastal flora [135] and species richness and endemism in Western Australia [136,137].

Beard’s best-known and most ambitious work was begun while Director at Kings Park but was not completed until 1981 [110,138,139]. Beard led the mapping of the vegetation of the entire state at a scale of 1:250,000 with various maps published at scales between 1:250,000 and 1:3,000,000 [110,138,139,140,141,142,143,144,145,146,147,148,149,150,151,152,153,154,155,156,157,158,159,160,161,162,163,164,165,166,167,168,169,170,171,172,173,174,175,176]. These studies eventually culminated in the publication of the unique book Plant Life of Western Australia [110,177]. Beard made some of the first dedicated botanical exploration trips into the Great Victoria Desert, Gibson Desert and Nullarbor Plain [110]. Beard collected over 7000 specimens during these surveys (Figure 13C), including many new species. Beard is honoured by Grevillea beardiana McGill. [178], Melaleuca beardii Craven [179], the threatened species Eucalyptus beardiana Brooker & Blaxell [180], the conservation priority species Aphyllodium beardii R.L.Barrett [181], Ptilotus beardii Benl [182] and Calocephalus beardii P.S.Short [183].

• Arthur Fairall (Superintendent, 1962–1970)

Arthur R. Fairall was recruited by John Beard from his job as Director of Parks in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, to manage the formation of the Botanic Garden and act as General Superintendent for the park [104]. Fairall travelled widely in southern and central Western Australia, collecting around 1500 specimens (Figure 14A). Fairall authored one of the first major books on the cultivation of Western Australian native plants [86]. Fairall is honoured by the threatened species Lambertia fairallii Keighery [184] and the widespread sedge Lepidosperma fairallianum R.L.Barrett, which also honours his wife Pauline Fairall [181].

• Pauline Fairall (née Bond, Herbarium volunteer/curator, 1962–1970, Herbarium volunteer, 1984–2003)

Pauline Fairall initially worked as a volunteer, establishing the working herbarium at Kings Park (KPBG), before joining the staff as a casual worker managing the herbarium (having previously worked at the Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden in South Africa [185]). Fairall published several works under her maiden name (Bond), including a descriptive catalogue of the plants of South Africa [186] and a revision of Oldenburgia Less. [187]. Fairall was a major contributor to both editions of the Descriptive Catalogue of Western Australia [84,85], which formed the model used by Bond and Goldblatt [186] to create a catalogue of South African plants. Fairall identified many of the plants collected by Beard during his mapping expeditions [110]. Fairall remained a valued staff member of Kings Park and Botanic Garden until her 85th year, when Fairall retired to north Queensland. Fairall is honoured by two South African species, Erica bondiae Compton (now recognised as Erica glandulosa subsp. bondiae (Compton) E.G.H.Oliv. & I.M.Oliv. or Erica glandulosa var. bondiae (Compton) Dulfer [188,189]) and Thoracosperma bondiae Compton (now included in Erica rosacea (L.Guthrie) E.G.H.Oliv. subsp. rosacea [190] and Lepidosperma fairallianum R.L.Barrett as noted earlier [181].

• Ernst Wittwer (Nurseryman (1962–1970), Superintendent, 1970–1984)

Ernst Wittwer was recruited by John Beard as the first Nurseryman at Kings Park particularly to assist in producing plants for the new botanic garden [104]. Wittwer was a Swiss National but had trained at Kew Gardens and had nursery experience in South Australia. Wittwer collected widely in Western Australia (over 1300 collections; Figure 14F) and was often accompanied by his wife Magda Wittwer. Magda worked as an assistant to John Beard in helping to map the vegetation of Western Australia and also collect plant specimens (at least 94 collections). The Wittwers are honoured by the threatened Stirling Range Mountain Bell Darwinia wittwerorum N.G.Marchant & Keighery [191]. Wittwer is also honoured by Astus wittweri Trudgen & Rye [192], Grevillea wittweri McGill. [178] and Thryptomene wittweri J.W.Green [193].

• Wilhelm (Willy) H. Kullmann (Gardener, 1964–1983; Superintendent, 1984–2004)

Willy Kullmann was one of the longest serving members of staff at Kings Park. Kullmann had a significant impact on the development and maintenance of the gardens during this time and compiled the first detailed record of germination trials of native Western Australian plant species [194]. This publication remains foundational to the cultivation of native species, eventually superseded by Sweedman and Merritt [195], which incorporated Kullmann’s data.

• Fred Lullfitz (Seed collector, 1965–1970)

Fred Lullfitz was well known as one of the principal horticulturalists of his time who grew and promoted Western Australian native plants. Lullfitz also promoted the importation of exotic plants that were considered well suited to the Western Australian landscape. His work included planning the selection and planting of street trees in the tropical Kimberley town of Broome with Marion Blackwell in the 1970s, many of which dominated Broome’s streetscapes until most were ultimately destroyed by Tropical Cyclone Rosita in April 2000. Lullfitz supplied a great number of collections for the Botanic Garden, including herbarium specimens (Figure 14D), and often travelled with Kings Park staff, particularly John Beard [104]. The seed collections made by Lullfitz formed the foundation of the Kings Park seed collection, which is an important conservation resource [196]. Lullfitz is honoured by Lullfitz Drive in Broome, two conservation priority species, Banksia lullfitzii C.A.Gardner [197] and Grevillea lullfitzii McGill. [178], and Chamelaucium lullfitzii N.G.Marchant [198].

• Grosvenor Selk (Botanist, 1966–1976)

Grosvenor Selk came to Kings Park as a retiree before becoming a casual employee working in the herbarium and making extensive studies on the bushland plants of Kings Park as well as maintaining comprehensive records of native plants grown in the gardens [199]. Selk was trained in botany by Pauline Fairall and helped establish the Kings Park herbarium [185] and a guided walks program. Selk assisted Beard in the identification of plants collected during Beard’s mapping projects [110]. Selk is honoured in the conservation priority species Hibbertia selkii Keighery [184].

• Les R. Bousefield (Botanist, 1969–1972)

Les Bousefield was the first research officer appointed at Kings Park by John Beard. This appointment was made over the objections of the Department of Agriculture, but Beard successfully argued to the Premier that a Botanic Garden needed to undertake botanical research [4]. Bousefield was engaged to undertake research on living plants, which included seed germination experiments on native species that proved difficult to germinate [4]. Bousefield also undertook a PhD on the genetics of Dampiera linearis R.Br., which was awarded in 1970 [200,201]. Research programs into seed germination were to prove long running and continue today. Bousefield also conducted hybridisation experiments, particularly on Verticordia DC. species [202] and kangaroo paws (Anigozanthos Labill. [88]).

• Herbert Demarz (1970–1990)

Herbert Demarz was a Silesian German who came to Australia as a collector from the Munich Museum. With a background in entomology and a special interest in dung beetles, Demarz was employed at Kings Park as a seed collector, travelling widely across Western Australia, often with John Beard, collecting around 12,000 specimens as vouchers for the seed bank at Kings Park (Figure 13E) [110,203]. Demarz made the first known collections of numerous new plant species in Western Australia. Demarz is honoured in the naming of a number of dung beetles including the genus Demarziella Balthasar [204], Onthophagus demarzi Frey, Onthophagus demarziellus Frey [205,206] and Teinogenys demarzi Endrödi [207]. Demarz is also honoured by the southern tinsel lily, Calectasia demarzii R.L.Barrett [181].

• Paul R. Wycherley (Director, 1971–1992)

Paul Wycherley continued John Beard’s legacy of promoting active research on the native flora of Western Australia. Research programs were significantly expanded during his time as director, and a number of new appointments were made [4]. Particular emphasis was placed on horticultural research, and a significant number of cultivars of native species were developed during this time [17]. Wycherley also supported the production and publication of several books on Kings Park, particularly Common Animals in Kings Park and Perth Gardens [77], Kings Park Plants: A Guide to Naming the Bushland Plants [208] and The Bushland Plants of Kings Park Western Australia [45]. Wycherley inaugurated the Kings Park Research Notes series [27,209,210] and collaborated on plant conservation projects [211]. Wycherley prepared several unpublished reports on the history of Kings Park [212,213]. One mistletoe collection and three fungal collections are attributed to Wycherley. Wycherley is honoured by Conospermum wycherleyi E.M.Benn. [214].

• Gregory (Greg) J. Keighery (Botanist, 1973–1984)

Greg Keighery was one of the first staff members at Kings Park to undertake detailed taxonomic studies on the Western Australian flora. Recognising that many of the species and even some genera being collected were unnamed, Keighery wrote a series of papers on the systematics of the Australian flora during his time at Kings Park [184,191,215,216,217,218,219,220,221,222,223,224,225] and undertook preparatory work for many treatments of lilies and allied plants that would be published in volume 45 of the Flora of Australia in 1987. With wide-ranging interests in the ecology and evolution of the Australian flora, Keighery published accounts and observations on many poorly known or often overlooked topics, including ballistochory [226], breeding systems [224,227,228,229,230,231,232,233,234,235,236], chromosome numbers [237,238,239,240,241,242,243,244,245], cleistogamy [234,246], fauna [247], floral structure [229,235,236,248,249], geocarpy [250], hybridisation [223], phytogeography [251,252,253,254,255], pollination [227,228,229,230,233,236,248,249,256,257,258,259,260], rare flora [261], reproductive strategies [262], seed viability [263], vegetation surveys [264,265] and weeds [266,267,268,269,270]. Keighery collected extensively in southern Western Australia, in addition to a few trips to the Kimberley, and made over 7000 collections during his time at Kings Park (Figure 14C). Keighery is honoured by Acacia keigheryi Maslin [271], Calectasia keigheryi R.L.Barrett & K.W.Dixon (priority; [272]), Eleocharis keigheryi K.L.Wilson (threatened; [273]), Gonocarpus keigheryi M.L.Moody [274], Macarthuria keigheryi Lepschi (threatened; [275]), Melaleuca keigheryi Craven [179], Stylidium keigheryi Lowrie & Carlquist (priority; [276]) and Tribonanthes keigheryi E.J.Hickman & Hopper [277].

• Roger A. Fryer (Nurseryman; Curator, Living Collections; Manager of Horticulture and Assets, 1976–2006)

Roger Fryer undertook a wide range of projects within the gardens, including the award-winning design of the Rare and Endangered Garden, which was established in 2013 [4]. Fryer worked with Grady Brand to coordinate the Kings Park and Botanic Garden Gold Medal-winning displays at the Chelsea Flower Show in the United Kingdom in 1997 and 2000, which helped take the Western Australian flora to the world [4]. Fryer worked on flora conservation projects and compiled records of seed germination trials at Kings Park [211,278]. Fryer continued his passion for natural history into retirement and published a book on the natural history of the New South Wales Mid-North Coast [279].

• Ann Coates (now Ric) (Botanist, 1977–1980)

Ann Coates managed the herbarium at Kings Park from 1977 to 1980 and identified voucher collections made by the seed collector Herbert Demarz. During this time, Ric also managed the wildflower displays at the annual wildflower festival and volunteered to take guided tours in Kings Park on weekends [4].

• Grady Brand (Curator of the Western Australian Botanic Garden, 1978–2020)

Grady Brand worked with Roger Fryer to coordinate the Kings Park and Botanic Garden Gold Medal-winning display at the Chelsea Flower Show in the United Kingdom in 1997 and 2000. Brand worked with Patrick Courtney to develop new native garden beds in the Synergy Parkland area of Kings Park that attracted significant public attention to low water-use garden designs [4]. Brand has also overseen major improvements to the display of Western Australian native plants throughout the gardens of Kings Park and Botanic Garden and at Bold Park. Brand published a paper on the horticultural potential of Acacia [280], two book chapters on seed collection with Luke Sweedman [281,282], and three book chapters on growing native plants [283,284,285]. Brand is honoured in the priority species Eucalyptus brandiana Hopper & McQuoid [286].

• Robert (Bob) Dixon (Horticultural advisor, Biodiversity Manager, 1978–2014)

Bob Dixon, a long-serving staff member, was appointed as the Horticultural Advisory Officer and provided information to the general public on the culture of native plants (Kings Park Native Plant Annual issues 1 and 2; [287,288]). Dixon was also involved in a wide range of management and conservation programs in Kings Park and on rare native species across the southwest of Western Australia. Dixon co-ordinated The Kings Park Bushland Management Plan 1995–2000 [289], a natural heritage assessment of Kings Park [290], fire records in Kings Park [291] and published long-term work on the eradication of veld grass [292], buffel grass [293] and bridal creeper [294] with a particular interest on selective herbicides that do not affect native species. Dixon conducted extensive work on the conservation of the threatened Grevillea scapigera A.S.George [65,295,296] and several other rare species that have been translocated back into the wild often in collaboration with mining companies.

• Chris Robinson (Botanist, 1980–1984)

Chris Robinson managed the herbarium at Kings Park and drew up a plan for the Mt. Eliza Tablelands Parklands, including detailed drawings of planted trees that were present at the time. Robinson also volunteered to take guided tours in Kings Park on weekends [4].

• Zofia Juszkiewcz (Nursery, Plant Propagation, 1982–2007)

Zofia Juszkiewcz was an excellent plant propagator and mentor who methodically researched and trialled different methods of vegetative propagation for a range of native plant species, many of which were previously untried or rare in cultivation. Working with Grady Brand and Roger Fryer, Juszkiewcz began the comprehensive grafting trials of Western Australian native plants that continue in the nursery today. Juszkiewcz also worked extensively on the propagation of threatened flora for translocation projects.

• Eric Bunn (Research Scientist/Conservation Biotechnology Team Leader, 1982–2022)

Eric Bunn led the conservation biotechnology research program with a research focus on developing novel in vitro procedures for rare, endangered or difficult to propagate species, completing his own PhD in this field [297]. Bunn’s research also included cryopreservation initiatives for the ex situ conservation of endangered native plants. Bunn and his colleagues and students have published extensively with many significant breakthroughs in the cultivation, restoration and ex situ conservation of rare and threatened species through studies on the following: in vitro propagation and cryopreservation with a wide range of the Western Australian flora [53,54,55,58,298,299,300,301,302,303,304,305,306]; Cyperaceae [307,308,309,310,311]; Dasypogon hookeri J.Drumm. [312]; Eucalyptus L’Hér. [313,314]; Grevillea scapigera [65,315]; Leucopogon obtectus Benth. [316]; micropropagation techniques [211,300,307,317,318,319,320]; pollination [321]; rare and endangered species [320,322,323]; sandalwood [324]; stress tolerance [325,326,327]; Symonanthus bancroftii (F.Muell.) L.Haegi [318,328]; aquatic species [329]; Malvaceae [304]; Orchidaceae [330,331]; tissue culture techniques [332] and the reintroduction of threatened plants [211].

• Keran Keys (Technical Officer, Conservation Biotechnology, 1982–present)

Keran Keys joined Kings Park as a technical officer with a focus on horticulture. Keys has assisted with many research programs on the tissue culture and cryopreservation of the Declared Rare Flora research collection. Keys has helped to optimise the horticultural needs for ongoing re-introduction and translocation programs for rare flora. Several species Keys has worked on have been successfully returned to their original habitats (e.g., Grevillea scapigera and Symonanthus bancroftii). Keys has developed horticultural techniques for growing rare native plants in pots as spectacular horticultural subjects, promoting their conservation. Keys is always looking out for native plants that have horticultural potential and regularly works with volunteers and the Friends of Kings Park. Keys has worked on a number of management plants for Kings Park [289,290,291].

• Kingsley W. Dixon (Display Botanist/Research Botanist; Director, Science, 1983–2015)

Kingsley Dixon started as a Display Botanist/Research Botanist and quickly became the leader of a growing science research program. Prior to joining Kings Park, Dixon studied the mineral nutrition of carnivorous Drosera L. for his PhD and co-authored a book on tuberous plants with John Pate at the University of Western Australia [333]. Dixon also undertook surveys for the threatened Western Australian underground orchid Rhizanthella gardneri Rogers [59]. Dixon’s research interests broadened considerably over the years and led to a large number of collaborative projects with colleagues, particularly at the University of Western Australia, Murdoch University and Curtin University and with overseas institutions including the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew and Chicago Botanic Garden. Supervising a significant number of Honours, Masters and PhD students based at Kings Park (including international students) resulted in over three hundred publications. While not a prolific collector of herbarium specimens (Figure 13F), he did collect a number of type specimens and contributed many samples for horticultural and conservation collections at Kings Park.

Significant areas of research include artificial networks [334], botanic gardens and conservation [90,335,336]; carnivorous plants [337]; conservation biology [338,339]; conservation genetics [340,341,342,343]; cryopreservation [50,344,345], including the production of a set of national guidelines [52]; the ecology of Epacridaceae/Ericaceae [346,347,348,349,350,351]; ecophysiology [352]; fire ecology [353,354,355]; fungal rusts and smuts [356,357,358,359,360]; genetic provenance [361]; micropropagation [362]; orchid conservation [46,97,363,364,365,366,367,368,369,370,371]; orchid identification [87,100,372]; orchid seed biology, micropropagation and mycorrhizal associations [47,48,57,330,373,374,375,376,377,378,379,380,381,382,383,384,385]; Phytophthora resistance [386,387]; plant conservation [96,388,389]; pollination ecology [370,384,385,390,391,392,393]; Restionaceae biology and systematics [394,395,396,397,398,399,400,401,402,403,404,405,406,407,408]; restoration ecology [103,409,410,411,412]; root exudates [413]; root morphology [348,414,415,416,417,418]; seed biology and dormancy [337,338,376,410,419,420,421,422,423,424,425,426,427,428,429,430,431,432,433,434,435,436,437,438,439,440,441,442,443,444,445,446,447,448,449,450,451,452,453]; the role of smoke and smoke products in breaking seed dormancy [30,32,33,35,36,37,38,39,40,41,42,337,407,410,420,421,422,433,434,435,454,455,456,457,458]; seed storage [459]; soil bacteria [460,461,462]; plant taxonomy [403,463,464,465]; translocation for conservation [49,466] and vegetation change [70,445,467,468,469,470,471]. Dixon is honoured in the threatened species Paracaleana dixonii Hopper & A.P.Br. [472]. Dixon was awarded a Linnean Medal in 2013 for his contributions to botany [473].

• Eleanor M. Bennett (née Scrymgeour) (Botanist, 1984–1995)

Eleanor Bennett came to Kings Park from the Western Australian Herbarium and subsequently published several significant taxonomic [214,474,475], historical [476,477] and identification works [45,208,474,478,479,480,481,482] as well as the first major book on indigenous names for Western Australian plants [483,484]. Bennett was one of the main drivers for the creation of the Kings Park Guides Training Program upon her arrival in 1984 [4]. Bennett collected around 250 specimens from across southwestern and eastern Australia during this time (Figure 13D) in addition to comprehensive studies in Kings Park that helped inform local plant guides. Bennett is honoured by Eucalyptus × bennettiae D.J.Carr & S.G.M.Carr [485,486] and the priority species Hybanthus bennettiae R.L.Barrett [181] (now Afrohybanthus bennettiae (R.L.Barrett) Messina [487].

• Shane R. Turner (Student horticulturist, 1987–1990, Research Scientist, Cryogenics and Seed Ecology, 1997–2015)

Shane Turner twice worked at Kings Park, initially joining as a horticultural student in the late 1980s then later as a postgraduate student, undertaking an honours degree and PhD in cryogenics and biotechnology [488]. Turner has undertaken a range of research projects on seed biology, conservation biology, restoration ecology and threatened flora conservation [53,54,55,298,300,302,304,305,306,309,310,311,320,323,331,337,345,352,354,412,424,426,432,439,440,441,442,446,447,449,452,458,489,490,491,492]. Turner led major programs in rare flora conservation including translocation research for several high-profile rare species, including Anigozanthos viridis subsp. terraspectans Hopper and Commersonia erythrogyna C.F.Wilkins.

• Margaret Collins (Research Scientist, Restoration Ecology, 1988–1992)

Margaret Collins came to Kings Park to work on restoration ecology projects. With a strong interest in orchids, Collins worked with Kingsley Dixon and published two research articles [375,493] and co-authored a book on the identification and cultivation of native orchids [87].

• Luke S. J. Sweedman (Seed Collector, 1990–2020)

Luke Sweedman took over the role of seed collector from Herbert Demarz in 1990 [494]. Sweedman has collected widely in Western Australia with over 4500 collections duplicated at KPBG and PERTH. Sweedman made 8763 collections for Kings Park (Figure 14E) and contributed over 1200 seed collections to the Millennium Seed Bank Project [495]. Sweedman collaborated with Dave Merritt and other seed biologists to produce the book Australian Seeds [195,203,281,282,496]. Sweedman and Grady Brand have published a research paper on the horticultural potential of Acacia [280]. Sweedman and Merritt have published a book chapter on the seeds of native plants [497]. Sweedman is honoured by the priority species Eucalyptus sweedmaniana Hopper & McQuoid [286].

• Stephen (Steve) D. Hopper (Director; Chief Executive Officer, 1992–2004)

Steve Hopper came from the then-Department of Conservation and Land Management to accept the role as Director of Kings Park (with a change in title and authority in 1998 to Chief Executive Officer of the Botanic Gardens and Parks Authority). An internationally recognised expert in evolution, granite rock ecology, conservation biology, and the taxonomy of eucalypts, orchids and Haemodoraceae, Hopper continued active research while serving as Director/CEO. Hopper published widely on conservation genetics [342,343,498,499,500]; desert flora [99,501]; economics of natural areas [502]; eucalypts [503,504,505,506,507,508,509,510]; fire [509,511,512]; forest management and conservation [513,514]; generic concepts [98,515]; geophytes [516]; granite outcrops [91,92,94,342,509,511,517,518,519,520,521,522,523]; Haemodoraceae [88,277,516,521,524,525,526,527,528,529,530,531]; James Drummond [532]; Kings Park [291,533,534]; Mediterranean-type ecosystems [535]; nature reserve design [498,513,536]; Orchidaceae [100,384,472,537,538,539,540,541,542,543,544,545,546,547]; plant conservation [518,548,549,550,551,552,553,554,555]; pollination [555,556,557]; Rhamnaceae [558]; seed biology [436,495,559]; south-west Australian flora [62,88,89,511,512,516,521,560,561,562,563,564]; taxonomy [523,565]; and threatened species [566]. Hopper collected widely in Western Australia, with several thousand specimens collected during this period (Figure 14B), some of which await incorporation at PERTH. Hopper is honoured by Acacia hopperiana Maslin [567], Caladenia × hopperi J.M.H.Shaw [568], Caladenia hopperiana A.P.Br. [569] and Lepidosperma hopperi R.L.Barrett [181].

• Stephen J. Forbes (Director of Living Collections, 1994–1998)

Stephen Forbes developed a new master plan for the Botanic Garden, which featured a number of new specialised gardens including the Banksia Garden in 1995 [4,534].

• Kathy A. Meney (Research Scientist, Restoration Ecology, 1993–1998)

Kathy Meney came to Kings Park as a postgraduate student and become a Research Scientist following the completion of her PhD on the ecology of Restionaceae and Cyperaceae [570]. Meney published a major book with John Pate (UWA) [571] and a range of research papers on Restionaceae and Cyperaceae while at Kings Park. Meney has also published on reproductive biology [394,404,405,572]; propagation and restoration [401,402,405,406,407,409,573]; growth and nutrition [574]; morphology and anatomy [395,396,575,576,577]; conservation [408] and taxonomy [398,403]. Meney worked on the Mt. Eliza Scarp Restoration Project, initially with Nathan McQuoid and later with Bob Dixon, Peter Moonie and Deanna Rokich [294]. Meney is honoured by the rust fungus Restiosporium meneyae Vánky [578].

• Nathan McQuoid (Bushland Manager, 1995–1997)

Nathan McQuoid served as the first Bushland Manager at Kings Park and Botanic Garden. Working with Kathy Meney, McQuoid was the first manager of the Mt. Eliza Scarp Restoration project and worked to remove weedy species and restore native vegetation [4]. McQuoid is honoured in the priority species Eucalyptus mcquoidii Brooker & Hopper [506].

• Patrick Courtney (Plant Horticultural Development Manager, 1996–present)

Patrick Courtney managed the Kings Park and Botanic Garden display at the Japan 2000 International Garden Landscaping Expo. The display not only won numerous awards but also won the most for any one display at the six-month show, which attracted over 5.4 million visitors [4]. Courtney has worked extensively on the commercial development and hybridisation of fan-flowers and relatives (Scaevola L., Dampiera R.Br.). Courtney worked with Digby Growns and Jeremy Thomas on the relocation of a 750-year-old boab (Adansonia gregorii F.Muell.) from the east Kimberley to Kings Park [579]. Courtney continues to work on the horticultural development of native plants.

• Ray Wills (Senior Research Ecologist, 1998–2001)

Ray Wills joined Kings Park following the decision to cede Bold Park to the management of Kings Park with the formation of the Botanic Gardens and Parks Authority in 1998. The management of this park required specific skills in restoration ecology. Wills developed research programs to enhance bushland management in Bold Park and Kings Park [534].

• Colin Yates (Research Scientist, Restoration Ecology, 1997–1998)

Colin Yates joined Kings Park as a research fellow having previously completed a PhD on the restoration of salmon gum woodlands [580]. Yates worked on the restoration of woodland ecosystems, particularly in Kings Park, publishing several papers associated with his time at Kings Park and subsequently with students based at Kings Park [70,79,509,534,557,581,582,583,584,585,586,587].

• Matthew D. Barrett (Research Scientist, Conservation Genetics, Systematics, 1997–2016)

Matt Barrett joined Kings Park as a contract researcher, initially working on the control of buffel grass on Airlie Island with Bob Dixon [293]. Barrett undertook a PhD investigating genetic diversity and hybridisation in waxflowers (Chamelaucium Desf., Myrtaceae) [588]. Barrett then undertook a postdoctoral research position investigating the biology and conservation of two threatened plant species. Barrett focussed on the genetic diversity, mating systems and dispersal of Darwinia masonii C.A.Gardner and Lepidosperma gibsonii R.L.Barrett on banded ironstone formations in the Midwest region of Western Australia. Barrett worked on an Australian Research Council funded project to investigate the systematics, population genetics and implications for the seed sourcing of Triodia species in the Pilbara regions of Western Australia. In conjunction with his younger brother Russell Barrett, he made over 7000 plant collections and over 1000 fungal collections (Figure 13A), mostly from the Kimberley. Many new species have been discovered, often being rare and restricted in distribution and becoming a priority for conservation. Barrett has published a number of research papers in plant systematics [181,528,589,590,591,592,593,594,595,596,597,598,599,600,601,602,603,604,605,606], fungal systematics [607,608,609,610,611,612], molecular ecology [383,613,614,615], biogeography [596]; weed control [293], floristic mapping [616] and pollen morphology [595]. Barrett is honoured by Acacia barrettiorum Lewington & Maslin [617], Bossiaea barrettiorum J.H.Ross [618], Boronia barrettiorum Duretto [619], Drosera barrettiorum Lowrie [620] and Stylidium barrettiorum Lowrie & Kenneally [621].

• Catherine J. McChesney (Bushland Manager, Bold Park, 1998–2000, Ecologist, 2002–present)

Catherine McChesney coordinated the inaugural Bold Park management plan and assisted in the preparation of the subsequent five-year research plan. McChesney has undertaken a range of floristic monitoring of Mt. Eliza Escarpment, the plateau bushland of Kings Park and Bold Park bushland since 2002. McChesney has analysed monitoring data to define plant communities, track changes in plant composition and abundance over time, and relate spatial and temporal patterns to environmental factors and management actions, including ecological restoration. These analyses have served as tools to identify management and research priorities. McChesney has published papers on seed germination [622] and Jarrah forest restoration [623].

• Amanda Shade (Nursery Curator, 1998–present)

Amanda Shade works in the Kings Park nursery as a horticulturalist and nursery curator. Shade instructs nursery staff, students and volunteers and teaches propagation skills. Shade is passionate about the propagation and cultivation of native plants and mastered many techniques to successfully propagate both common and unusual Western Australian species. Shade has co-authored a chapter on the propagation of Western Australian native plants [624].

• Lesley Hammersley (Director, Horticulture & Conservation, 1998–2020)

Lesley Hammersley came to Kings Park as the inaugural manager of Bold Park soon after the formation of the Botanic Gardens and Parks Authority. Hammersley oversaw a major three-year research program to establish restoration protocols for this large area of urban bushland as well as a major infrastructure upgrade in Bold Park to enhance visitor interactions with the bushland. Hammersley managed the Horticultural and Conservation Directorate, which is responsible for both Kings Park and Botanic Garden and Bold Park.

• Mark Webb (Director of Living Collections, 1998–2004; Chief Executive Officer, 2004–2022)

Mark Webb came to Kings Park from Agriculture Western Australia (now Agriculture and Food) where he focussed on the breeding of native plants for horticulture. As Director of Living Collections, Webb established a plant selection and breeding program to develop new ornamental native plants for display in the botanic garden, public landscapes, as well as home gardens. Webb also oversaw ongoing research into the horticulture of native species [625] and the public release of new cultivars. With an interest in the history of horticultural efforts, particularly early attempts to grow Australian native plants in Europe, Webb has researched early collectors such as Peter Good, who collected on the Flinders Expedition from 1801 to 1805 [626]. Webb worked with Corporate Services Director Marcelle Broderick and graphic designer Rosalie Okely to produce an attractive promotional book on Kings Park and Botanic Garden [627]. Webb has also edited a book that draws together the combined experience of staff at Kings Park, particularly in the nursery area, in the horticulture of Western Australian native plants [17,285,624,628,629].

• Siegfried (Siegy) L. Krauss (Senior Research Scientist, Conservation Genetics, 1998–present)

Siegy Krauss joined Kings Park as a conservation geneticist. As leader of the Conservation Genetics team, Krauss has pursued a range of research interests, investigating evolutionary processes including mating [630], pollen and seed dispersal [631,632,633,634,635,636,637], and the assessment of spatial genetic structure and variation within species [66,68,338,369,599,638,639,640,641,642,643,644,645,646,647,648,649,650,651,652]. With a strong focus on practical conservation and ecological restoration, his research extends to the assessment of clonality and genetic erosion, especially as it relates to threatened species recovery [65,318,369,638,640,641,648]. Krauss has made a major applied research contribution in the delineation of local provenance seed collection zones for ecological restoration [63,64,66,68,639]. The application of genetic tools including DNA fingerprinting and DNA sequencing to improved success in native plant breeding programs has also been investigated [653]. Krauss and his many postgraduate students have published numerous research papers while at Kings Park [613,647,654,655,656,657,658,659,660,661]. Krauss is honoured in Leptocarpus kraussii B.G.Briggs [662].

• Russell L. Barrett (Research Scientist, Systematics, Ecology, 1998–2015)

Russell Barrett joined Kings Park as a Research Assistant to Kingsley Dixon. Barrett helped organise the First International Orchid Conservation Congress in Perth in 2001 [663]. Barrett has made over 11,000 plant and fungal collections (Figure 13B)—often in conjunction with his brother Matt Barrett. Barrett has discovered many new species that are often rare and restricted in distribution with conservation priority. Barrett went on to complete a PhD on the systematics and ecology of the sword sedges (Lepidosperma) and allied genera [664]. Barrett has a broad range of research interests including plant systematics [19,98,102,181,463,464,515,528,589,592,596,597,598,600,601,602,603,604,606,607,608,609,611,612,613,614,665,666,667,668,669,670,671,672,673,674,675,676,677,678,679,680,681,682,683,684,685,686,687,688,689,690,691,692,693,694,695,696,697,698,699,700,701,702,703,704,705,706,707,708,709]; flora of the Kimberley region [616,678,694,710,711,712]; fungal systematics [607,608,611,612]; ecology [353,713,714]; conservation [96,97,367,389,715]; field guides [1,10,102]; phylogenetics [600,614,674,716,717]; biogeography [596,689]; seed ecology [420,698]; and photography (e.g., in Laurie [718]). Barrett has co-authored and co-edited several books and special journal issues, including Microorganisms in Plant Conservation and Biodiversity [96]; Orchid Conservation [97]; Generic Concepts and Modern Taxonomy [98]; Perth Plants. A Field Guide to the Bushland and Coastal Flora of Kings Park and Bold Park, Perth, Western Australia [1,10]; Pilbara Seed Atlas and Plant Guide [698] and Banksia Woodlands: a Restoration Guide for the Swan Coastal Plain [103]. Barrett is honoured by Acacia barrettiorum Lewington & Maslin [617], Bossiaea barrettiorum J.H.Ross [618], Boronia barrettiorum Duretto [619], Drosera barrettiorum Lowrie [620] and Stylidium barrettiorum Lowrie & Kenneally [621].

• Tissa Senaratna (Research Scientist, Biotechnology, 1999–2003)

Tissa Senaratna, a Sri Lankan national, came to Kings Park as a research scientist working on biotechnology to enhance plant propagation, seed storage and stress tolerance. Senaratna supervised a number of postgraduate students and published numerous research papers on cryopreservation [54,55,298], micropropagation [314,424], orchid tuber growth [330], seed aging and storage [430,431], somatic embryogenesis [455,719,720,721,722], stress tolerance [325,326,327,387,723] and synthetic seeds [424].

• Grant Wells (Research Scientist, Restoration Ecology, 1999–2004)

Grant Wells came to Kings Park as a postgraduate student, undertaking a PhD on the restoration of spinifex (Triodia spp.) at the Argyle Diamond Mine [724]. Wells published two research papers on Triodia restoration [361,425] and co-authored the description of a new species of Triodia he discovered during his PhD studies [464]. Wells went on to work on the establishment of benchmarks for the restoration of Banksia woodlands.

• Deanna P. Rokich (Senior Restoration Ecologist, 2000–present)

Deanna Rokich joined Kings Park as a postgraduate student, undertaking a PhD in restoration ecology [725]. Rokich published papers on the restoration of Jarrah and Banksia woodland ecosystems [103,338,352,409,410,411,412,440,443,444,622,726,727] and develops management and restoration plans for Kings Park and Bold Park. Rokich co-authored a book chapter summarising the principles of seed biology and ecology with Dave Merritt [727].

• Eng Pin Tay (Herbarium Botanist, 2001–2023)

Eng Pin Tay managed the herbarium at the Botanic Gardens and Parks Authority (KPBG). Before this, Pin Tay worked for 18 years with tropical plants in Singapore as Curator of the then-Parks & Recreation Department and as Senior Research Officer at the Singapore Botanic Gardens and at nature reserves under the National Parks Board. A keen photographer, traveller and experienced botanist, his work has taken him to many natural areas in Southeast Asia and botanic gardens around the world. Pin Tay co-authored the book Perth Plants [1,10].

• Andrew L. Batty (Research Scientist, Orchid Conservation, 2001–2007)

Andrew Batty joined Kings Park as a postgraduate student, undertaking a PhD in orchid biology [728]. Batty’s research focussed on orchid biology for conservation and restoration, particularly the role of mycorrhizal fungi. Batty published several collaborative research papers [47,48,49,57,376,377,379,380,467,729,730].

• Mark C. Brundrett (Research Scientist, Orchid Ecology, 2001–2005)

Mark Brundrett joined Kings Park as a specialist in mycorrhizal relationships to work with the orchid research group in developing research programs on orchid conservation and restoration. Brundrett supervised several students and published a number of reviews, book chapters and research papers [47,48,49,57,376,377,379,380,731,732,733,734,735] and a popular techniques manual in orchid conservation [730].

• Grace Zawko (now Wells; Research Scientist, Conservation Genetics, 2002–2004)

Grace Zawko came to Kings Park as a postgraduate student, undertaking her PhD on the conservation genetics of the rare species Leucopogon obtectus Benth. [736]. Wells collaborated with staff and students, publishing several research papers on conservation genetics [361,639,642,648].

• Steve Easton (2002–Present, Environmental Team Leader; Bushland Manager; Manager Biodiversity Conservation)

Steve Easton has led the investigation and implementation of weed management approaches in the bushland of Kings Park and Bold Park. Easton has undertaken a range of restoration and risk-management activities on Mt. Eliza Escarpment and overseen the expansion of bushland restoration. Easton supervised the upgrade of Law Walk (with Pete Moonie) and the Bushland Nature Trails to create significant regional walks that promote greater visitation into the bushland of Kings Park [4]. Easton has implemented flora surveys in Kings Park from 2008 and in Bold Park from 2014. Easton has coordinated post-fire management and research programs in Kings Park, as well as research survey projects within the Kings Park bushland with various researchers, including Neale Bougher (fungi surveys), Rob Davis (reptiles) and Vi Saffer (bats). His enthusiasm for native plants and fungi inspired the back cover of Perth Plants, and the application of the common name of ‘Peaches and Cream’ to a new species of Coprinopsis P.Karst. that he found in Bold Park.

• Janet M. Anthony (Research Scientist, Genetics, 2003–2016)

Janet Anthony joined Kings Park as a postgraduate student, undertaking a PhD in somatic embryogenesis in the Epacridaceae [737]. Anthony has undertaken research on in vitro propagation and cryo-storage of rare species as well as ex situ and in situ conservation restoration and translocation programs for rare flora and environmental weed control. Anthony managed the genetics laboratory in parallel to undertaking research. Anthony has published a number of genetics and conservation-focused research papers [371,424,613,615,640,719,720,738,739].

• David J. Merritt (Research Scientist, Seed biology, 2003–present)

Dave Merritt joined Kings Park as an undergraduate student, undertaking a PhD in seed biology [740]. Merritt has collaborated on numerous projects with researchers and students, publishing a range of papers on aquatic plants [451,492,712,741,742]; seed banking [743]; seed germination [42,44,195,337,430,431,439,440,441,443,444,446,448,451,452,453,458,490,497,727,741,744,745,746]; orchids [382,746,747] and seed storage [56,426,429,430].

• Katinka X. Ruthrof (Research Scientist, Weed Science, 2003–2005, 2015–present)

Katinka Ruthrof undertook her PhD on weedy Eucalypts in Kings Park [748] and later joined the research program developing management strategies for Bold Park. Ruthrof has published several papers on weed ecology, ecophysiology and restoration [352,469,586,587,749,750,751,752,753].

• Elizabeth A. Sinclair (Research Scientist, Conservation Genetics, 2004–present)

Elizabeth Sinclair joined Kings Park to research the delineation of local provenance seed collection zones for the effective restoration of urban bushland remnants within the Perth Metropolitan area with a focus on Bold Park. Her research on a wide range of target species facing local declines includes Agonis (DC.) Sweet [649]; Conospermum Sm. [754]; Daviesia Sm. [755]; Caladenia R.Br. [369,371,756]; Restionaceae [644,674] and Banksia [68]. Sinclair has since focused her research on the clonal seagrass Posidonia K.D.Koenig. This Australian Research Council-funded research utilised genetic markers to improve our understanding of genetic diversity and population structure at different spatial scales—from within meadows to across the species range [632,717,757,758]. The role of sexual reproduction, pollen and seed dispersal, and recruitment on meadow restoration is being explored through both ecological and genetic connectivity [632,759]. Significant outputs from this research include the development of genetic guidelines for the effective restoration of local seagrass meadows and the development of seed dispersal models to predict the likelihood of natural recruitment from dispersing seeds. This will help restoration ecologists direct efforts toward meadows that are unlikely to naturally recover from loss or decline.

• Dugald C. Close (Research Scientist, Ecophysiology, 2004–2006)

Dugald Close joined Kings Park to study the implications of ecophysiological characteristics of native plants for restoration success and conservation biology and published four papers [338,352,469,760].

• Digby Growns (Director Horticulture and Conservation, Senior Plant Breeder, 2005–present)

Digby Growns initially joined Kings Park as the Director of Horticulture and Conservation, and he oversaw milestone projects such as the Fraser Avenue Ceremonial Walk, the redevelopment of Saw Avenue and the relocation of the Gija boab from the Kimberley to the Two Rivers lookout [579]. Growns then took on the role of Senior Plant Breeder in 2009. With a strong background in plant breeding and development [761,762], Growns has worked extensively on the commercial development and hybridisation of Alyogyne, Boronia, the Chamelaucium alliance (including Darwinia, Verticordia DC., Actinodium Schauer and Pileanthus Labill.), the Goodeniaceae (particularly Scaevola and Lechenaultia R.Br.), Corymbia K.D.Hill & L.A.S.Johnson, Grevillea Knight, and the Haemodoraceae (Anigozanthos Labill., Macropidia Harv. and Conostylis R.Br.) [4,629].

• Jason Stevens (Research Scientist, Restoration Ecophysiology, 2006–present)

Jason Stevens joined Kings Park as a postgraduate student, undertaking a PhD in ecophysiology [763]. Stevens now directs the restoration ecophysiology program that includes seminal work on tree health in Kings Park parklands and bushlands. Stevens has supervised postgraduate students and published research papers on plant stress, restoration ecology and seed germination [43,44,304,331,433,438,458,723,764,765,766,767].

• Nigel Swarts (Research Scientist, Orchid Conservation, 2007–2009)

Nigel Swarts came to Kings Park as a postgraduate student, undertaking a PhD on the endangered grand spider orchid, Caladenia huegelii Rchb.f. [768]. His research focused on population genetics [369,756]; conservation [745], nutrition [371,747,769] and propagation [381]. Swarts is honoured by Caladenia swartsiorum A.P.Br. & G.Brockman [569].

• Ben P. Miller (Research Scientist, Ecology, Fire Ecology, 2007–2015; Director, Science, 2015–2017; Senior Research Scientist, 2017–present)

Ben Miller came to Kings Park to undertake research on the ecology of two threatened plants, Darwinia masonii C.A.Gardner and Lepidosperma gibsonii R.L.Barrett, which are endemic to banded iron formations on Mount Gibson in the midwest of Western Australia [770,771]. Miller has also worked on Kings Park restoration and conservation projects in Libya and Saudi Arabia [772]. Miller commenced specific research on risks to biodiversity from fire in remnant native vegetation in the Perth area to improve urban bushland management practices [773] and has published numerous research papers and book chapters [355,633,634,636,637,645,767,774,775,776,777,778,779,780,781,782,783,784,785,786,787,788,789,790,791,792]. Miller is honoured by Centrolepis milleri M.D.Barrett & Sokolof [605].

• Paul G. Nevill (Research Scientist, Genetics, 2009–2014)

Paul Nevill came to Kings Park as a researcher with interests in plant evolution and the implications this has for management. Nevill is particularly interested in the response of species to past and present climatic change and the management of plant genetic resources in changing environments. Nevill has published a number of research papers [67,640,645,650,651,793,794].

• Todd E. Erickson (Research Scientist, Restoration Ecology, 2008–present)

Todd Erickson joined Kings Park as a researcher and postgraduate student, undertaking a PhD in seed biology and the restoration of arid environments [795]. Erickson has led the “Pilbara Seed Atlas” project, which is a collaborative research program between the Botanic Gardens and Parks Authority and BHP Billiton Iron Ore. This program aims to research effective approaches for the germination and establishment of native plant species on restoration sites in the Pilbara. Erickson has published several research papers [470,795,796,797,798], and a major plant identification and seed-use book [102,698].

• Belinda J. Newman (now Davis) (Research Scientist, Orchid Ecology, 2010–present)

Belinda Davis joined Kings Park as a postgraduate student, undertaking a PhD on terrestrial orchids as indicators of ecosystem health [799]. Davis works on conservation and restoration, the role of mycorrhizas in the mineral nutrition of terrestrial orchids, pollination biology, landscape ecology and indicator species for ecosystem health assessment. Davis has published several research papers [331,467,471].

• Ryan D. Phillips (Research Scientist, Orchid Ecology, 2010–2015)

Ryan Phillips joined Kings Park as a postgraduate student, undertaking a PhD in specialised pollinator and mycorrhizal symbioses in rare Drakaea Lindl. (hammer orchids) [800]. With a background in both zoology and botany, Phillips has conducted research on the ecophysiology of thynnine and ichnuemonid wasps, the pollination and mycorrhizal biology of Caladenia R.Br. and the role of pollination strategies in the decline of orchid species in urban bushland. Phillips has particular interest in the speciation of sexually-deceptive orchids and pollination biology as well as the potential long-term impacts of climate change for endangered Australian orchids. Phillips has published numerous research papers on these and other topics [370,383,384,385,390,391,392,393,547,635,739,801,802,803,804,805,806,807,808,809,810,811,812,813,814,815].

• Research associations

Research associations between staff and students at Kings Park and members of the public, community groups, industry and scientific research organisations have been vital to their collaborative achievements. Particularly important collaborative partners include Tom Alford, Tony Scalzo and many other very active members of the Friends of Kings Park, Charles Gardner, Kevin Thiele and Kelly Shepherd (Western Australian Herbarium), Alison Baird, Brian Grieve, Hans Lambers, W. (Bill) A. Loneragan, John Pate and K. (Siva) Sivasithamparam (University of Western Australia), Jen McComb (Murdoch University), Elizabeth George (Verticordia Study Group, Australian Society for Growing Australian Plants), Rica Erickson, Philippa Nikulinsky, Patricia Dundas, Margaret Pieroni, Katrina Syme, Penny Leach, Ellen Hickman and Bryony Fremlin (the Botanical Artists Group; Gooding 2008), Marion Blackwell (Blackwell & Associates), David Attenborough (naturalist, television presenter), Neale Bougher and Katy Syme (Perth Urban Bushland Fungi Project), and Mack Searle (photographer). Close associations have been maintained with the Department of Agriculture and Food, the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (including the Western Australian Herbarium), the Environmental Protection Agency, the University of Western Australia, Curtin University, Murdoch University and Edith Cowan University. A very large number of industry groups have supported research in Kings Park over the 50 years covered by this review, and these have been of immense value in improving our understanding of the flora of Western Australia.

5. Conclusions

While no review can be comprehensive, this paper draws together information on key individuals and their outputs which have made Kings Park and Botanic Garden an internationally recognised research institution. It highlights the complexities of a multi-disciplinary research laboratory but also demonstrates the great strengths that can come from broad-ranging research and extensive collaborative networks.