Don Glasgow, a founding member of our branch, has been a tireless supporter of SGAP Townsville (now NPQ Townsville) since 1970. He has a large garden on the banks of Ross River which he tends with meticulous care, and which hosts a huge variety of natives collected over a life time.
Don Glasgow
His name, combined with a noble profile, have led to him being known affectionately as ‘The Don’; a sobriquet which he wears with as much ease as his ability to arrive last, but not least, for all our meetings!
Salut!
Dr Betsy Jackes
Wearing the war-bonnet means serious business, and none is more serious than Betsy who is a founding member of SGAP Townsville (now known as NPQ Townsville). Betsy has published numerous guides to help the uninitiated, and continues to quide, advise and enthuse everyone around her.
SGAP Townsville gratefully acknowledges all the assistance Betsy has given SGAP and the field of botany in the Townsville area.
In these days of countless glossy field guides and Google searches, people need to remember how difficult it was to identify plants in the 70s, 80’s and early 90’s.
Betsy’s guides helped take botany in Townsville out of the dark ages.
Keith Townsend
London taxi drivers must famously learn the names of streets by obtaining ‘the knowledge’, and the standard routes are learnt from a book.
2015 marks the 35th anniversary of Keith’s involvement with SGAP Townsville; all of which has been dedicated to learning, assimilating and spreading ‘the knowledge’ about plants in the dry Tropics.
So much so that he wrote the book!
For this achievement, amongst many others, Keith has been awarded a Life Membership to Qld Region, and it is our great pleasure to add him to our Hall of Fame!
John Donahue
In a far off place called Townsville, long ago, John Donahue can remember buying a ‘red bottlebrush’ which was ‘probably a native plant’. Such was the local knowledge in the 1960’s!
As a consequence of this revelation John joined the SGAP Brisbane branch in 1969, which was the touchstone to him co-founding our own branch a year later.
Apart from his tireless efforts to promote native plants in the Townsville region, he is perhaps best remembered for his enthusiasm and leadership in exploring the plants of the Burra Range, a unique wilderness only 250 kms SW of Townsville which, thanks to John Donahue will always be associated with SGAP Townsville.
For the full story please read SGAP Townsville – the early years