Graham Martin Pizzey AM was a noted Australia

Australia

Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

n author

Author

An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...

, photographer and ornithologist. He was born and grew up in Melbourne

Melbourne

Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...

 and was educated at Geelong Grammar School

Geelong Grammar School

Geelong Grammar School is an independent, Anglican, co-educational, boarding and day school. The school's main campus is located at Corio, on the northern outskirts of Geelong, Victoria, Australia, overlooking Corio Bay and Limeburners Bay....

. After leaving school he worked in his family's leather business, while studying part-time and publishing articles and photographs on natural history

Natural history

Natural history is the scientific research of plants or animals, leaning more towards observational rather than experimental methods of study, and encompasses more research published in magazines than in academic journals. Grouped among the natural sciences, natural history is the systematic study...

. In 1960 he resigned from the family business to become a full-time freelance writer and photographer.

Pizzey joined the Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union

Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union

The Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union, also known as Birds Australia, was founded in 1901 to promote the study and conservation of the native bird species of Australia and adjacent regions. This makes it Australia's oldest national birding association. It is also Australia's largest...

 (RAOU) in 1948 and served on its Council 1969-1975 and its Records Appraisal Committee 1976-1979. He may be best known as the author of one of the most popular field guide

Field guide

A field guide is a book designed to help the reader identify wildlife or other objects of natural occurrence . It is generally designed to be brought into the 'field' or local area where such objects exist to help distinguish between similar objects...

s for Australian birds. In 1986 he was awarded the Australian Natural History Medallion

Australian Natural History Medallion

The Australian Natural History Medallion is awarded each year by the Field Naturalists Club of Victoria to the person judged to have made the most meritorious contribution to the understanding of Australian Natural History...

. In 2000 he was awarded an honorary doctorate in applied science from RMIT University

RMIT University

RMIT University is an Australian public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. It has two branches, referred to as RMIT University in Australia and RMIT International University in Vietnam....

 for contributions to natural history

Natural history

Natural history is the scientific research of plants or animals, leaning more towards observational rather than experimental methods of study, and encompasses more research published in magazines than in academic journals. Grouped among the natural sciences, natural history is the systematic study...

. He was a Member of the Order of Australia

Order of Australia

The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...

. In 2005 he was posthumously awarded the John Hobbs Medal

John Hobbs Medal

The John Hobbs Medal may be awarded annually by the Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union for "outstanding contributions to ornithology as an amateur scientist". It commemorates John Hobbs and was first awarded in 1995...

.

Pizzey wrote numerous articles on natural history for newspapers and magazines. Some of his books are:

• Pizzey, Graham. (1958). A Time to Look. William Heinemann Ltd: Melbourne.
• Pizzey, Graham. (1980). A Field Guide to the Birds of Australia
  A Field Guide to the Birds of Australia (Pizzey)
  A Field Guide to the Birds of Australia was first published in 1980 by Collins, Sydney. It was authored by Graham Pizzey with illustrations by Roy B. Doyle. The first edition was issued in octavo format, 220 mm in height by 140 mm width, with a foreword by Dr D.L. Serventy...
  
  . Collins: Sydney.
• Pizzey, Graham. (Compiler). (1983). Stories of Australian Birds. Currey O'Neil Ross: Melbourne.
• Pizzey, Graham. (Ed). (1985). A Separate Creation. Discovery of Wild Australia by Explorers and Naturalists. Currey O'Neil Ross: Melbourne.
• Pizzey, Graham. (1988). A Garden of Birds. Australian birds in Australian gardens. Viking O'Neil (Penguin Books Australia Ltd): Melbourne.
• Pizzey, Graham. (1992). Crosbie Morrison, Voice of Nature. Victoria Press: South Melbourne,.
• Pizzey, Graham. (1997). The Graham Pizzey & Frank Knight Field Guide to the Birds of Australia
  A Field Guide to the Birds of Australia (Pizzey)
  A Field Guide to the Birds of Australia was first published in 1980 by Collins, Sydney. It was authored by Graham Pizzey with illustrations by Roy B. Doyle. The first edition was issued in octavo format, 220 mm in height by 140 mm width, with a foreword by Dr D.L. Serventy...
  
  . Angus & Robertson: Sydney.
• Pizzey, Graham. (2000). Journey of a Lifetime. Selected pieces by Australia's foremost birdwatcher and nature writer. Angus & Robertson: Sydney.
• Pizzey, Graham. (2000). The Australian Bird-Garden. Creating havens for native birds. Angus & Robertson: Sydney.