Jerry Coleby-Williams
Encyclopedia
Jerry Coleby-Williams is an Australia
n conservationist
, horticulturalist and plant curator
. He has been a presenter on ABC TV’s Gardening Australia
since 1999. He is the director of the Seedsavers Network and an Executive Member of the Queensland Conservation Council
.
Coleby-Williams was born in London
. He first trained with the Royal Horticultural Society
before going on to study a Diploma in Horticulture
at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
. He then worked in a variety of horticultural positions around London in the private
and public sector
. In 1992 he emigrated to Australia, following his ongoing passion for West Australian wildflower
s. This led to his work at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney
as Senior Horticultural Supervisor for Displays and Connections. In this position he researched and designed the Garden's Rare and Threatened Plants Garden, which in 1999 received an award of excellence from the Australian Institute of Horticulture.
In 2003 he moved to Brisbane
, Queensland
in order to establish a sustainable house and garden. This house – “Bellis” - provides a model for ways in which urban Western citizens can reduce their ecological footprint
, and adapt to climate change
and peak oil
.
Coleby-Williams is extensively involved in publishing about gardening in Australia. He is the horticultural editor of Organic Gardener magazine. He was also the consultant for content and one of the writers of the book, Gardening Australia - Flora: the gardener's bible, which is Australia’s largest illustrated plant dictionary.
Jerry Coleby-Williams is best known for his contribution to environmentalism
. His model of sustainable horticulture provides a bridge between conservation and horticulture
. In 2009 he won the Australian Savewater Awards for the Built Environment Category. He is also noted for his discovery of a new plant species, the Harlequin Bell (Darwinia
polychroma), which is an endangered species from Western 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 conservationist
Conservationist
Conservationists are proponents or advocates of conservation. They advocate for the protection of all the species in an ecosystem with a strong focus on the natural environment...
, horticulturalist and plant curator
Curator
A curator is a manager or overseer. Traditionally, a curator or keeper of a cultural heritage institution is a content specialist responsible for an institution's collections and involved with the interpretation of heritage material...
. He has been a presenter on ABC TV’s Gardening Australia
Gardening Australia
Gardening Australia is an Australian television program, originally hosted by Peter Cundall, an experienced gardener with a passion for growing plants using organic methods....
since 1999. He is the director of the Seedsavers Network and an Executive Member of the Queensland Conservation Council
Queensland Conservation Council
The Queensland Conservation Council or Queensland Conservation is a non-governmental organisation that represents all the major regional and community environmental and conservation organisations of Queensland state in Australia. The organisation grew from a small, diverse group of people which...
.
Coleby-Williams was born in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. He first trained with the Royal Horticultural Society
Royal Horticultural Society
The Royal Horticultural Society was founded in 1804 in London, England as the Horticultural Society of London, and gained its present name in a Royal Charter granted in 1861 by Prince Albert...
before going on to study a Diploma in Horticulture
Horticulture
Horticulture is the industry and science of plant cultivation including the process of preparing soil for the planting of seeds, tubers, or cuttings. Horticulturists work and conduct research in the disciplines of plant propagation and cultivation, crop production, plant breeding and genetic...
at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, usually referred to as Kew Gardens, is 121 hectares of gardens and botanical glasshouses between Richmond and Kew in southwest London, England. "The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew" and the brand name "Kew" are also used as umbrella terms for the institution that runs...
. He then worked in a variety of horticultural positions around London in the private
Private sector
In economics, the private sector is that part of the economy, sometimes referred to as the citizen sector, which is run by private individuals or groups, usually as a means of enterprise for profit, and is not controlled by the state...
and public sector
Public sector
The public sector, sometimes referred to as the state sector, is a part of the state that deals with either the production, delivery and allocation of goods and services by and for the government or its citizens, whether national, regional or local/municipal.Examples of public sector activity range...
. In 1992 he emigrated to Australia, following his ongoing passion for West Australian wildflower
Wildflower
A wildflower is a flower that grows wild, meaning it was not intentionally seeded or planted. Yet "wildflower" meadows of a few mixed species are sold in seed packets. The term "wildflower" has been made vague by commercial seedsmen who are interested in selling more flowers or seeds more...
s. This led to his work at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney
Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney
The Royal Botanic Gardens in Sydney, Australia, are the most central of the three major botanical gardens open to the public in Sydney....
as Senior Horticultural Supervisor for Displays and Connections. In this position he researched and designed the Garden's Rare and Threatened Plants Garden, which in 1999 received an award of excellence from the Australian Institute of Horticulture.
In 2003 he moved to Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
, Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
in order to establish a sustainable house and garden. This house – “Bellis” - provides a model for ways in which urban Western citizens can reduce their ecological footprint
Ecological footprint
The ecological footprint is a measure of human demand on the Earth's ecosystems. It is a standardized measure of demand for natural capital that may be contrasted with the planet's ecological capacity to regenerate. It represents the amount of biologically productive land and sea area necessary to...
, and adapt to climate change
Adaptation to global warming
Adaptation to global warming and climate change is a response to climate change that seeks to reduce the vulnerability of natural and human systems to climate change effects. Even if emissions are stabilized relatively soon, climate change and its effects will last many years, and adaptation will...
and peak oil
Peak oil
Peak oil is the point in time when the maximum rate of global petroleum extraction is reached, after which the rate of production enters terminal decline. This concept is based on the observed production rates of individual oil wells, projected reserves and the combined production rate of a field...
.
Coleby-Williams is extensively involved in publishing about gardening in Australia. He is the horticultural editor of Organic Gardener magazine. He was also the consultant for content and one of the writers of the book, Gardening Australia - Flora: the gardener's bible, which is Australia’s largest illustrated plant dictionary.
Jerry Coleby-Williams is best known for his contribution to environmentalism
Environmentalism
Environmentalism is a broad philosophy, ideology and social movement regarding concerns for environmental conservation and improvement of the health of the environment, particularly as the measure for this health seeks to incorporate the concerns of non-human elements...
. His model of sustainable horticulture provides a bridge between conservation and horticulture
Horticulture
Horticulture is the industry and science of plant cultivation including the process of preparing soil for the planting of seeds, tubers, or cuttings. Horticulturists work and conduct research in the disciplines of plant propagation and cultivation, crop production, plant breeding and genetic...
. In 2009 he won the Australian Savewater Awards for the Built Environment Category. He is also noted for his discovery of a new plant species, the Harlequin Bell (Darwinia
Darwinia
Darwinia may refer to:*Darwinia , a genus of Myrtaceae found only in Australia*Darwinia , a 2005 video game by Introversion Software*Darwinia , a 1998 novel by Robert Charles Wilson...
polychroma), which is an endangered species from Western Australia.