General News
18 July, 2022
Community News: A look at the life of Alec Chisholm
Article by the Maryborough Field Naturalists Club Who would have thought that the man credited with the birth of the world-wide conservation movement would have been born in Maryborough and was once the editor of the then Maryborough and Dunolly...
Article by theMaryborough Field Naturalists Club
Who would have thought that the man credited with the birth of the world-wide conservation movement would have been born in Maryborough and was once the editor of the then Maryborough and Dunolly Advertiser?
According to the Maryborough Field Naturalists’ Club, that man was Alexander Hugh Chisholm (1890-1977) who completed his schooling in Maryborough, working as a journalist at The Advertiser before becoming editor.
He then worked on Brisbane’s The Daily Mail, The Daily Telegraph in Sydney and The Herald in Melbourne.
But it was back home in Maryborough when he was editor at The Advertiser when he became a world-wide legend.
Back in those days, terrible things used to happen.
Koalas were shot by the hundreds of thousands for their pelts, the then Tullaroop Shire Council actually organised Brolga shoots on the Moolort Plains, and Egrets, which grew beautiful plumes in their tail while breeding, were shot in great numbers so their plumes could adorn women’s hats.
According to the Australian Dictionary of Biography — a conservationist long before it became fashionable to be one, he attacked the plume trade in an article in The Maryborough and Dunolly Advertiser which won him many friends.
He became honorary advisor and lecturer (1918-22) on natural history to the Queensland Government.
In 1921 he promoted legislation protecting native fauna and made court appearances to prosecute offenders.
Through journalism, he championed the causes of birds.
His sustained efforts led to the rediscovery in 1922 of the Paradise Parrot (Psephotus pulcherrimus), now possibly extinct.
When dignitaries went bird-watching, he was called upon to act as guide.
It was Alec Chisholm’s work on publicising that shooting Egrets for their tail plumes led to young being left to starve and die in their nest, which pricked consciousness world-wide and which led to Chisholm being described as “father of the world-wide conservation movement”.
Alec Chisholm is the Maryborough Field Naturalists Club’s most revered former member.
However, Lyle Courtney, who died last year, received an Order of Australia Medal for having collected more than 50,000 Redbacked Spiders so their venom could be used for making anti-venom, while current member Garry Cheers, consults to government agencies.