Briggs, LA.S. Johnson — a botanical career 
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Beattie and L] eventually convinced Premier Wran of the urgency of the need. When 
funds were obtained LJ took a substantial part in the planning process, with colleagues 
and excellent architects Andrew Andersons and Brian Zulaikha, and defended the project 
against objections at that time from the Council of the City of Sydney. 
Completion of the Robert Brown Building in 1982 provided laboratories and 
reasonable working conditions for the first time in decades. This also paved the way 
for the Visitor Centre (later Gardens' Shop), the holding of exhibitions and even the 
formation of the Friends of the Royal Botanic Gardens. A Friends Society had been 
almost impossible without some meeting space — which was made available by 
moving the collections out of the old building. LJ and his botanical colleagues took 
a very active part in organising the XIll International Botanical Congress in Sydney 
in 1981. Many overseas visitors saw the crowded conditions soon to be vacated, 
since the new building was not completed for occupation until early the following 
year. At the opening of the building a sister-garden relationship with the Missouri 
Botanical Garden was announced, arranged through Dr Peter Raven, the eminent 
Director of that Garden. 
It is interesting that, although LJ's enthusiasm was greatest for the scientific work of 
the organisation, and he always spoke vigorously of its scientific importance, much 
of the development during his Directorship was in projects of a more horticultural 
nature. Indeed these would, as he predicted, shift the balance of the organisation 
towards its living collections rather than its botanical programs. LJ always hoped 
that these developments would, nevertheless, contribute to community appreciation 
and understanding of the iiatural world through education and awareness programs. 
Education programs within the Gardens had been initiated by Director John Beard 
and were now expanded under LJ's direction, including visits by Education Officers 
to remote schools in western New South Wales, while knowledgeable volunteer 
guides enhanced the experience of many visitors to the Gardens. Social change was 
also by now in evidence with women joining the horticultural staff. 
The Mount Tomah Botanic Garden was developed on land that had been offered to 
the Royal Botanic Gardens in the 1960s. Work and planning proceeded slowly until 
the Gardens were successful in obtaining development funds from the Australian 
and New South Wales governments. A Gondwanan theme, an initiative of LJ, became 
a major element in the plantings. 
Mount Annan Botanic Garden fulfilled an earlier hope, going back to the 1920s 
when Joseph Maiden sought to establish an arboretum in the south-west of Sydney, 
a hope that was now exceeded. With the Premier's support, at LJ's instigation, a 
suitable site was located and the project was planned and funded. He especially 
welcomed the greatly enlarged opportunity it presented to grow plants of known 
provenance and relevance to research, as well as to reach a wider community. 
Both the Mount Tomah and Mount Annan Gardens became Bicentennial projects, 
commemorating the Bicentennial of European settlement on this continent. 
Development, under LJ's direction, was ably implemented by Don Blaxell (Assistant 
Director, Living Collections) with planning help from the NSW Government 
Architect's Branch. Both were opened to the public after LJ's retirement, under his 
successor Professor Garrick Chambers. 
By now the journals Telopea in systematics and Ciinninghamia in ecology had replaced 
the former Contributions from the New South Wales National Herbarium. Publication 
committees and refereeing systems were established and the scientific output greatly 
increased. LJ was less enthusiastic about the development of computerised databases, 
although he realised that these were now needed, and though these were initiated 
during his directorship, linking the organisation's living collections and herbarium. 
