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Telopea Vol. 6(4): 1996 
assisted after Evans' final retirement and, with LJ's encouragement, she later took 
over and greatly developed. Also started with Evans was a study of Restionaceae of 
New South Wales, which later led to the much wider project with myself. 
Through discusssion and comment LJ sought to raise the standard of Australia's 
systematic work, especially encouraging many others to consider their taxonomic 
decisions in the light of a broad spectrum of evolutionary thinking. In Sydney, by 
promoting an environment of lively discussion and concern for scientific standards, 
he helped to gather and foster a staff of active, wide-ranging systematists. He was 
important too in encouraging ecological colleagues and sound ecological approaches, 
as discussed by Benson (this issue). 
From the 1950s to the early '70s when National Parks and Wildlife Service organisations 
were lacking or embryonic in Australia, there were only a few ecologists with broad 
knowledge of the flora and vegetation. Systematists had been major champions of 
nature conser\'ation and served in some roles that would now mostly fall to ecologists. 
Joyce Vickery had set an example in this and LJ further developed this influential role, 
especially as an expert member of Government committees (see Benson, this issue). 
LJ had been a member of the Hora of Australia Committee of ANZAAS (the Australian 
and New Zealand Association for the Advancement of Science) and part of a delegation 
in 1960 to put the case to the Prime Minister's Department seeking support for a 
national Flora project. He was appointed to the committee that eventually led to success 
in that aim, the Interim Council of the Australian Biological Resources Study. During 
1973-5 that committee set guidelines, helped to make clear to the Federal Government 
the great need for the Flora of Australia, and visited institutions in major centres to 
discuss biologists' needs and to promote the new projects envisioned. The Flora program 
received Australian Government funding from 1979 and has been acknowledged 
internationally as highly effective, its success partly based on the associated grants 
program and the establishment of the core of editorial staff overseeing the work. 
Director, Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney 
LJ's period as Director, 1972-1985, proved a time of major progress and, especially 
while Neville Wran was Premier of New South Wales (1976—86), major projects were 
funded and changes implemented. 
LJ had seen Directors of the Gardens submerged in administrative and horticultural 
detail, and it was only when he acted briefly in the position before the appointment 
of Dr John Beard that he realised how the Directorship could be handled differently. 
He saw that change was possible with a clear concept of the role of the organisation 
and vision for its future (Johnson 1985), even though the Royal Botanic Gardens was 
still a peripheral part of the New South Wales Department of Agriculture for 
administrative purposes. 
The NSW Government, by Act of Parliament, in 1980 set up the Royal Botanic 
Gardens and Domain Trust. LJ had very cordial relations with, and received strong 
support from, the Trust and especially the Trust Chairmen of his time. Sir Alexander 
Beattie, Professor Michael Pitman and Mr John Ferris. Administratively the Gardens 
moved from the New South Wales Department of Agriculture to be associated with 
die Premier's Department in 1980. It found a compatible home among the cultural 
institutions there until, after the retirement of both Premier Neville Wran and LJ, it 
was moved to the Environment portfolio. 
A major aim in LJ's early years as Director was to obtain funding for a new building to 
house the Herbarium collections and scientific programs. Trust Chairman Sir Alexander 
