Vale Hans Streefkerk 
H ans Streefkerk first joined the Geelong 
Field Naturalists Club in 1963. His love of 
animals and birds attracted him to the newly 
formed Club. He developed many friendships 
with members during his decades of 
participation in activities where his quiet 
humour, generous spirit and perceptive 
observations were much appreciated. Hans 
was a committee member for some years and 
he and Pat often led excursions with the Bird 
Group. 
Hans was born in Indonesia in 1932 where his 
father worked for the Shell company. His 
father was killed at the beginning of WW II and 
young Hans helped his family survive during 
the Japanese occupation of Indonesia. He 
enjoyed visiting the zoo and was able to sneak 
in there at night to obtain birds for the family 
dinner. Vegetables were obtained by breaking 
the light illuminating the Japanese vegetable 
garden and sneaking back later to snatch a 
feed. 
Hans and friends on a Mid-week Bird Group 
excursion. 
However, Hans was just as excited by the 
more common Red-rumped Parrots nesting in 
the spouts as by sighting rarer birds. 
Sometimes, a major drama was witnessed. 
Almost exactly four years ago, Hans saw a 
Wedge-tailed Eagle flying in to land near the 
creek at the farm. It had a rabbit in its talons 
and as it alighted, a fox darted out, snatched 
the rabbit and ran away. These observations have all been recorded 
in the publications of the Field Nats and will endure into the future. 
Photo: Lorraine Phelan 
nature, able to note events without disturbing 
the birds or other wildlife he was watching. He 
knew everything that was going on on his 
beloved farm. Hans shared his observations 
with the Bird Group, so we knew when the first 
Flame Robins returned in the autumn or when 
the nests of the resident fairy-wrens had been 
infiltrated by a sneaky bronze-cuckoo. 
Sometimes an unusual species appeared such 
as the Black-tailed Native-hens that arrived 
during the drought. Hans recorded his first 
Crested Pigeon in 2005 and this species has 
since become common in the region. 
After the war, the family returned to Holland and Hans eventually 
emigrated to Australia with little money and few contacts. However, 
he was able to turn his hand to many jobs around Victoria before 
settling on the Bellarine and working for Alcoa. Pat and Hans moved 
to a small farm in Freshwater Creek where they raised their beloved 
donkeys, hinnies and mules. Hans was a marvellous observer of 
We have been fortunate to share Han’s insightful observations, his 
humour and his camaraderie. He will be remembered and sadly 
missed by his friends at the Geelong Field Naturalists Club. 
Barry Lingham 
Vale Dorothy Mahler 
M any Club members will have fond memories of Dorothy Mahler who passed away on 12 December last year. Dorothy and her partner 
Noel Schleiger were active members of the Field Naturalists Club of Victoria, but also came to many GFNC activities, often bringing 
Dorothy’s father Andy, an amazingly sprightly nonagenarian when he last came on one of our excursions. They were also regulars at 
SEANA, ANN and high country summer campouts. Dorothy and Noel had a house at Point Lonsdale, sharing their knowledge of the area 
with us on excursions. They both also had an extensive knowledge of shells and fossil shells; Dorothy spoke on shells at a GFNC meeting 
and she and Noel ran a ‘shelling’ excursion for us at Edwards Point. 
‘Dorothy and Noel usually went to the SEANA and ANN camps, they also came on the High Country Summer campouts and often brought 
Andy along too. I remember that Dorothy gave a talk quite a long time ago about shells and Noel about geology to a monthly meeting, I 
can’t be more specific than that. Noel gave a talk at the Baw Baw summer campout about the relevant geology.’ Joan 
‘Dorothy came along to quite a few functions and excursions, and Noel was the person 
we asked to run several excursions and talks in the past. I remember the geology 
based bus excursion run by Noel looking at features between Ballarat and Melbourne 
(based around a book he wrote), plus talks on local geology. I believe Noel carried out a 
long term survey of the height of the sands along the Pt Lonsdale foreshore and also 
the sea levels around there. Noel and Dorothy had extensive knowledge of shells and 
fossil shells.’ Barry 
‘Dorothy, other than she was a very pleasant person and great supporter of Noel. They 
had a wonderful trip with ANN in 2008 up to Kakadu—that was the time Andy got away 
from the main group somehow and everyone thought he was lost! But—no! Andy used 
his bush skills at 93 years of age and followed his tracks back to the road, having a 
small sip from his water bottle every so often (to make it last) when a very occasional 
vehicle happened to go by, stopping in amazement to see little Andy out in the middle 
of nowhere all by himself! They drove him back to camp, not knowing that helicopters 
had been called out and a search party was in action! I remember the helicopter and NT 
police landing back at Mary River camp and I think Dorothy and Noel were on board. 
Andy there to greet them! A happy ending! Not that that is particularly about Dorothy 
except that her nonegenarian (?) father kept her on her toes’. Diana 
Deborah Evans 
Dorothy Mahler, birding up on the top of Injalak Hill, 
at Gunbalanya (Oenpelli) in Arnhem Land in 2008. 
Very characteristic of Dorothy—she had her back to 
some world-famous rock art which we'd gone there 
to see, and laid out below was a great view over the 
Kakadu flood plain, but all she was interested in was 
the birds. 
Photo: Rosalind Smallwood 
Geelong Naturalist February 2012 3 
