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Vale Professor Bob Pressey FAA FRS
(16/09/1953 – 5/07/2023)
Professor Pressey’s career spanned a variety of roles, including independent consultant, research scientist with the New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service, and Professor with the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies. He is widely credited with establishing the important and emerging field of systematic conservation planning and was recognised internationally as its leading proponent and innovator. His journal papers include some of the classic and most widely cited papers in his field. Professor Pressey led a global shift towards translating the concepts and techniques of systematic conservation planning into actual conservation decisions on the ground.
He held a unique cross-realm perspective through his work in a diversity of Australian environments, including freshwater, forests, arid zone, and tropical marine environments. He devoted a substantial portion of his time to committees and engaging with practitioners and policymakers so that emerging scientific concepts and technical capabilities could be applied at a range of scales and in diverse environments both nationally and internationally. He also mentored large numbers of postgraduate students and postdoctoral researchers in diverse aspects of conservation planning across Australia and the world.
In recognition of the importance of his work, he was awarded the Australian Ecology Research Award in 2008. Further recognition included a period as governor of the World Wildlife Fund Australia, his election to the Australian Academy of Science in 2010 and to the Royal Society in 2022.
We send our sincere condolences to Professor Pressey’s family, friends and colleagues.
Ah Bob, what a lovely person.
When I first commenced at NSW NPWS, Bob’s desk was near mine. He was very welcoming, entertaining and so knowledgeable. Apart from science and conservation discussions, we would chat about culture and movies and music. Bob told me about this amazing movie called ‘The Piano’; he spoke so passionately about it; I went to the movies on the way home! How right he was.
Last week, we got to hear from another ESA and Australian ecology icon, Prof David Keith (aka Rasputo). He mentioned the Pressey Principle; what a great principle and lesson to learn. I feel very lucky to have worked alongside Bob, even though for a short time.
My thoughts and heartfelt condolences to Bob’s family, friends and colleagues.
Bob enjoyed a life, well lived.
Vale, Bob. You were an exceptional and rigorous scientist, deep thinker, staunch advocate for evidence-based decision making and environmental policy, a generous mentor, and dear friend. You leave behind a wonderful legacy, for which the ecological, conservation, and broader society are forever grateful.