Jamie was a very special person, much loved, valued and deeply respected, who achieved so much with his intellect, good grace and humour, which was often self-deprecating and emblazoned with his loud, boisterous and unrestrained laughter. Jamie has been a great inspiration and guiding light for so many of us in ecology and conservation over more than five decades.  His contributions and societal impacts are immense and enduring. Jamie was a unique blend of great practical science, a believer and fine exponent in getting things done, a relentless upholder of principles above all else, and someone who treated all with respect.

There are few people who are as passionate and committed to their scholarship and to teaching others as Jamie. He was a pioneer in ecology and geography, dedicating his life’s work to understanding and protecting our environment and was a major player in adding to Tasmania’s reserved estate, including securing the 1990 Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area boundaries and later extensions. His iterative reserve design methodology and his longheld belief that 30% was a minimum target for protection will be an important global legacy.

Jamie’s career at the University of Tasmania began in January 1972 as a lecturer in Geography. He was appointed Professor in Geography and Environmental Studies in 1988 and was Head of various academic units for almost two decades throughout his career.  He developed the environment and wilderness theme and a degree in natural environment and wilderness studies. He also served as a member of many influential government and non-government committees relating to nature conservation.

Jamie was President of the Ecological Society of Australia 1996-1997, won the 2009 ESA Gold Medal, and was an active ESA member. In 2003, Jamie was made a Member of the Order of Australia for his research and implementation work on world heritage and forest conservation. In 2006, he was awarded the Doctor of Science by the University, marking his distinguished original contribution to scientific knowledge and authoritative standing in the field. He was appointed a Distinguished Professor in 2009.

At Jamie’s recent 78^th birthday and book launch, Christine Milne described him as a towering figure in Tasmania, an anchor in academia and a fellow activist on the front line of nature conservation in Tasmania for the past half century, noting that “academic advocacy is rare and precious”.  His friend and colleague Kerry Bridle said, ‘James Barrie Kirkpatrick was a legend’.  The breadth of Jamie’s achievements and legacy is shown by the diversity of tributes from colleagues (past students, collaborators, environmentalists, activists and senior managers) that have flowed since his death.

Jamie loved to teach and was unfailingly generous with his time and intellect to his students. Thousands of students devoured his words and grew through his lessons. He supervised and co-supervised hundreds of honours and post-graduate students during his academic life.

Jamie also loved to write and changed the world in a positive way with his words. Through his books, peer-reviewed research papers, grant applications and reports, he influenced and progressed ecology and conservation across Australia and overseas. These works covered an immense breadth of subject matter and leave a rich legacy that is authoritative, engaging and utterly indelible.

Jamie loved Australian flora, and threatened species were a passion. He cared for the smallest plant through to the tallest tree, newly discovered species to ancient relics of Gondwanaland.   His research loves included the taxonomy and biogeography of eucalypts, gardens, coasts, grasslands, woodlands, peatlands and moorlands, forests, and the Australian Alps.

Jamie’s legacy to ecology lives on through the plethora of students he taught, the colleagues he stimulated, collaborated with and supported, the papers and books he wrote and the knowledge he shared and so generously imparted, as well as the wild places he cared for. He was a wonderful fieldwork companion to collaborators and students in all conditions, never without his signature field umbrella.

We mourn the loss of a dearly loved colleague and friend.

Writings and Books by Jamie Kirkpatrick:

https://tasmaniangeographic.com/presents/kirkpatrick/e-books-by-jamie-kirkpatrick/

https://tasmaniangeographic.com/presents/kirkpatrick/

https://scholar.google.com.au/citations?user=Fu6TmL4AAAAJ&hl=en  (13439 citations)

https://www.researchgate.net/scientific-contributions/Jamie-B-Kirkpatrick-2013280013  (195 research works with 4835 citations)

https://sciprofiles.com/profile/2043628 (258 publications)