Brian Peter John Molloy (12 August 1930 – 31 July 2022) was a New Zealand plant ecologist, conservationist, and
rugby union
Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In its m ...
player.
Early life, education and family
Born in
Wellington
Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by me ...
on 12 August 1930,
and orphaned at a young age, Molloy grew up in
Waikanae
Waikanae (, ) is a town on the Kapiti Coast, 60 kilometres north of the Wellington CBD. The name is a Māori word meaning "waters" (''wai'') "of the grey mullet".
The town lies between Paraparaumu, eight kilometres to the southwest, and Ōtak ...
and
Palmerston North
Palmerston North (; mi, Te Papa-i-Oea, known colloquially as Palmy) is a city in the North Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Manawatū-Whanganui region. Located in the eastern Manawatu Plains, the city is near the north bank of the ...
.
He was educated at Marist Brothers' High School in Palmerston North, and then completed a Diploma in Agriculture at
Massey Agricultural College in 1950.
He went on to gain a
Diploma in Teaching from
Christchurch Teachers' College, and studied botany at
Canterbury University College
The University of Canterbury ( mi, Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha; postnominal abbreviation ''Cantuar.'' or ''Cant.'' for ''Cantuariensis'', the Latin name for Canterbury) is a public research university based in Christchurch, New Zealand. It was f ...
, where he graduated
BSc
A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years.
The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University ...
in 1957, and
MSc with first-class honours in 1960.
The title of his master's thesis was ''A study in subalpine plant ecology on Fog Peak Ridge, Porters Pass, Canterbury''. In 1966, Molloy completed a
PhD on the
autecology Autecology is an approach in ecology that seeks to explain the distribution and abundance of species by studying interactions of individual organisms with their environments. An autecological approach differs from both community ecology (synecology) ...
of sweet brier, ''
Rosa rubiginosa
''Rosa rubiginosa'' (sweet briar, sweetbriar rose, sweet brier or eglantine; synonym (taxonomy), syn. ''R. eglanteria'') is a species of rose native to Europe and western Asia.
Description
It is a dense deciduous shrub 2–3 meters high and acr ...
'', under the supervision of
Reinhart Langer
Reinhart Hugo Michael Langer (17 January 1921 – 3 August 2018) was a New Zealand botanist. He was an academic at Lincoln College (now Lincoln University) for over 25 years, and served as its acting principal from 1984 to 1985.
Early life, ...
at
Lincoln College, at that time a constituent college of the
University of Canterbury
The University of Canterbury ( mi, Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha; postnominal abbreviation ''Cantuar.'' or ''Cant.'' for ''Cantuariensis'', the Latin name for Canterbury) is a public research university based in Christchurch, New Zealand. It was ...
.
In 1957, Molloy married Barbara Anita O'Neill, and the couple went on to have four children.
Rugby union career
A
halfback, Molloy made his debut for
Manawatu at a provincial level while still a teenager, and later represented
Canterbury
Canterbury (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, situated in the heart of the City of Canterbury local government district of Kent, England. It lies on the River Stour, Kent, River Stour.
...
when he was a university student in
Christchurch
Christchurch ( ; mi, Ōtautahi) is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Canterbury Region. Christchurch lies on the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula on Pegasus Bay. The Avon River / ...
. He was a member of the New Zealand national side, the
All Blacks
The New Zealand national rugby union team, commonly known as the All Blacks ( mi, Ōpango), represents New Zealand in men's international rugby union, which is considered the country's national sport. The team won the Rugby World Cup in 1987 ...
, on their
1957 tour of Australia, playing in five games and scoring one
try
Try or TRY may refer to:
Music Albums
* ''Try!'', an album by the John Mayer Trio
* ''Try'' (Bebo Norman album) (2014) Songs
* "Try" (Blue Rodeo song) (1987)
* "Try" (Colbie Caillat song) (2014)
* "Try" (Nelly Furtado song) (2004)
* " Try (Ju ...
. However, he did not appear in any of the test matches. From 1975 to 1978, Molloy served as a New Zealand Universities selector.
Scientific career
After his master's studies, Molloy worked for the Department of Agriculture as a research officer, investigating
tussock grasslands Tussock grassland is a form of open grassland that is dominated by tussock grasses (also called bunchgrasses). It is common in some temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands ecoregions of the Southern Hemisphere. Tussock grasslands are usually ...
,
pasture
Pasture (from the Latin ''pastus'', past participle of ''pascere'', "to feed") is land used for grazing. Pasture lands in the narrow sense are enclosed tracts of farmland, grazed by domesticated livestock, such as horses, cattle, sheep, or swine ...
ecology and weeds. In 1969, he moved to the botany division of the
Department of Scientific and Industrial Research Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, abbreviated DSIR was the name of several British Empire organisations founded after the 1923 Imperial Conference to foster intra-Empire trade and development.
* Department of Scientific and Industria ...
(DSIR)—later known as
Landcare Research Landcare may refer to:
* Australian Landcare Council, a now superseded Australian government body
* Landcare in Australia, umbrella approach promoting land protection in Australia
* Landcare Research, New Zealand
*The Landcare movement in Australi ...
—where he remained until his retirement in 1995. At DSIR / Landcare Research, he specialised in
plant taxonomy
Plant taxonomy is the science that finds, identifies, describes, classifies, and names plants. It is one of the main branches of taxonomy (the science that finds, describes, classifies, and names living things).
Plant taxonomy is closely allied ...
, nature conservation, and the history of soil and vegetation.
Subsequently, Molloy worked as a botanical and conservation consultant, and maintained his relationship with Landcare Research as a research associate.
Regarded as the leading authority on New Zealand orchids, Molloy authored or co-authored over 100 scientific papers, and several books.
His canonical text, ''Native Orchids of New Zealand'', written with J.H. Johns, was published in 1983.
Taxonomist
Conservation activities
Between 1989 and 1998, Molloy was a director of the
Queen Elizabeth II National Trust
The Queen Elizabeth II National Trust (QEII) is a registered charity and statutory New Zealand organisation independent from the government and managed by a Board of Directors. It was established in 1977 by the Queen Elizabeth the Second Nation ...
. He then served as the trust's high-country representative until 2012. He was also been active in many other conservation groups, leading to the establishment of new, and extension of existing, protected areas and reserves.
In particular, he is acknowledged as transforming
Riccarton Bush
Riccarton is a suburb of Christchurch. It is due west of the city centre, separated from it by Hagley Park. Upper Riccarton is to the west of Riccarton.
History
On 12 April 1840, the ship ''Sarah and Elizabeth'' landed Herriot, McGillivray, ...
after years of mismanagement.
Later life and death
Molloy was widowed by the death of his wife, Barbara Molloy, in 2017. He died in Christchurch on 31 July 2022.
Honours and awards
Molloy was awarded the
Loder Cup
The Loder Cup is a New Zealand conservation award. It was donated by Gerald Loder, 1st Baron Wakehurst in 1926 to "encourage and honour New Zealanders who work to investigate, promote, retain and cherish our indigenous flora". The Minister of Co ...
in 1990, in recognition of his contributions to conservation and the study of New Zealand native plants.
He received a community service award in 1992 and a civic award in 1995, both from the
Christchurch City Council
The Christchurch City Council is the local government authority for Christchurch in New Zealand. It is a territorial authority elected to represent the people of Christchurch. Since October 2022, the Mayor of Christchurch is Phil Mauger, who ...
.
Also in 1995, Molloy received the
Charles Fleming Award for Environmental Achievement from the
Royal Society of New Zealand
Royal may refer to:
People
* Royal (name), a list of people with either the surname or given name
* A member of a royal family
Places United States
* Royal, Arkansas, an unincorporated community
* Royal, Illinois, a village
* Royal, Iowa, a cit ...
.
In the
1997 Queen's Birthday Honours, Molloy was appointed an
Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit
The New Zealand Order of Merit is an order of merit in the New Zealand royal honours system. It was established by royal warrant on 30 May 1996 by Elizabeth II, Queen of New Zealand, "for those persons who in any field of endeavour, have rend ...
, for services to conservation.
For his contributions to the science, land and people of the high country, Molloy received the high country committee of
Federated Farmers
Federated Farmers of New Zealand is a lobby and advocacy group for all farmers: arable including fruit and vegetables, dairy and meat and their often remote communities. It has a network of 24 regional organisations and six industry groups. F ...
award in 2000; and in 2006 he was accorded a lifetime conservation achievement award by the
New Zealand Plant Conservation Network
The New Zealand Plant Conservation Network (NZPCN) is a non-governmental organisation devoted to the protection and restoration of New Zealand's indigenous plant life, including vascular plants, mosses, liverworts, hornworts and lichens.
Descr ...
. The following year, he was named as an associate of honour by the
Royal New Zealand Institute of Horticulture
The Royal New Zealand Institute of Horticulture (RNZIH) is a horticultural society in New Zealand.
History
According to its website, the RNZIH was founded in 1923. New Zealand's National Library of New Zealand, National Library holds minute book ...
, in recognition of his distinguished service to horticulture in New Zealand. In 2010, Molloy was awarded the Bledisloe Trophy by the Canterbury Botanical Society, for his contribution to New Zealand botany.
Molloy was elected as a Companion of the Royal Society of New Zealand in 2011, for the promotion and advancement of science and technology in New Zealand. Also in 2011, he received the Hatch Medal of the New Zealand Native Orchid Group, for his outstanding contribution to orchidology in New Zealand.
Honorific eponyms
Two endemic plants have been named in Molloy's honour: the Cook Strait kōwhai, ''
Sophora molloyi
''Sophora molloyi'', the Cook Strait kōwhai, Molloy's kōwhai or Stephen's Island kōwhai, is one of 8 species of kōwhai native to New Zealand, and grows naturally around the Cook Strait region. It was first described as a species in 2001 and n ...
'', in 2001; and the hidden spider orchid, ''Molloybas cryptanthus'', in 2002.
In 2012, the Brian Molloy QEII National Trust Scholarship for doctoral research in New Zealand ecology was established.
Selected publications
* Ferns in Peel Forest: a Field Guide, 1983, Christchurch, N.Z., ,
Department of Lands and Survey
The Department of Lands and Survey was a former government department in New Zealand that managed the administration of Crown land and its survey and mapping requirements.
History Establishment
The department was established in 1876 with the appo ...
* Riccarton Bush, Putaringamotu : natural history and management, 1995, Christchurch, N.Z., , Riccarton Bush Trust
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Molloy, Brian
1930 births
2022 deaths
Scientists from Wellington City
New Zealand rugby union players
New Zealand international rugby union players
Manawatu rugby union players
Canterbury rugby union players
Rugby union scrum-halves
Massey University alumni
University of Canterbury alumni
Lincoln University (New Zealand) alumni
New Zealand public servants
People associated with Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (New Zealand)
20th-century New Zealand botanists
New Zealand ecologists
New Zealand conservationists
Officers of the New Zealand Order of Merit
Companions of the Royal Society of New Zealand
Orchidologists
Rugby union players from Wellington City
People educated at St Peter's College, Palmerston North