{{nofootnotes, date=December 2019 The W. Roy Wheeler Medallion for excellence in field

ornithology Ornithology is a branch of zoology that concerns the "methodological study and consequent knowledge of birds with all that relates to them." Several aspects of ornithology differ from related disciplines, due partly to the high visibility and th ...

was created on the occasion of the centenary of the founding of

Bird Observation & Conservation Australia Bird Observation & Conservation Australia (BOCA) was a club established on 12 April 1905 by members of the Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union (RAOU) in Melbourne, Victoria, as the Bird Observers Club. Although inactive for many years, in 192 ...

(BOCA) to commemorate Roy Wheeler MBE, FRAOU, (1905-1988), an amateur ornithologist with a long association with the Club, as well as with the

Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union The Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union (RAOU), now part of BirdLife Australia, was Australia's largest non-government, non-profit, bird conservation organisation. It was founded in 1901 to promote the study and bird conservation, conservati ...

. The purpose of the award is to honour worthy individuals who have been outstanding contributors, innovators and leaders in field ornithology in

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

and its territories. Medals may be awarded posthumously and the award does not distinguish between amateur and professional ornithologists. Ten people were recognised at the inaugural awards made on 12 August 2005. Medallion recipients were: *2005 - Nigel Peter Brothers *2005 - Dr

Leslie Christidis Leslie Christidis (born 30 May 1959), also simply known as Les Christidis, is an Australian ornithologist. His main research field is the evolution and systematics of birds. He has been director of Southern Cross University National Marine Scienc ...

*2005 - Dr Robert Geoffrey Hewett Green AM *2005 - Laurence Nathan Levy *2005 - Dr Graham Martin Pizzey AM *2005 - Pauline Neura Reilly OAM, FRAOU *2005 - Len Robinson *2005 - Ian Cecil Robert Rowley CFAOU, FRAOU *2005 - Dr Eleanor M. Rowley *2005 - Professor

Patricia Vickers-Rich Patricia Arlene Vickers-Rich (born 11 July 1944), also known as Patricia Rich, is an Australian Professor of Palaeontology and Palaeobiology, who researches the environmental changes that have impacted Australia (including the ancient super ...

References

*Simpson, Ken; & Weston, Mike. (2005). W. Roy Wheeler Medallion. ''Bird Observer'' 836: 3. *Simpson, Ken. (2005). W. Roy Wheeler Medallion. Inaugural awards. ''Bird Observer'' 838: 17–19. Ornithology awards Australian ornithologists

See also

References