William Henry "Harry" Butler (25 March 1930 – 11 December 2015) was an Australian naturalist and environmental consultant, best known as the presenter of the popular ABC television series ''

In the Wild ''In The Wild'' is a popular nature television series produced by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation from 1976 until 1981. It was hosted by Harry Butler, a noted Australian naturalist and environmental consultant. The re-runs of ''In The ...

'' from 1976 to 1981. He was a household name as he took viewers to remote parts of Australia observing and admiring the natural environment. Harry was a warrior for the environment and biodiversity. He spoke highly of how Indigenous people cared for the land, through his extensive experience growing up with various aboriginal groups. His advocacy led to the establishment of offshore islands as reserves for plants and animals, protected from invasive species. Now his legacy is being remembered with Murdoch University’s Harry Butler Institute. The new research and education facility brings science, business and the community together to address environmental problems.

Biography

Butler was born on 25 March 1930 in

Perth Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth is ...

, Western Australia.Australian of the Year Awards: Harry Butler CBE, 1979
(2006). Retrieved on 4 December 2007. He attended

Claremont Teachers College Claremont Teachers College was Western Australia’s first post-secondary teaching institution. It opened in 1902 and closed in 1981, when it became a College of Advanced Education and later a campus of Edith Cowan University. The building is on ...

in Western Australia and later the

Western State College Western Colorado University (Western) is a public university in Gunnison, Colorado. It enrolls approximately 2,600 undergraduate and 400 graduate students, with 25 percent coming from out of state. Western offers more than 100 undergraduate areas ...

in the United States. Butler co-wrote "

Sun Arise "Sun Arise" is the fourth single released by Australian singer-songwriter Rolf Harris. Released in January 1961 in Australia and October 1962 in the UK, it was Harris' third charting hit in Australia (following "The Big Black Hat" in 1960) and se ...

" with fellow Western Australian

Rolf Harris Rolf Harris (born 30 March 1930) is an Australian entertainer whose career has encompassed work as a musician, singer-songwriter, composer, comedian, actor, painter and television personality. He often used unusual instruments in his performan ...

; the song reached the Top 10 in the UK in 1962. Butler was a populariser of science and natural history for both child and adult audiences, especially through the ABC television series ''

'', which led to him being named ''Australian of the Year'' in 1979. He also authored the books ''In The Wild'', ''In the Wild (Part II)'' and ''Looking at the Wild''. As conservation consultant to the Barrow Island oilfield and many other projects, Butler played a major role in environmental conservation and restoration in Australia. In 1968, he participated in the fifth of the Harold Hall Australian ornithological collecting expeditions. He lectured, and was honoured, at museums in Western Australia, Canada, and the United States. Butler was a supporter of development projects such as mining, working with corporations and state governments as an environmental consultant. Butler lost some popularity with his support of the construction of the

Franklin River Dam The Franklin Dam or Gordon-below-Franklin Dam project was a proposed dam on the Gordon River in Tasmania, Australia, that was never constructed. The movement that eventually led to the project's cancellation became one of the most significant ...

in the early 1980s. He died of cancer, aged 85, at a hospital in Perth on 11 December 2015.

Honours

In 1970, Butler was appointed an Officer of the

Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...

. In 1980 this was upgraded to Commander level (CBE). In 1979, Butler was named the

Australian of the Year The Australian of the Year is a national award conferred on an Australian citizen by the National Australia Day Council, a not-for-profit Australian Governmentowned social enterprise. Similar awards are also conferred at the State and Territ ...

, jointly with

Neville Bonner Neville Thomas Bonner AO (28 March 19225 February 1999) was an Australian politician, and the first Aboriginal Australian to become a member of the Parliament of Australia. He was appointed by the Queensland Parliament to fill a casual vacancy ...

. In 1993, he was awarded a cash prize for his 30 years of work with the petroleum industry. On 4 March 2012, he was added to the

National Trust of Australia The National Trust of Australia, officially the Australian Council of National Trusts (ACNT), is the Australian national peak body for community-based, non-government non-profit organisations committed to promoting and conserving Australia's In ...

's National Living Treasures list. On 11 June 2012, he was named an Officer of the

Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, on the advice of the Australian Go ...

for "distinguished service to the community through the promotion of public understanding of natural history and wildlife conservation, to the development of collaborative environmental partnerships with industry, and to the community." A species of mulga snake, '' Pseudechis butleri'', and a spider, '' Synothele butleri'', are named for Butler. Three species of Australian lizards are named for Butler: ''

Delma butleri ''Delma butleri'', also known commonly as Butler's legless lizard, Butler's scalyfoot, the spinifex snake-lizard, and the unbanded delma, is a species of lizard in the family Pygopodidae. The species is endemic to Australia. Etymology The spe ...

, Morethia butleri'', and ''

Notoscincus butleri ''Notoscincus butleri'', also known commonly as Butler's snake-eyed skink, the lined soil-crevice skink, and the lined soil-crevis skink, is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to Australia. Etymology The spec ...

''. Two species of Australian lizards are named for Butler and his wife, Margaret Butler: ''

Ctenophorus butlerorum ''Ctenophorus butlerorum'', also known commonly as Butler's dragon, the Shark Bay heath dragon Wilson, Steve; Swan, Gerry (2013). ''A Complete Guide to Reptiles of Australia, Fourth Edition''. Sydney, New South Wales: New Holland Publishers. 5 ...

'' and '' Eremiascincus butlerorum''.Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). ''The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles''. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. . ("Butler, W.H.", p. 44; "Margaret B.", p. 168). On 17 April 2016, the new Western Australian Museum research facility and storage centre in Welshpool was named in his honour.

References

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External links

In Conversation 27 July 2006 ABC Interview Australian Of The Year website- Harry Butler
{{DEFAULTSORT:Butler, Harry 1930 births 2015 deaths Australian naturalists People from Perth, Western Australia Australian of the Year Award winners Australian Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Officers of the Order of Australia Western Colorado University alumni Deaths from cancer in Western Australia