William Lancashire Cane (1911–1987) was an Australian

plantsman A plantsman is an enthusiastic and knowledgeable gardener (amateur or professional), nurseryman or nurserywoman. "Plantsman" can refer to a male or female person, though the terms plantswoman, or even plantsperson, are sometimes used. The word is ...

who introduced many new native plant species, forms and hybrids into cultivation. Cane was born in

Carlton Carlton may refer to: People * Carlton (name), a list of those with the given name or surname * Carlton (singer), English soul singer Carlton McCarthy * Carlton, a pen name used by Joseph Caldwell (1773–1835), American educator, Presbyterian ...

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

in 1911. His father was killed in World War I and his mother died in 1919, leaving Cane and his three brothers to become wards of the state. They were sent to live with relatives near

Sale Sale may refer to: Common meanings * Sales, the exchange of goods for profits * Sales, discounts and allowances in the prices of goods Places *Sale, Victoria, a city in Australia *Sale, Myanmar, a city *Sale, Greater Manchester, a town in Engla ...

in Gippsland, and Cane was enrolled at the school in

Wurruk Wurruk is a town in the Shire of Wellington near Sale in Victoria, Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australia ...

. At the age of 13 he attained his merit certificate and left school, later becoming an

apiarist A beekeeper is a person who keeps honey bees. Beekeepers are also called honey farmers, apiarists, or less commonly, apiculturists (both from the Latin ''apis'', bee; cf. apiary). The term beekeeper refers to a person who keeps honey bees in ...

. Cane established Clearview Nursery in 1947 on Brewer's Hill near

Maffra Maffra is a town in Victoria, Australia, east of Melbourne. It is in the Shire of Wellington local government area and it is the second most populous city of the Shire. It relies mainly on dairy farming and other agriculture, and is the ...

. There he experimented with propagation techniques, finding success in areas deemed near impossible by others including successfully growing semi-parasitic ''

Exocarpos ''Exocarpos'' is a genus of flowering shrubs and small trees in the sandalwood family, Santalaceae. They are found throughout Southeast Asia, Australia and the Pacific Islands. They are semi-parasitic, requiring the roots of a host tree, a t ...

'' species and propagating ''

Eucalyptus ''Eucalyptus'' () is a genus of over seven hundred species of Flowering plant, flowering trees, shrubs or Mallee (habit), mallees in the Myrtaceae, myrtle Family (biology), family, Myrtaceae. Along with several other genera in the Tribe (biology) ...

'' species, ''

Persoonia chamaepeuce ''Persoonia chamaepeuce'', commonly known as the dwarf geebung or heathy geebung, is a plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It is a prostrate shrub with crowded, linear leaves and yellow flowers in the leaf ...

'' and '' Calectasia intermedia'' (Blue Tinsel Lily) from cuttings. Cane was a long time correspondent with

George Althofer George William Francis Althofer (1903–1993) was an Australian botanist, nurseryman, author and poet, with a special interest in the mint-bush genus ''Prostanthera'' as well as other Australian native plants, who founded the Burrendong Botanic ...

of Burrendong Arboretum in New South Wales. The arboretum suffered disastrous floods in 1947, and Cane propagated hundreds of plants which he sent there to aid with reestablishment. During his time at the nursery he made numerous field trips, particularly to the remote high country of

East Gippsland East Gippsland is the eastern region of Gippsland, Victoria, Australia covering 31,740 square kilometres (14%) of Victoria. It has a population of 80,114. Australian Bureau of Statistics2006 Census Community Profile Series: East Gippsland (S ...

, and would consult with botanist

Jean Galbraith Jean Galbraith (28 March 1906 – 2 January 1999) was an Australian botanist, gardener, writer of children's books and poet. Galbraith was born at Tyers, Gippsland, where she lived for her whole life. The family's sprawling native garden at t ...

regarding plant identification. He was the first to note that a form of ''

Banksia ''Banksia'' is a genus of around 170 species in the plant family Proteaceae. These Australian wildflowers and popular garden plants are easily recognised by their characteristic flower spikes, and fruiting "cones" and heads. ''Banksias'' rang ...

'' found at higher altitudes may be a new species which was subsequently named in his honour - ''

Banksia canei ''Banksia canei'', commonly known as the mountain banksia, is a species of shrub that is endemic to southeastern Australia. It is generally encountered as a many-branched shrub that grows up to high, with narrow leaves and the yellow infloresc ...

'', based on plant material that he had collected. He was involved in the establishment of the

Society for Growing Australian Plants The Australian Native Plants Society (Australia) (ANPSA) is a federation of seven state-based member organisations for people interested in Australia's native Flora of Australia, flora, both in aspects of conservation and in cultivation. A nati ...

and was made an honorary life member in 1986. Plants that he developed or introduced to cultivation included: *''Callistemon'' 'Father Christmas' *''Correa'' 'Clearview Giant' *''Crowea'' 'Cane's Hybrid' *''Leptospermum'' 'Clearview Fairy' *''Grevillea'' 'Clearview David' *''Grevillea'' 'Clearview John' *''Grevillea'' 'Clearview Robin' * ''Grevillea lanigera'' (prostrate form) *''

Philotheca verrucosa ''Philotheca verrucosa'', commonly known as fairy wax-flower or Bendigo wax-flower, is a species of flowering plant in the family Rutaceae and is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It is a small shrub with prominently glandular-warty branch ...

'' 'Heyfield Double Wax' *''

Prostanthera cuneata ''Prostanthera cuneata'', commonly known as alpine mint bush, is a species of flowering plant in the mint family Lamiaceae, and is endemic to mountainous areas of south-eastern continental Australia. It is an erect, compact shrub with egg-shaped ...

'' 'Alpine Gold'

References

External links

Bill Cane: A short history of a pioneering Australian Plant enthusiast
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cane, Bill Australian gardeners Australian horticulturists 1911 births 1987 deaths People from Melbourne 20th-century Australian botanists