Selwyn George "Bill" Lane E.D. R.L. (1922–2000) was an Australian amateur
ornithologist
Ornithology, from Ancient Greek ὄρνις (''órnis''), meaning "bird", and -logy from λόγος (''lógos''), meaning "study", is a branch of zoology dedicated to the study of birds. Several aspects of ornithology differ from related discip ...
who worked for the
Sydney
Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...
County Council for most of life until he retired in 1983.
Career
Bill Lane joined 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 conservation of the native b ...
(RAOU) in 1947, was a State Representative for New South Wales on that body from 1964 until 1967, and a Vice-President from 1968 to 1969. He was elected a
Fellow of the RAOU in 1983. He was a founding member and President of the
Australian Bird Study Association.
Lane banded
Australian birds for half a century (from the 1950s to the 1990s) throughout Australia, and was an early experimenter with
cannon netting. He also helped in the training of many of Australia's
bird-banders. Lane published numerous articles in the ''
Australian Bird Bander'', ''
Corella'' and ''
Emu
The emu (; ''Dromaius novaehollandiae'') is a species of flightless bird endemism, endemic to Australia, where it is the Tallest extant birds, tallest native bird. It is the only extant taxon, extant member of the genus ''Dromaius'' and the ...
''. He was instrumental in raising the awareness of the impact urban development has upon the habitat and distribution of Australia's native birds and other animals. He was awarded the inaugural
John Hobbs Medal
BirdLife Australia is a not-for-profit organisation advocating for native birds and the conservation of their habitats across Australia.
BirdLife Australia is the trading name of the company limited by guarantee formed through the merger of tw ...
of the RAOU in 1995 in recognition of his contributions to amateur ornithology.
S.G. 'Bill' Lane Award
The S.G. 'Bill' Lane Award is presented annually by the Australian Bird Study Association to the most outstanding student in
ornithology
Ornithology, from Ancient Greek ὄρνις (''órnis''), meaning "bird", and -logy from λόγος (''lógos''), meaning "study", is a branch of zoology dedicated to the study of birds. Several aspects of ornithology differ from related discip ...
at
Charles Sturt University
Charles Sturt University is an Australian multi-campus public university located in New South Wales, Australian Capital Territory and Victoria, Australia, Victoria. Established in 1989, it was named in honour of Captain (British Army and Royal ...
. Recipients of the award are:
*2001: Cheryl Gole
*2002: Helen Stevens
*2003: Maria Grazia Bellio
*2004: Lara Juliusson, of Denver, Colorado, USA.
*2005: Gavin Jackson
*2006: Alison Bowling
*2007: Jennifer Nicholls, Leonie Daws and Philip Hughes
*2008: Simon Robinson
*2009: Dr Anne Lehnert
*2010: Peter McGregor
*2011: Bronwyn McCulloch
*2012: Michelle Smart
*2013: Mary Thompson
*2014: Sara Judge
*2015: Kirsty Wilhes
*2016: David Smith
*2017: Robert Faulconbridge
*2018: Louise Williams
*2019: Claire Williams
*2020: Allison Roberts
*2021: Ross McMillan
*2022: Sang Tran
*2023: Cecile Espigole
References
*Morris, Alan. (2000). Obituary. Selwyn George (Bill) Lane. 1922-2000. ''Emu'' 100: 160.
External links
Australian Bird Study Association Inc.Birdlife AustraliaCharles Sturt University
See also
*
Lorraine Island
Lorraine Island is an island off the South coast of Western Australia in the Recherche Archipelago.
It occupies an area of and was named after Lorraine Faulds Lane (née Edgar), wife of Selwyn George (Bill) Lane.
The island supports a popula ...
*
List of ornithologists
__NOTOC__
This is a list of ornithologists who have articles, in alphabetical order by surname. See also :Ornithologists.
A
* John Abbot – US
* Clinton Gilbert Abbott – US
* William Louis Abbott – US
* Humayun Abdulali — India
* Joseph ...
*
List of ornithology awards
thumb , '' John_Gould.html" ;"title="Anthus campestris''. John Gould">Anthus campestris''. John Gould
This index provides a brief notable list of ornithology awards, recognizing achievements in the study of birds. It includes awards for both prof ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lane, S.G. (Bill)
Australian ornithologists
1922 births
2000 deaths
20th-century Australian zoologists