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Personal
particulars |
Name: James Reginald Croft
Age: 48 years
Date of Birth: 28 May 1951
Gender: Male
Nationality: Australian
Height, Weight: 184 cm, 90 kg
Physical: No disabilities, no serious, recurrent or chronic illness
Family: Partner and two dependent sons (16 years, 13 years)
Profession: Public Servant, Scientific Manager, Information Technologist, Botanist
Formal Qualifications: B.Sc. (Syd.). [M.Sc.. prelim. (Syd.)]
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Contact
details |
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Present
Duties |
- Deputy Director, Science and Information, Australian National Botanic Gardens, Parks Australia, Evironment Australia.
- Program Leader, Australian National Herbarium, Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, a collaborative venture between the ANBG and the CSIRO Division of Plant Industry.
- Duties involve managing the Herbarium, Research and Information
Processing programs of the ANBG, including financial and staff aspects
of these programs.
- Particular emphasis is placed on the integration of the living collection
with the herbarium vouchers and other information sources, and the provision
of reliable and structured botanical information to decision-makers and
the public.
- The ANBG and the CPBR form a national and regional focus for botanical
information and research, and there is strong involvement with national
and international projects on the standardization of biological information
and the collaborative exchange of information.
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Personal
history |
- 2001- Deputy Director, Science and Information, Australian
National Botanic Gardens, Parks Australia, Evironment
Australia; Program Leader, Australian National Herbarium, Centre
for Plant Biodiversity Research,
- 1997-2001: Director Botany, Australian
National Botanic Gardens; Program Leader, Botanical Information
and Network Management, Centre
for Plant Biodiversity Research
- 1999-2000: Y2K Year 2000 preparation and transtion coordinator, Biodiversity
Group, Environment Australia.
- 1996: Director Information Resources, Australian Nature Conservation
Agency (ANCA, now part of the Biodiversity Group, Environment
Australia)
- 1994: Appointed Deputy Director, Centre
for Plant Biodiversity Research, and Program Leader, Botanical Infomation
and Newtoek Management.
- 1992: Appointed to Science 5, Director Botany position, translated
to Senior Professional Officer A level.
- 1990: Appointed Science 5, Acting Director Botany of the Australian
National Botanic Gardens in an acting capacity until the position
filled permanently.
- 1990: Appointed Science 5, Associate Director Flora of the Bureau
of Flora and Fauna through application and interview but declined
to take up the position due to its redefinition.
- 1990: Acting Director Australian
National Botanic Gardens for four weeks.
- 1989: Acting Director Australian
National Botanic Gardens (including herbarium) for two three-week
periods and one four week periods.
- 1989 - 90: Formal courses in Oracle relational database design, management
and SQL programming.
- 1989: Acting Director Flora (including herbarium) in Bureau
of Flora and Fauna for three weeks.
- 1988: Appointed Curator of the Herbarium, Australian
National Botanic Gardens, Canberra.
- 1987: Continued employment by Papua New Guinea Government as Senior
Botanist and Officer in Charge of the PNG National Herbarium and National
Botanic Gardens.
- 1985: Appointed a/O.I.C., Botany Division, Lae.
- 1984: Appointed senior Botanist, Botany Division, Lae.
- 1980: Acting duties as O.I.C. Botany Division, Lae.
- 1978: Promoted to Botanist Class 3, Botany Division, Lae.
- 1975: Promoted to Botanist Class 2, Botany Division, Lae.
- 1973: Graduated with B.Sc. and commenced employment immediately as
a botanist at the Department of Forests Division of Botany in Lae, Papua
New Guinea. Scientific Officer Class 1.
- 1971: Enroled in Science Faculty at the University of Sydney. Followed
parallel botany and zoology courses with emphasis on plant and animal
systematics and ecology options.
- 1967: Parents moved to New Caledonia. Enroled as a boarder at The
Scots College in Sydney. Completed secondary education and matriculated
1970. Travelled to New Caledonia three times a year during the period
1967 to 1972. Vacation employment as a builders assistant and later
as a trainee builder.
- 1964: Parents moved to Fiji. Commenced secondary education at Suva
Grammar School.
- 1960: Parents returned to Australia. Attended Henley State Primary
School, Adelaide, South Australia.
- 1954: Parents moved to the then Territory of Papua New Guinea. Attended
Ela Beach Primary School, Port Moresby.
- 1951: Born 28 May 1951, Melbourne, Australia.
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| Field work |
The following are major botanical survey expeditions during most of which
200 or more collections of higher plants were made:
- 2000: January: Norfolk Island: Survey of pteridophytes throughout the island.
- 1989: Macquarie Island: Part of 1989/90 ANARE summer research program.
Collecting herbarium specimens and live material for propagation in Australian
and overseas botanic gardens
- 1988: Tasmania, South and South West. General collection, emphasis on rare
and endangered plants. WWF sponsored, in collaboration with Tasmanian National
Parks.
- 1986: August: Mt Bosavi (Southern Highlands province). General botanical
collecting. Training PNG botanists in expedition management and logistics.
- 1984: October: Lelet Plateau and Lihir Island (New Ireland Province). Expedition leader, general botanical survey and botanical inspection of proposed mine site.
- 1983: October: Escorting visiting botanists to Wau-Bulolo area.
- 1982: August-September: Vamino and Bewani Mountains (West Sepik province).
Expedition leader, general botanical collecting.
- 1981: March: Admiralty Islands (Manus Province). Expedition leader, general
botanical collecting.
- 1979: November-December: Nomad, Strickland and Fly rivers (Western Province).
Botanical support for "Operation Drake". General botanical collecting and
training of participants.
- 1979: March: Misima, Sudest and Rossel Islands (Milne Bay Province). Expedition leader, general botanical survey.
- 1979: January: Mt Giluwe. General botanical collecting with visiting botanists.
- 1977: November-December: Fergusson Island, Normanby Island, Goodenough
Island (Milne Bay Province). Expedition leader, general botanical survey.
- 1977: May: Wau-Bulolo, central highlands. General collecting.
- 1977: February: Bongu/Madang and Wau/Bulolo. Lead a party of visiting Russian
botanists, general collecting.
1976: November-December: Fergusson Island and Normanby Island (Milne Bay
Province). Expedition leader, general botanical collecting.
- 1976: August: Huon Peninsula (Morobe Province). Botanical survey for environmental impact study of proposed Lae-Finschhafen road.
- 1976: July-August: Natter Bay (Morobe Province). Collecting tree species
from logging areas.
- 1976: May: Usino (Madang Province). General collections and palm seed.
- 1975: September-October: Guiding and assisting KEW expedition to Hans Meyer
Range (southern New Ireland Province). General botanical collecting.
- 1975: August-September: Guiding and assisting KEW expedition to Mt Piora
(Eastern Highlands Province), with Martin Sands (Kew Leader). General botanical
collecting.
- 1975: March-April-May-June: Leader, joint Lae/Leiden/ANU expedition to
the Star Mountains (West Sepik Province), with Jeff Veldkamp and Andries
Touw (L) and Geoff Hope (ANU). General botanical collections and palynological
sampling.
- 1974: November: Mt Giluwe. Survey Nothofagus plot.
- 1974: September-October: New Ireland, New Hanover. (New Ireland Province).
Forest helicopter survey, general botanical collecting. Leader of botanical
section.
- 1974: June-July-August: Leader, joint LAE/CANB/ANU expedition to Mt Albert-Edward, Mt Victoria and Lake Myola (Central Province), with Lynn Craven (CSIRO) and Geoff Hope (ANU). General botanical collecting.
- 1974: March-April: Baimuru-Kerema (Gulf Province). Helicopter timber survey,
general botanical collecting. Leader of botanical section.
- 1973: December to 1974: January-February: Mt Giluwe (Southern Highlands
Province). Studies in suspected Phytophora die-back in Nothofagus, general
botanical collecting. Supervision and training of Forestry College Students.
- 1973: September-October: Efogi-Lake Myola (Central province). General botanicalcollecting.
- 1973: May-June: East and West New Britain. Helicopter timber survey, general
botanical collecting.
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Advisory
Committees
etc. |
- Atzera Range environmental management committee, (Lae).
- Wau Ecology Institute rural and agricultural development committee.
- Wau Ecology Institute medicinal plants committee.
- PNG Flora Protection and Conservation committee.
- Departmental planning group for proposed new Forest Research Institute
to be constructed in LAE.
- Microcomputer hardware software and programming consultant PNG University
of Technology, Forestry faculty.
- The ad hoc PNG Botanical Society committee.
- Papua New Guinea representative, Council Heads of Australian Herbaria
(CHAH).
- ANBG representative, Council of Heads of Australian Herbaria (CHAH).
- Australian National Herbarium Representative, Herbarium Information
Systems sub-Committee (HISCOM) of CHAH.
- Staff review committee, ANU Botany Department.
- Joint coordinator, 1990 Australian Systematic Botanical Society Symposium,
Canberra
- International Plant Names Project, a collaborative venture
with Kew and Harvard
- Various Departmental committees and working groups (Year 2000 issues,
WWW implementation, IT and network planning, etc.)
- Planning Committee, Flora Malesiana Symposium (2001)
- Planning Committee, 4th International Legume Conference, bioinformatics
sessions (2001)
- Planning Committee, Botanic Gardens 2001 Conference
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Societies,
Associations |
- Taxonomic Databases Working Group (TDWG)
- International Organization for Plant Information (IOPI)
- International Association of Plant Taxonomists
- Association of Pacific Systematists
- Australian Systematic Botany Society
- Papua New Guinea Botanical Society
- Papua New Guinea Scientific Society (until its demise)
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| Training |
In addition to continuous on-the-job training of botanists and herbarium
staff, I have run the following special courses:
- 1975: August: presented courses at Forestry College on lower plant and
gymnosperm systematics.
- 1983: February-June: Relieving lecturer Bulolo Forestry college. Courses
in forest ecology and forest botany
- 1986: May: presented lectures and practical classes in pteridophyte systematics,
taxonomy and ecology, for final year students, University of Papua New
Guinea Biology Department.
- 1987: August: University of Papua New Guinea, presented courses and practical
classes in pteridophyte systematics, taxonomy and ecology.
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Scholarships |
- 1968 - 1969: Commonwealth Secondary Scholarship
- 1970 - 1972: Commonwealth University Scholarship
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Grants,
contracts,
etc. |
- 1999: Contract from ABRS to prepare summary of recent name changes in the Australian flora.
- 1998: Grant from the US National Science Foundation to develop International PlantNames Index.
- 1998: Contract from ABRS to update parts of the APNI database.
- 1997: Contract from ERIN to update parts of the APNI database.
- 1997: Grant from the US National Science Foundation to develop proof of concept
distributed database for the International Plant Names Project.
- 1997: Grants from Kew and Harvard to attend planning workshops in connection
with the International Plant Names Project.
- Grants from ERIN to database herbarium specimens of particular landcover significance.
- Grants from US National Science Foundation to attended workshops in the
US on botanical database design and data standards
- Grants from from the Snithsonian Institute to attended workshops in the US on botanical database design and data standards.
- 1986: Successful application to PNGBF to supply microcomputer and printer
to Botany Branch.
- 1985: Successful joint application (with PNG University of Technology)
to PNGBF to support PNG botanist Osia Gideon on overseas study visit to
European, American and Australian Herbaria for three months (Mussaenda
taxonomy).
- 1984-85: Supervising PNGBF (Papua New Guinea Biological Foundation) grant
to Pana Manaha for medicinal plant research on Huon Peninsula.
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| Financial |
- Since arriving at the ANBG, involved in estimate preparation and expenditure control of the Herbarium and Botany Section of the Australian National Botanic Gardens.
- With the formation of the Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research responsible for the ANBG contribution to the Centre.
- Presently responsible for managing a staff budget of c. $725,000 and an
operatons budget of c. $300,000.
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| Publications |
Croft, J., Cross, N.,
Hinchcliffe, S., Nic Lughadha, E., Stevens, P.F., West, J.G. & Whitbread,
G. 1999. Plant names for
the 21st century: The International Plant Names Index, a distributed data
source of general accessibility. Taxon 48: 317-324
Chapman, A.D & Croft J.R. 1998 (in press ?). Networking
species diversity data in the Clearing-House mechanism under the Convention
on Biological Diversity. CODATA. Springer-Verlag.
Green, D.G. & Croft, J.R. 1994. Proposal for Implementing
a Network of Biodiversity Information. In Linking Mechanisms for Biodiversity
Information. Procedings of a workshop for the Biodiversity
Information Network, Base de Dados Tropical,
Campinas Sao Paulo, Brasil.
Croft, J.R. 1992. Australian Botanical Biodiversity Networks.
Human (mostly) and electronic (starting) - a national perspective. In V.
Cahnos et al. (ed.) Needs and specifications for a Biodiversity Information
Network. United Nations Environment Program, Nairobi. Publication also
available electronically at BDT.
Earnshaw, M.J., Gunn, T.C., and Croft, J.R. 1988. Shoot temperature measurements of montane Cyathea (Pteridophyta) species in Papua New Guinea. Fern Gaz. 13: 209-216. (Tree fern scales act as a glass house during the day rather than an insulator at night).
Earnshaw, M.J., Winter, K., Ziegler, H., Cruttwell, N.E.G., Kerenga,
K., Cribb, P.J., Croft, J.R., Carver, K.A, and Gunn, T.C. 1987. Altitudinal
changes in the incidence of crassulacean acid metabolism in vascular epiphytes
and related life forms in Papua New Guinea. Oecologica (Berl.) 73: 566-72.
Croft, J.R. 1987. The other products from the forest. Klinkii
3:35-52. (A review of the non-timber resources of PNG forests, including
commercial minor forest products, tradititional materials, food and medicines.)
Croft, J.R. 1986. The stipe and rachis vasculature of the
Dicksonioid fern Cystodium sorbifolium (Cystodiaceae). Kew Bulletin
41: 789-803, f. 1-6, map 1. (New family described, remote from Dicksonioid
genera on anatomical, cytological, morphological grounds. 1 new subspecies
recognized).
Croft, J.R. 1986. A rose by any other name - an apology
for dendrotaxonomy. Klinkii 3: 76-88. (Summary of recent name changes
in the most important New Guinea timber species, with explanations of the
relevant rules of botanical nomenclature).
Croft, J.R. 1986. Papua New Guinea Botanical Society. Aust. Syst.
Bot. Soc. Newsl. 49: 14-15. (report of activities for 1986).
Croft, J.R. 1985. Ferns and fern allies. In Leach, G.L.
and Osborne, P.L., Fresh water plants of Papua New Guinea. pp. 22,
33-74, f. 6-13. (Taxonomic account with keys to 11 families, 21 species
of aquatic pteridophytes).
Croft, J.R. & Leach, D.N. 1985. New Guinea salt-fern
(Asplenium acrobryum complex): identity, distribution, and chemical
composition of its salt. Economic Botany 39: 139-149, f. 1-6. (Universal
misidentification corrected, dietary potassium salt, comparable with other
salt-yielding plants in New Guinea and supposedly related species of Asplenium).
Kerenga, K. & Croft, J.R. 1984. Notes on the vegetation
at the collection sites of the Division of Botany expedition to Manus,
1981. Science in New Guinea 11: 43-49, f. 1-2. (General habitat
and vegetation descriptions).
Croft, J.R. 1983. An historical survey of Botanical exploration
in the Admiralty Islands, Manus Province, Papua New Guinea. Science
in New Guinea 10: 1-15, f. 1-4, cover. (Statistical review of botanical
collecting since first European contact).
Croft, J.R. 1981. Diverse means of casual track indication
in Papua New Guinea. Science in New Guinea 8: 202-204. (Plants are
used in various and sometimes conflicting ways to indicate which branch
in a path to take).
Croft, J.R. 1981a. Bixaceae. In Henty (ed.) Handbook
Flora of Papua New Guinea 2: 1-3, f. 1. Melbourne University Press.
(Taxonomic account for New Guinea and Solomon Islands).
Croft, J.R. 1981b. Bombacaceae. In Henty (ed.) Handbook
Flora of Papua New Guinea 2: 4-18, f. 2-6. Melbourne University Press.
(Taxonomic account for New Guinea and Solomon Islands).
Croft, J.R. 1981c. Cochlospermaceae. In Henty (ed.) Handbook
Flora of Papua New Guinea 2: 28-30, f. 10. Melbourne University Press.
(Taxonomic account for New Guinea and Solomon Islands).
Croft, J.R. 1981d. Hamamelidaceae. In Henty (ed.) Handbook
Flora of Papua New Guinea 2: 186-189, f. 41. Melbourne University Press.
(Taxonomic account for New Guinea and Solomon Islands).
Croft, J.R. 1981e. Hernandiaceae. In Henty (ed.) Handbook
Flora of Papua New Guinea 2: 190-201, f. 42 - 45. Melbourne University
Press. (Taxonomic account for New Guinea and Solomon Islands).
Croft, J.R. 1981f. Styracaceae. In Henty (ed.) Handbook
Flora of Papua New Guinea 2: 262 - 267, f. 61 - 62. Melbourne University
Press. (Taxonomic account for New Guinea and Solomon Islands).
Croft, J.R. 1980. A Taxonomic revision of Isoetes
L. (Isoetaceae) in Papuasia. Blumea 26: 177-190, f. 1, pl. 1-21. (2 new
species, 1 new subspecies, distribution of populations postulated to relicts
of a pre-glacial cline).
Croft, J.R. 1978a. Datiscaceae. In Womersley (ed.) Handbook
Flora of Papua New Guinea 1: 114-122, f. 52-62. Melbourne University
Press. (Taxonomic account for New Guinea and Solomon Islands).
Croft, J.R. 1978b. Eupomatiaceae. In Womersley (ed.) Handbook
Flora of Papua New Guinea 1: 123-125, f. 63. Melbourne University Press.
(Taxonomic account for New Guinea and Solomon Islands).
Croft, J.R. 1978c. Himantandraceae. In Womersley (ed.)
Handbook Flora of Papua New Guinea 1: 126-128, f. 64. Melbourne
University Press. (Taxonomic account for New Guinea and Solomon Islands).
Croft, J.R. 1978d. Magnoliaceae. In Womersley (ed.) Handbook
Flora of Papua New Guinea 1: 129-134, f. 65-66. Melbourne University
Press. (Taxonomic account for New Guinea and Solomon Islands).
Barker, W.R. & Croft, J.R. 1977. The distribution of
Macgregor's bird of Paradise. The Emu, October 1977: 219-222, f.
1-2. (significant range extension, human predation postulated for the birds
absence in intervening areas).
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Websites,
Internet,
etc. |
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Seminar
papers,
workshops,
etc. |
- Herbarium Interchange Standards and Protocols for the Interchange of
Data (HISPID). Australian National Botanic Gardens 1989.
- Redevelopment of the Australian Plant Name Index. Software in Systematics
Symposium, Adelaide. 1998.
- Towards and Australian Virtual Herbarium. Software in Systematics
Symposium, Adelaide. 1998.
- The history of botanical collecting in the Finisterre and Saruwaged
ranges. PNG Botanical Society 1981.
- The Distribution of Isoetes in PNG. PNG Botanical Society, 1981.
- Ferns and Man in New Guinea. PNG Botanical Society, 1982.
- Systematics and biogeography of the Dicksonoid ferns. PNG Botanical
Society, 1984.
- Good trees and bad trees. A survey of useful and harmful trees of the
Forests of PNG. PNG University of Technology, Forestry Department seminar,
1985.
- The floristic affinities of the fern floras of the Bismarck Arhipelago,
and the Milne Bay Islands. PNG Botanical Society, 1985.
- Field Temperature measurements and water relations of montane Cyathea
species in Papua New Guinea. PNG Botanical Society 1986.
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| Editorial |
- Volume III of the Handbook Flora of PNG; passed to Melbourne University
Press on leaving PNG.
- Volume IV of the Handbook Flora of PNG; compilation of material and treatments.
- Checklist of the flora of Kairiru, by Br William Borrell. Editing major
sections, especially pteridophytes, advice on layout, seeking grants for
publication etc. Privately published.
- Reprinting with revision out of print Botany Bulletins: Dictionary of
generic names; Fred Essig's guide to the palm flora of PNG.
- Regularly asked to referee botanical articles for as part of internal review processes and have refereed papers for journals such as Economic Botany, PNG Journal of Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries, Science in New Guinea, and research reports from the PNG University of Technology.
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Other
Projects |
- Participation in the Virtual Ausralian Herbarium (VAH) project of the Herbarium Information Systems Committee (HISCOM)
- Establishment of the Integrated
Botanical Information System (IBIS) database of herbarium and other
botanical data at the Australian
National Botanic Gardens. Based on the Oracle Relational Database Management
System. Existing plant names, herbarium, living collections and photograph databases
are being integrated as part of IBIS.
- Establishment and management of the Australian
National Botanic Gardens Gopher botanical information server, with gateways to the IBIS database system
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- Establishment and management of the Australian
National Botanic Gardens World
Wide Web information server, with gateways to IBIS
database system
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- Development in collaboration with Australian Herbaria of the Herbarium
Information Standards and Protocols for the Interchandge of Data (HISPID),
encompassing appropriate international standards.
- Computerized seedlist for the PNG National Botanic Gardens. Computerized
catalogue of the PNG National Botanic Gardens. Computerized catalogue of
PNG National Wood Sample collection. Computerized catalogue of botanical
illustrations of PNG National Herbarium. Computerized catalogues of LAE's
fruit and spirit collections. These projects were a demonstration
of the feasibility of computerizing the entire herbarium collection of
275,000 specimens at LAE.
- Natural Forest Inventory program for microcomputers for PNG's indigenous
forests, in collaboration with G.S. Vatasan, PNG University of Technology,
Lae. (a universal program in BASIC, with modules in dBASE II).
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| Languages |
- Mother tongue is English
- French (comprehension of written and oral material)
- Neo-Melanesian (New Guinea Pidgin, fluency)
- Botanical Latin
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| Computers |
- Familarity with microcomputer and Unix workstation hardware, internal structure,
operating systems, communications, software and programming, general maintenance.
- Familiarity with DOS, Windows (3.5, 95 and NT) and Mac operating environments
- Peripheral interfacing, software, hardware and programming techniques.
- Detailed familiarity with a range proprietary word-processing, database,
spreadsheet and other office automation packageson the above systems.
- Languages: familiar with BASIC, FORTRAN (a little out of
practice), a little PASCAL, C, PERL, dBase II/III/IV command language.
- Applications development and programming with relational database products,
dBase, Rbase, MS Access, Paradox, and Oracle RDBMS under MS Windows, Windows NT,
UNIX.
- Courses in ORACLE relational database design, management and programming,
including SQL programming and use of the Oracle Computer Aided Systems
Engineering (CASE) suite of products.
- Zilog Z80 assembler code and Intel 8080 assembler code at both operating
system and hardware level.
- Detailed knowledge of Unix, MSDOS, Windows and CP/M operating systems and
management utilities. Familiarity of Apple MacIntosh applications.
- Internet Client and server applications: email list servers, FTP, Gopher,
World Wide Web, Wide Area Information Servers (WAIS), gateways between
these.
- HTML programming - at code level an using various HTML editors.
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Technical &
mechanicalskills |
- Boat-building, carpentry, joinery, general building and maintenance.
- Automobile, motorcycle, chainsaw and outboard motor maintenance, servicing
and repair.
- Australian, PNG and PNG government car and motocycle licences.
- Photography, black and white film development and printing.
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Other
personal
interests |
- Sea kayaking, coastal kayak touring
- Marathon flatwater kayak racing at State and National level
- White water kayaking
- Photography (including digital image processing).
- Pteridophyte collecting (personal collection of 3,000 specimens, donated
to the Australian National Herbarium).
- Bush walking and camping.
- Competetive bushwalking (rogaining)
- Computer programming and network development.
- skin diving, snorkelling, scuba diving
- Sailing, boat-building, boat repair.
- Carpentry, cabinet and furniture making.
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| Referees |
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