The 2006 Whitley Medal
Adelaide, Nature of a City
Edited by Christopher Daniels and Catherine Tait
Centre for Urban Habitats at the University of Adelaide

This year's medal winner is Adelaide, Nature of a City, which covers the ecology of a dynamic city from 1836 to 2036. It was edited by Christopher Daniels and Catherine Tait, both of whom were also part of the team of some 75 writers from a vast range of disciplines. The book is an analysis of the biological life of the city of Adelaide, tracking changes to plant and animal communities over the time of urban development and extending into future predictions. The book draws heavily on the remarkable records of well-educated settlers who also retained significant information of the pre-European environment. It is published by BioCity, the Centre for Urban Habitats at the University of Adelaide.

2006 Whitely Certificates

The Awards include Certificates of Commendation and this year 11 publications (books and electronic) received commendations.

These were:

For best children's book -
Leaf Litter, Exploring the Mysteries of a Hidden World 
Author and illustrator: Rachel Tonkin
Angus and Robertson

For best children's story -
Emily and Alfie
Author: Meredith Hooper 
Illustrator: Emma Quay 
Hachette Children’s Books Australia

For natural history -
Albatross, Elusive Mariners of the Southern Ocean
Authors: Aleks Terauds & Fiona Stewart
Reed New Holland

For a conservation resource -
CSIRO List of Australian Vertebrates; A reference with conservation status
Authors: Mark Clayton, John Wombey, Ian Mason, Terry Chesser & Alice Wells 
CSIRO Publishing

On urban fauna -
Wild Neighbours
Author: Ian Temby
Citrus Press

For the natural history of an iconic species - 
Wedge-tailed Eagle
Author: Penny Olsen
CSIRO Publishing

For the best conservation text -
Practical Conservation Biology
Authors: David Lindenmayer & Mark Burgman 
CSIRO Publishing

For an identification key (CD)
Centipedes of Australia
Authors: Matthew Colloff, Anne Hastings, Fiona Spier & Jean Devonshire CSIRO Entomology

For the illustrations in a limited edition - 
Marsupials of Australia Vol 3 Kangaroos, Wallabies and Rat-kangaroos
Illustrator: Rosemary Woodford Ganf
Mallon Publishing

For a conservation manual -
South Australian Rangelands and Aboriginal Land Wildlife Management Manual
Author: Harald Ehmann
Dept of Water, Land & Biodiversity Conservation, SA

The Whitley Awards, first presented in 1979, are hosted by the Royal Zoological Society of NSW and presented at a ceremony at The Australian Museum in Sydney. They are a tribute to Gilbert Whitley (1903-1975), who was the Curator of Fishes at the Australian Museum from 1922 to 1964. For many years, Whitley was also the editor of the Society's publications and a very active member.

For further information, contact Dr Noel Tait, Chair, Whitley Committee, RZS (NSW)

Phone: 612 9427 6747; email: nntait@bigpond.net.au