William Henry Butler AO CBE (1930 - 2015)

Born 25 Mar 1930 in Subiaco, Western Australia, Australia

Died 11 Dec 2015 at age 85 in Perth, Western Australia, Australia

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Biography

William Butler AO CBE is Notable.

William Butler AO CBE was born in Western Australia, Australia

In 1976, some twenty years before the appearance of the crocodile hunting Steve Irwin, Harry Butler appeared on Australian television screens. The archetypal bushman with khaki shorts and shirt, and the battered bushman's hat, he became immensely popular with viewers as his series In The Wild introduced Australians to a vast variety of indigenous wildlife, and enjoyed a five year run on ABC television. With his quiet, no nonsense style, he explained conservation and ecological concepts to ordinary people.^[1][2][3][4]

Born William Henry Butler on 25 March 1930, in the King Edward Memorial Hospital at Subiaco, Western Australia, to Welsh immigrant William Butler and his wife Pearl Owen,^[5][6] Harry was barely 12 months old when his mother died giving birth to his sister.^[7][8] Raised in the railroad construction camp where his father lived, Harry grew up wild, raised by the men living in the camp, and spent a lot of his time in the bush with his Aboriginal friends.^[9]

After high school Harry trained as a fitter and turner^[10] and worked as a marine engineer. Then he attended Claremont Teachers College in Western Australia and spent 10 years lecturing in biology and natural science in Australia,^[11][12] followed by America and Canada.^[9] He teamed with Vincent Serventy in the 1950s to travel the state, visiting Western Australian schools to give classes on nature study and recruit student members for the Western Australian Gould League. Both became well known through participation in the Wild Life Shows, held annually in the Perth Town Hall. Harry's particular interest was reptiles while Vincent's was birds, but both had a broad knowledge of local natural history.^[13]

Harry and his first wife, Bina, married young and had three children, but the marriage didn't last and they divorced in 1966. In his 40s he met and married Margaret.^[9]

William (Harry) Butler was a conservationist and environmentalist.

In 1962 Harry began working as an environmental consultant, a career that would last five decades.^[14][15] One of his first jobs was to find a way for Barrow Island, a Class A nature reserve off the north-west Australian coast, to also become an oil field. The island has hundreds of rare plant and animal species and is a major turtle breeding ground. To preserve the island Harry quarantined it against introduced plants and animals, banned guns, fined workers who harmed an animal and burned all food scraps. He also developed a program so work was timed around natural seasons and when excavations were finished, original top soil was put back.^[9]

Harry was a staunch believer that development and conservation could co-exist and once observed: “I’ve achieved more by working with mining companies and other developers than I ever would have lying down in front of bulldozers.” He was sometimes harshly criticised for this stance, notably when he worked as a consultant on the failed Franklin Dam Project and for his support of mining in Kakadu. This set him apart from his conservation colleagues.^[1][9][16]

Along with his consultancy work, Harry started a native plant nursery outside Perth,^[17][18] farmed fresh water crayfish, had an interest in a restaurant, wrote songs and children's books, designed tourist resorts and ran outback tours.^[9] Although not a prolific collector, he sometimes collected plants for the Perth Herbarium. Some 977 specimens have been attributed to him, most collected between the late 1950s and the early 1970s, predominantly in Western Australia and a small number in the Northern Territory.^[13]

In 1970 Harry was honoured as a Member of The Order of the British Empire, in recognition of his services to natural history.^[19] In 1979 he was Australian of the Year.^[16] The following year he was named as a Commander of The Order of the British Empire.^[20]

Harry received an honorary doctorate from Edith Cowan University in 2003,^[13] while the National Trust of Australia named Harry as a National Living Treasure in 2012.^[21] In the same year he was named an Officer of the Order of Australia for “distinguished service to the community through the promotion of public understanding of natural history and wildlife conservation”, and also for service to “the development of collaborative environmental partnerships with industry, and to the community”.^[22]

Following Harry's death in 2015, at age 85, to cancer, the premier of Western Australia, Colin Barnett, paid tribute to his friend.

“Harry was an environmental pioneer whose dedication to conservation and nature was tireless. There will be many people who remember tuning in to his ABC show In the Wild and who will remember him fondly. He was a great West Australian and a great educator to many of us about the importance of the environment.”^[23]

A species of mulga snake, Pseudechis butleri, and a spider, Synothele butleri, are named for Harry,^[23] along with four species of Australian lizards: Ctenophorus butleri, Delma butleri, Morethia butleri, and Notoscincus butleri. One species of Australian lizard is named for Harry and his wife, Margaret Butler: Eremiascincus butlerorum.^[9][24]

In 2016, the new Western Australian Museum research facility and storage centre in Welshpool was named in his honour.^[25]

Harry was listed as one of 30 conservation heroes in the Jan-Feb 2016 (#130) issue of Australian Geographic.^[1]

Videos

Jarrah Forest - Harry Butler

The Karri Forest - Harry Butler

Australian Screen - In The Wild - Lake Argyle with Harry Butler

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} McGhee, Karen. Australian Geographic. Vale Harry Butler AO CBE. Published online 22 Dec 2015. (Australian Geographic, https://www.australiangeographic.com.au/topics/science-environment/2015/12/vale-harry-butler/, archived at Wayback Machine 30 Mar 2018, retrieved 26 Feb 2021)
2. ↑ Peter Hamilton Consultants Inc. Documentary Business. Harry Butler: The Aussie Talent Who Helped Build Discovery Off the Backs of Snakes and Lizards. Published online 16 Dec 2015. (Documentary Business, https://www.documentarytelevision.com/distribution/harry-butler-the-aussie-talent-who-helped-build-discovery-off-the-backs-of-snakes-and-lizards/, archived at Wayback Machine 10 Sep 2016, retrieved 26 Feb 2021)
3. ↑ Australian Screen. In the Wild with Harry Butler (1976 - 1981). (Australian Screen, https://aso.gov.au/titles/series/in-the-wild-with-harry-butler/ : accessed 26 Feb 2021)
4. ↑ Australian Screen. In the Wild with Harry Butler. Scars on the Landscape. (Australian Screen, https://aso.gov.au/titles/tv/scars-on-the-landscape/clip2/ : accessed 26 Feb 2021)
5. ↑ Western Australia Birth Index. (Department of the Justice, Western Australia, https://bdm.justice.wa.gov.au/_apps/pioneersindex/ : accessed 25 Feb 2021), database entry for Butler, William H. (District: Perth, Reference: 1033/1930)
6. ↑ The West Australian, Perth. 29 March 1930, Page 1, Column 1, Family Notices. (Trove, National Library of Australia, https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/?type=newspapers : accessed 25 February 2021)
7. ↑ Western Australia Death Index. (Department of the Justice, Western Australia, https://bdm.justice.wa.gov.au/_apps/pioneersindex/ : accessed 24 Feb 2021), database entry for Butler, Lily P. (District: Perth, Reference: 463/1931)
8. ↑ The West Australian, Perth, 30 March 1931, Page 1, Column 1, Family Notices. (Trove, National Library of Australia, https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/?type=newspapers : accessed 24 February 2021)
9. ↑ ^{9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 9.5 9.6} Veitch, Harriet. The Sydney Morning Herald. Obituary: Harry Butler, the bushman who brought his love of the outback into living rooms. Published online 14 Dec 2015. (The Sydney Morning Herald, https://www.smh.com.au/national/obituary-the-bushman-who-brought-his-love-of-the-outback-into-living-rooms-20151213-glmboz.html, archived at Wayback Machine ; accessed 26 Feb 2021)
10. ↑ Australian Electoral Commission. Electoral roll. (Ancestry, Australia, Electoral Rolls, 1903-1980, https://www.ancestry.com/ : accessed 26 February 2021) electoral enrolment for William Henry Butler (Roll Number: 1093, Date: 1954, Address: 242 Eighth Ave Inglewood, Occupation: Mechanical Fitter, Electoral Place: Maylands, Perth, Western Australia, Australia) Ancestry Record 1207 #33243226
11. ↑ Australian Electoral Commission. Electoral roll. (Ancestry, Australia, Electoral Rolls, 1903-1980, https://www.ancestry.com/ : accessed 26 February 2021) electoral enrolment for William Henry Butler (Roll Number: 945, Date: 1958, Address: 48 Garratt Road Bayswater, Occupation: Teacher, Electoral Place: Bayswater, Stirling, Western Australia, Australia) Ancestry Record 1207 #102989670
12. ↑ Australian Electoral Commission. Electoral roll. (Ancestry, Australia, Electoral Rolls, 1903-1980, https://www.ancestry.com/ : accessed 26 February 2021) electoral enrolment for William Henry Butler (Roll Number: 1070, Date: 1963, Address: 48 Garratt Road Bayswater, Occupation: Teacher, Electoral Place: Bayswater, Stirling, Western Australia, Australia) Ancestry Record 1207 #101696358
13. ↑ ^{13.0 13.1 13.2} Australian National Herbarium. Butler, William Henry (Harry) (1930 - 2015). (Australian National Herbarium, archived at Wayback Machine 30 Jan 2021, retrieved 27 Feb 2021)
14. ↑ Australian Electoral Commission. Electoral roll. (Ancestry, Australia, Electoral Rolls, 1903-1980, https://www.ancestry.com/ : accessed 27 February 2021) electoral enrolment for William Henry Butler (Roll Number: 1649, Date: 1968, Address: 20 Claverton Street, Occupation: Naturalist, Electoral Place: North Perth, Perth, Western Australia, Australia) Ancestry Record 1207 #99444115
15. ↑ Australian Electoral Commission. Electoral roll. (Ancestry, Australia, Electoral Rolls, 1903-1980, https://www.ancestry.com/ : accessed 27 February 2021) electoral enrolment for William Henry Butler (Roll Number: 1424, Date: 1972, Address: 48a Thompson Drive, Wanneroo, Occupation: Naturalist, Electoral Place: Pearce, Moore, Western Australia, Australia) Ancestry Record 1207 #37508029
16. ↑ ^{16.0 16.1} Australian of the Year Awards. Harry Butler CBE. Conservationist and Naturalist. (Australian of the Year Awards, https://www.australianoftheyear.org.au/recipients/harry-butler/83/, archived at Wayback Machine 28 Nov 2020, retrieved 26 Feb 2021)
17. ↑ Australian Electoral Commission. Electoral roll. (Ancestry, Australia, Electoral Rolls, 1903-1980, https://www.ancestry.com/ : accessed 27 February 2021) electoral enrolment for William Henry Butler (Roll Number: 4011, Date: 1977, Address: Wanneroo Nursery, Wanneroo, Occupation: Naturalist, Electoral Place: Pearce, Moore, Western Australia, Australia) Ancestry Record 1207 #37941549
18. ↑ Australian Electoral Commission. Electoral roll. (Ancestry, Australia, Electoral Rolls, 1903-1980, https://www.ancestry.com/ : accessed 27 February 2021) electoral enrolment for William Henry Butler (Roll Number: 1058, Date: 1980, Address: Wanneroo Nursery, Wanneroo Road, Wanneroo, Occupation: Naturalist, Electoral Place: Girrawheen, Moore, Western Australia, Australia) Ancestry Record 1207 #37612385
19. ↑ Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. Government of Australia. (Australian Honours Search Facility, https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/1089174 : accessed 27 Feb 2021) The Order of the British Empire - Member (Civil) (Imperial) award granted to Mr William Henry Butler, 13 Jun 1970.
20. ↑ Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. Government of Australia. (Australian Honours Search Facility, https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/1065250 : accessed 26 Feb 2021) The Order of the British Empire - Commander (Civil) (Imperial) award granted to Mr William Henry (Harry) Butler, 14 Jun 1980.
21. ↑ National Trust. National Living Treasures. (National Trust, archived at Wayback Machine 19 Sep 2014, retrieved 26 Feb 2021)
22. ↑ Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. Government of Australia. (Australian Honours Search Facility, https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/1145739 : accessed 26 Feb 2021) Officer of the Order of Australia award granted to Dr William Henry Butler, 11 Jun 2012.
23. ↑ ^{23.0 23.1} The Guardian. Harry Butler, TV presenter and conservationist, dies at 85. Published online 12 Dec 2015. (The Guardian, https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2015/dec/12/harry-butler-tv-presenter-and-conservationist-dies-at-85, archived at Wayback Machine 8 Nov 2020, retrieved 26 Feb 2021)
24. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Harry Butler," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Harry_Butler&oldid=1003447673 (accessed February 25, 2021).
25. ↑ ABC News. Harry Butler: New WA museum centre honours legendary naturalist. Published online 17 Apr 2016. (ABC News, https://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-04-17/new-museum-facility-honours-harry-butler/7333324, archived at Wayback Machine : accessed 25 Feb 2021)

• Burial Register (Metropolitan Cemeteries Board, Western Australia, https://www.mcb.wa.gov.au/research : accessed 26 Feb 2021) cremation record for Butler, William Henry aka Harry (Age: 85, Date of Death: 11 Dec 2015, Residence: Busselton) at Karrakatta Cemetery, Application No. KC00200051. Final resting place unknown.