The NSW Weed Society - established 1966

The Weed Society of New South Wales Inc. was formed in 1966, the first weed society in Australia. It is affiliated with similar societies in Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia and New Zealand under the umbrella organisation, the Council of Australasian Weed Societies (CAWS).

The key objective of the Society is to provide a forum for networking between people with an interest in weeds to share information and experience.

The Society frequently holds or sponsors workshops, seminars and field days on aspects of weed biology, ecology and control, as well as environmental issues.

Examples of past workshops and seminars include:

  • Weeds ‘Woe-to-Go IV’ Poisonous and Allergenic plants.
  • The olive industry and feral olives.
  • Aquatic weeds and their management.
  • Environmental Weeds – Research, Education, Legislation & Control.
  • GM Crops: Risks and Benefits (in association with the AIAST).

Members receive the quarterly “A Good Weed” newsletter. Current versions are provided directly to members. Newsletter covers with the index are available in the Newsletter menu. Older newsletters are also available through this link.

The Society offers a number of Weed Prizes at Universities and a Travel Study Grant to assist individuals for a range of activities.

Summer Grass
Sweet Pittosporum flowers
Portulaca
Portulaca

Objectives of the NSW Weed Society

Provide opportunities for those interested in weeds and their management to meet, to exchange their knowledge and experiences, and
to learn of new developments and research
.

This is achieved by:

  • Organising meetings/workshops/seminars, held at both urban and rural locations.
  • Publishing a newsletter containing the latest information on weeds in NSW and the rest of Australia.
  • Forming regional groups to ensure interaction at local level.
  • Providing funds for members to travel to increase their knowledge.
  • Organising Australian Weed Conferences on behalf of CAWS.


Increase awareness of the effects of weeds and their management to general public and policy makers

This will be achieved by:

  • Mounting and sponsoring displays, as a Society or in collaboration with others, at public events.
  • Organising and participating in talks in areas/topics in which weeds or weed management is an issue (so that non-members can benefit from the
    knowledge of members).
  • Promoting/encouraging the development and publication of educational material.
  • Encouraging members to participate in teaching at secondary and tertiary education.

To represent the interests of members at State level and where appropriate at national level through full involvement in CAWS and other organisations

This will be achieved by:

  • Informing other organisations and individuals of the existence, activities and aims of the Society.
  • Providing CAWS delegates.
  • Responding to requests from CAWS for advice and assistance.
  • When considered relevant to the Society, providing input into formulation of policy at a State level

The NSW Weed Society aims to...

  • promote a wider interest in weeds and their management.
  • To encourage the investigation of all aspects of weeds and weed management.
  • To encourage the study of weed science and the dissemination of its findings.
  • To provide opportunities for those interested in weeds and their management to exchange information and ideas based on research and practice.
  • To cooperate with other organisations engaged in related activities in Australia and overseas.
  • To produce and publish such material as may be considered desirable.

NSW Weed Society Constitution

The Weed Society of New South Wales Inc. Constitution can be downloaded by clicking the link below.

Committee members

Wendy Gidney Committee
Wendy Gibney - President

Wendy has worked for NSW Department of Primary Industries since 2016. Her work with DPI has included developing weeds resources, and supporting weeds professionals with behaviour change programs. Wendy's previous weeds related roles include bush regenerator, environmental project officer and landcare coordinator. Wendy has a Masters in Agriculture and a Bachelor of Environmental Science (Environmental rehabilitation).

Pete Dawson - Vice President

Pete Dawson has spent over 30 years working across the New England and Northwest region of NSW in agricultural and natural resource management sectors. These experiences have provided him with a sound knowledge of the region, its people, places and industries. From working on large grazing properties at Burren Junction, Carinda and across the New England - Northwest, Peter has first hand experience living and working in the unique natural ecosystems which underpin our Northwest communities. Pete is employed as Team leader for Invasive Species and Plant Health for Northwest Local Land Services and is a former Noxious Weeds Officer, Landcare Coordinator and Namoi CMA Catchment Officer, Senior Land Services Officer and Regional Weed Coordinator. Pete is passionate about working collaboratively with landholders, communities, government agencies and research organisations to increase knowledge and improve management of high priority invasive weeds.

Doug Campbell Treasurer
Doug Campbell -Treasurer

Doug has worked in NSW local government weed management since 1992, 10 years with Gunnedah Shire Council (1992-2002) and Upper Hunter County Council (2002- present). He has been involved in the development of regional weed strategies and the implementation of mapping software into local government management systems and is the current President of the NSW Weeds Officers Association. Doug has a degree in Environmental Science (Natural Resource Management) as well as an Advanced Diploma in Conservation and Land Management and a Diploma in Management and Leadership. Doug's contribution to planning and coordinating weed management programs was recognised in 2013 when he was the recipient of the Stephenson Award.

Hillary Cherry
Hillary Cherry - Committee

Hillary is a Weed Management Coordinator, working with the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage and the National Parks and Wildlife Service where she coordinates state-wide weed strategy, policy and planning for biodiversity conservation. Originally from Florida, where she obtained a Master’s Degree in Botany from the University of Florida (UF). She worked with the UF Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants on terrestrial weed research, applied management and weed risk assessment before moving to Australia in 2002 From 2005-2013, she coordinated the Weeds of National Significance (WoNS) programs for bitou bush, boneseed and asparagus weeds. She has been a member of the NSW Weeds Society since 2003.

Hanwen Wu Committee
Hanwen Wu - Committee

Hanwen studied weed management in China and the Netherlands before moving to Australia in 1999 to work in weeds research in NSW and Queensland. Research interests include allelopathy of crops, integrated weed management and summer weeds. Hanwen is the current leader of the Weeds Research Team at the Wagga Wagga Agricultural Institute.

Paul Marynissen Committee
Paul Marynissen- Committee

Paul has been a horticulturist for almost 30 years and has been a Noxious Weeds/ Biosecurity Officer for 24 years. He has a passion for weed identification and innovations in weed management. He has worked in weed management on the NSW Central Coast (where he is the Biosecurity Officer (Weeds)) as well in the Hornsby Shire and the Greater Taree areas.

Kim Hignell President Newsletter Editor
Kim Bishop - Immediate Past President

Kim has a background in horticulture and worked at Lake Macquarie City Council for 21years, the last 16 years as the Vegetation & Pest Management Coordinator dealing mainly with noxious weeds and feral animals. Kim has extensive experience in weed management at both local government and regional levels. Her focus is bio-control programs including alligator weed flea beetle, bridal creeper leaf hopper and rust, madeira vine beetle, salvinia weevil and water hyacinth weevil introductions. Kim has degree in Environmental Science with a double major in Natural Resource Management and Coastal Management.

Andrew McConnachie - Committee

Andrew is a Senior Research Scientist with the Weeds Research Unit, Biosecurity and Food Safety, New South Wales, Department of Primary Industries. He works on the ecology and biological control of weeds. He also has an interest in insect thermal physiology and climatic modelling.

Daniel Tan - Committee

Professor Daniel Tan graduated from the University of Queensland with a BAppSc (Hort Tech) (Hons 1) in 1991 and a PhD in 1999. He is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (2015) and was elected a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Agricultural Science and Technology (FAIAST) and a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SF HEA) in 2021 In recent years, Daniel has presented papers at the International Crop Science Congress in Brisbane, the 4th, 5th and 6th International Cotton Conferences in Texas, U.S.A., Mumbai, India and Goiania, Brazil and convened sessions at the European Geosciences Union (EGU) in Vienna, Austria. Daniel is on the Editorial Boards of Agriculture and Frontiers of Plant Science.

Andrea Fletcher-Dawson Committee

Andrea is currently the Senior Biosecurity Officer for the Castlereagh Macquarie County Council.

Clare Felton-Taylor

Clare is currently the Weeds Coordinator for the Narrabri Shire Council

Past Executives

    Year              President                 Vice President                        Secretary                                             Treasurer                         Newsletter  Editor

 

1966 Nelson Johnston K R Green  Peter Gregory Alan Mears P F Rylands
1967 Kelvin Green K A Watson  Peter Gregory Alan Mears  
1968 Ken Watson J D McFarlane  Paul Weiss Alan Mears  
1969 J. D. McFarlane A D Mears  Peter Rylands Alan Mears A D Mears
K A Watson 
1970 Alan Mears   Peter Rylands George McMaster  
1971 Alan Mears P W Michael  Jack Burke George McMaster P W Michael 
1972 Peter Michael K A Watson  Jack Burke George McMaster P W Michael
A N Mears 
1973 Peter Michael K A Watson  Jack Burke George McMaster P W Michael
A N Mears 
1974 Ken Watson M Barrett  Jack Burke George McMaster  
1975 Mike Barrett G S McMaster  Jack Burke Alex McLennan A N Mears 
1976 Mike Barrett G S McMaster  Jack Burke Alex McLennan  
1977 Barry Lowe L W Smith  Jack Burke Alex McLennan L W Smith 
1978 Barry Lowe L W Smith  Jack Burke Alex McLennan L W Smith 
1979 Leon Smith J M Swain  Jack Burke Alex McLennan L W Smith
J Toth 
1980 Leon Smith J M Swain  Jack Burke Alex McLennan L W Smith
J Toth 
1981 Jim Swain A McLennan  Jack Burke Mike Barrett L W Smith
1982 Jim Swain A McLennan  Jack Burke Mike Barrett L W Smith
1983 Alex McLennan M J Hood  Jack Burke Mike Barrett  
1984 Alex McLennan M J Hood  Jack Burke Mike Barrett  
1985 Michael Hood W L Felton  Jack Burke Geoff Jacobs R W Medd 
1986 Michael Hood W L Felton  Mike Barrett Geoff Jacobs R W Medd 
1987 Warwick Felton W J Burke  Mike Hood Geoff Jacobs R J Martin
M G McMillan 
1988 Warwick Felton W J Burke  Mike Barrett Geoff Jacobs R J Martin 
1989 Jack Burke J Toth  Mike Barrett Geoff Jacobs M G McMillan 
1990 Jack Burke J Toth  Mike Barrett Geoff Jacobs Deirdre Lemerle
1991 Jim Toth R Cousens  Mike Barrett Geoff Jacobs Deirdre Lemerle
1992 Jim Toth A M Murphy  Mike Barrett Geoff Jacobs Deirdre Lemerle
1993 Roger Cousens A Leys  Leon Smith Geoff Jacobs Deirdre Lemerle
1994 Alan Murphy John Cameron  Leon Smith Alex McLennan Deirdre Lemerle
1995 Alan Murphy John Cameron Leon Smith Alex McLennan Brian Sindel
1996 John Cameron Dan Austin Leon Smith Alex McLennan Brian Sindel
1997 John Cameron Dan Austin Leon Smith Alex McLennan Brian Sindel
1998 Dan Austin Robert Plumbe Leon Smith Alex McLennan Brian Sindel
1999 Dan Austin Richard Graham Leon Smith Alex McLennan Jim Dellow
Peter Dowling
Bob Trounce
2000 Richard Graham Steve Sutherland Leon Smith Alex McLennan Jim Dellow
Peter Dowling
Bob Trounce
2001 Bob Trounce Steve Sutherland Leon Smith Alex McLennan Jim Dellow
Peter Dowling
Bob Trounce
2002 Bob Trounce Steve Sutherland Leon Smith Alex McLennan Jim Dellow
Peter Dowling
Bob Trounce
2003 Bob Trounce Louise Brodie Jim Swain Alex McLennan Jim Dellow
Peter Dowling
Bob Trounce
2004 Bob Trounce Stephen Johnson Jim Swain Alex McLennan Mike Hood
2005 Warwick Felton Stephen Johnson Jim Swain Alex McLennan Mike Hood
2006 Warwick Felton Stephen Johnson Alan Murphy Jim Swain Mike Hood
2007 Stephen Johnson Rex Stanton Alan Murphy Jim Swain Mike Hood
2008 Rex Stanton Warwick Felton Alan Murphy Jim Swain Lawrie Greenup
2009 Rex Stanton Stephen Johnson Alan Murphy Jim Swain Lawrie Greenup
2010 Rex Stanton Birgitte Verbeek Alan Murphy Jim Swain Lawrie Greenup
2011 Rex Stanton Birgitte Verbeek Alan Murphy Jim Swain Lawrie Greenup/Hanwen Wu
2012 Rex Stanton Birgitte Verbeek Alan Murphy Jim Swain Lawrie Greenup/Hanwen Wu
2013 Rex Stanton Kim Hignell Alan Murphy Jim Swain Lawrie Greenup/Hanwen Wu
2014 Kim Hignell Birgitte Verbeek Alan Murphy Jim Swain Lawrie Greenup/Hanwen Wu
2015 Kim Hignell Birgitte Verbeek Stephen Johnson Rex Stanton Lawrie Greenup/Hanwen Wu
2016 Kim Hignell  Birgitte Verbeek  Stephen Johnson  Rex Stanton  Lawrie Greenup/Hanwen Wu 
2017 Kim Hignell  Birgitte Verbeek Stephen Johnson   Rex Stanton  Tony Cook/Hanwen Wu 
2018 Kim Hignell Hillary Cherry Sam Porter/ Maria Edmonds Rex Stanton Tony Cook/Hanwen Wu
2019 Kim Hignell Hillary Cherry Maria Edmonds D Campbell Tony Cook/Hanwen Wu
2020 Kim Hignell Birgitte Verbeek Maria Edmonds D Campbell Kim Hignell 
2021 Wendy Gidney Megan Wyllie Maria Edmonds D Campbell
2022 Wendy Gidney Peter Dawson Megan Wyllie D Campbell Kim Hignell/Wendy Gidney