The father of CSIRO's highly successful dung beetle project has achieved recognition in the Queen's Birthday Honours.

Dr George Bornemissza, now in his seventies, has been awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia in the General Division.

Dr Bornemissza's citation reads - for services to science and entomology, particularly through the ecological study of dung beetles and the introduction of new species to Australia.

"Dr Bornemissza recommended that CSIRO look at bringing in new species of dung beetles to cope with the huge quantites of bovine dung that our native species were unable to dissipate," says Dr Jim Cullen, head of CSIRO Entomology.

"This was especially important in northern Australia where the dung-breeding buffalo fly was causing huge productivity losses in the cattle industry," says Dr Cullen.

In twenty years with CSIRO Entomology Dr Bornemissza, who originally came from Hungary, identified some 150 species of beetles with the potential to fill ecological niches in Australia where cattle dung was not being recycled by native beetles.

He spent nine years in Africa where many sorts of dung beetle are able to cope with bovine dung.

"George believed that it was important that any species CSIRO imported did not compete with local dung beetles," says Dr Cullen, "At heart he is a conservationist and did not wish to see any adverse impact on the local fauna through the introductions."

"I absolutely shun publicity," says Dr Bornemissza, "but I'm pleased with this Award because of the prominence it gives to science in Australia and especially to the role of dung beetles in our ecosystems.

"The Award is also recognition for the contributions of quite a large number of people in both CSIRO and other agencies who have worked over the years to generate the successes achieved by the beetles."

CSIRO introduced 50 species of dung beetles before the project was wound down in the face of declining funding. However, new interest in the beetles has been sparked by their obvious successes in some climatic regions compared with other areas where for various reasons they did not establish. 

Dr Bornemissza says that National Heritage Trust funds are currently being used to help community groups identify species of introduced beetles suitable for their locality, and to collect and distribute these from existing populations.

He says that more success might be gained from CSIRO again embarking on a program to bring in new species.

"After all, I did shortlist at least 80 species which should have been introduced to give effective coverage of Australia's widely variable climatic regions," he says.

"That leaves 30 still to be brought in." Dr Bornemissza retired from CSIRO in 1983 to Tasmania and since then has worked tirelessly on habitat protection through display collections of beetles gathered world-wide.

"These collections highlight what we are losing by our relentless habitat destruction on a global scale," he says. Dr Bornemissza is also involved in research into soil-breeding primitive stag beetles in temperate forests.

More Information:

Dr Rob Floyd, CSIRO Entomology 02 6246 4089

Dr George Bornemissza 03 6225 5229

Malcolm Robertson Media liaison 0408 627 685

To display a larger version of the image above click here.

African dung beetles now thrive in Australia.

A dung beetle hard at work.

PUBLIC SERVICE MEDAL TO ECOLOGIST

Dr Anthony 'Nick' Nicholls of CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems has been awarded a Public Service Medal "for outstanding service in the field of ecological research". Dr Nichols has been with CSIRO for thirty years, using statistical methods to assess the impact of land management on the survival of Australian native plants and animals.

More information from:

Nick Nicholls, CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems 02-6242 1753

Monica van Wensveen, CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems 02-6242 1651