Page 3911 - Week 11 - Tuesday, 15 Sept 2009
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reinvigorating Wattle Day and became an adviser to and a member of the Wattle Day Association.
In 2007, Dr Boden was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia. The citation reads: “For services to horticulture, particularly through contributions to the development of the Australian National Botanic Gardens, and to the preservation of the natural environment.”
Dr Boden is remembered by those who knew him as a gentle and gracious man, with a prodigious power of persuasion. His contribution to his community lives on in the trees of our city, in his contribution to our knowledge of conservation and in the memories of those who met and worked with him over the course of his long and distinguished career.
MR SESELJA (Molonglo—Leader of the Opposition): I rise to speak to the motion of condolence for Dr Robert Boden and to pass on our sympathies to family and friends of Dr Boden on behalf of the Canberra Liberals.
Although I did not know Dr Boden, I am aware, as many other Canberrans are, of his contributions through the National Botanic Gardens, of which he was the former director. I am impressed by his record, including gaining admission into university at a young age, where he was awarded a Bachelor of Science specialising in forestry. I am also impressed by his commitment, for he took his path of study from his teenage years and dedicated the rest of his life to forestry and the environment.
His life has seen him recognised throughout the world for his unique understanding of trees as part of a broader landscape, and of how they impact, influence and enrich the human experience within that landscape.
For 10 years, Dr Boden was director of the National Botanic Gardens, but his influence extends throughout the Canberra landscape as he became a consultant practising in conservation and natural resource management. His work has appeared in both newsprint and published books.
His wide knowledge and deep commitment were recognised when he was appointed to the National Trust of Australia and as the foreman of the ACT Flora and Fauna Committee. He was acknowledged by the CSIRO and by Government House, and his work as a special adviser on the ACT Tree Protection Act meant that his knowledge had a very real impact on the everyday lives of many Canberrans and many streetscapes in Canberra.
In 2007, Dr Boden was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for services to horticulture. The Canberra landscape has been enriched by Dr Boden’s talent and perseverance. I have no doubt he has also enriched the lives of those who knew him. I respectfully offer my condolences to Dr Boden’s family, friends and loved ones.
MS HUNTER (Ginninderra—Parliamentary Convenor, ACT Greens): On behalf of the ACT Greens, I rise today to offer our deepest sympathies and condolences to the friends and loved ones of Dr Robert Boden. “A true man for all seasons” was how the Canberra Times described Dr Boden in its front-page tribute on 1 September 2009.
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