Seventy-two years of curiosity – Ray Specht AO

From Arnhem Land Expedition 1948 to 2018 – A life’s work

With editorial assistance from member Dr David Doley, Life Member Prof Ray Specht has compiled Ray Specht – A Retrospective including a bibliography of some of his published work – more than 220 citations! This overview is a thoroughly fascinating chronology of 70 years of curiosity-led investigation – a history, a memoir, an encapsulation of an immense volume of botanical scholarship, and an index to a lifetime of public interest research, all wrapped into one readable paper. Teachers: use this paper to inspire your students into a scientific vocation.

Emeritus Prof Ray Specht commenced his career as a botanist in 1948 on the American-
Australian Scientific Expedition to Arnhem Land. Prof Specht celebrated fifty years as a Member of the Royal Society of Queensland in 2017. In 2020 he is still drafting manuscripts, marking a career of seventy-two years of active research.

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