Vincent Serventy

Vincent Serventy was listed as a significant man in the Significant Men of the Central Coast book brought out in 2009 to acknowledge men who had made a difference on the Central Coast.

He graduated from the Western Australian University in 1941with degrees in education and science.

He fought hard for years to see Western Australia become an environmental leader for Australia.

With Carol, his wife and partner of many years, he wrote over 70 books on conservation, wildlife preservation and wider environmental issues.

Notable of these are A Continent in Danger, Nature Walkabout, Dryandra Saving Australia, The Handbook of Australian Sea Birds with D.L. Serventy and John Warham, Zoo Walkabout, Australian National Parks, The Desert Sea, Koalas, Crusoe Boys, Flight of the Shearwater, and Vincent Serventy - An Australian Life.

Australia's Wildlife Heritage, with Carol Serventy and Robert Raymond, was published as a part work of 104 magazines.

A number of Vincent's books were published in other languages and his influence spread around the world.

In 1965, Vincent and Carol, travelled around Australia from Perth to Sydney via Darwin, Alice Springs and north Queensland to film, the Nature Walkabout series of 26 episodes for Channel 9.

This became one of the earliest and most popular environmental series on television at that time.

In 1973 Vincent was elected as president of the Wild Life Preservation Society of Australia, and over the next 30 odd years he steered the Society into a national, influential wildlife conservation society, involved in the major conservation battles of the time.

He was awarded the honour of Ridder in the Order of the Golden Ark by Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands in 1980 for his work in international conservation, the Australian Natural History Award in 1974, and made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in 1975 for his work for conservation and education.

He received an honorary Doctorate of Science from Macquarie University in 1998 in recognition of his service to the advancement of natural history and science.

Carol and Vincent bought a house in Pearl Beach in 1977 and spent weekends there with their family.

In 1992, they came to live full time in Pearl Beach.

With Carol, he was Patron of the Pearl Beach Native Arboretum Committee and a keen member of the Progress Association.

He continued his conservation work including writing a brochure on the local flora in this wonderful natural space, at Pearl Beach.

Vincent was also a Patron of the Multi Arts Confederation for many years before his death in 2007.

Significant Men of the Central Coast, 2009

Margaret Hardy