UNE Publicity Office

Obituary:

Emeritus Professor John Ralph Burton, AO

8 November 1929 - 10 September 2000

This week has seen the death of one of Australia's pioneers in natural resource management. An emeritus professor at the University of New England, John Burton's career spanned extensive teaching, research, consulting and government and community advisory roles.

John Burton came to the University of New England, Armidale on his appointment as Foundation Professor of Natural Resources. He arrived in January 1971 and was soon followed by the first intake of both undergraduates and postgraduate students on 13 February that year. This pattern seemed to epitomise his academic life at UNE - plenty of activities, tight schedules, an easy-going nature and excellent rapport with students.

His appointment to UNE followed six years in New Zealand as Professor of Agricultural Engineering at Lincoln College, University of Canterbury and Director of the New Zealand Agricultural Engineering Institute. He developed new degree programs and built up these organisations into international standards. He progressed his teaching and research involvement in hydrology, soil erosion, irrigation, water resources, and farm machinery and mechanisation and served on many boards and national committees associated with his interests.

John Burton first began his academic career in 1954 in the School of Civil Engineering at the University of Technology which then became the University of New South Wales where he was lecturer and senior lecturer with teaching and research interests in water conservation, and soil and water engineering. He was closely associated with the Water Research Foundation from its inception in 1955 and gained a research fellowship to undertake postgraduate studies. He was a Fulbright Research Scholar spending 15 months at the Water Resources Centre, University of California, Los Angeles.

Prior to his time at the University of New South Wales, John Burton worked for the NSW Department of Public Works as a civil engineer working on water supplies, dams and soil engineering associated with dam construction. He related many interesting stories about his time as an assistant engineer on the construction of Eucumbene Dam in the Snowy Mountains Scheme.

At the University of New England, John Burton was responsible for the initial development of the Bachelor of Natural Resources, a degree that was the first of its kind in Australia. The program was strongly based on the three Es - ecology, engineering and economics in which he emphasised the adoption of an holistic and systems approach to resource management, the development of problem-solving skills, and the creation of a professional, resource management ethos among the graduates. In 1978 he developed a combined degree program in natural resources and civil engineering with the University of Newcastle. This led to the development in 1991 of the degree in natural resources engineering at UNE in which he was the principal architect.

His research interests included multi-objective planning for water resources development, recreational use of water supply reservoirs, total catchment management and land use planning, and waste management in mining and agriculture. Many of his research interests were blurred and intertwined with his love for sailing. He always showed avid interest in new technologies and was keen to adopt them in his teaching and research programs. He published more than 100 papers, articles and reports.

John Burton was prominent in the academic administration of UNE over his 24-year period of tenure, as a Professor of Natural Resources, Professor of Resource Engineering, Head of School, Head of Department, and Dean of the Faculty of Resource Management. He was a member of UNE Council in 1987 and 1988. He was one of the founders of the Centre for Water Policy Research and was its Associate Director from inception in 1987, and then a Director from 1995.

During his career at UNE, John Burton was heavily involved as an advisor and consultant to State and Federal Governments, as well as many natural resources industries. In 1972 he was appointed Chairman to the Federal Government's first major environmental inquiry, which was concerned with the flooding of Lake Pedder in Tasmania. Ten years later he was a consultant to the Tasmanian Government on future power development and became involved in the issues of damming the Franklin-Gordon River system. As a member of the Technical Advisory Committee to the NSW State Pollution Control Commission he became involved in many environmental and resource management issues during the 1970s and early 1980s and was a member of the Kooragang Island Environmental Inquiry.

John Burton acted as a consultant to the Federal, Victorian, Queensland and NSW Governments on a variety of matters, mostly relating to policy and strategic issues with water resources, soil conservation, integrated catchment management, and land degradation. The Federal Minister of Primary Industries appointed him as Chairman to the National Soil Conservation Advisory Committee for four years from 1986 to 1989 where he was closely involved in the conception and development of the National Landcare Program. In the same year he became the first Chairman of the Murray-Darling Basin Commission Community Advisory Committee and served for three years. During his long and distinguished career, his extensive public and community service established many academic and professional links between resource management agencies and the University.

He was made an Officer in the General Division of the Order of Australia in 1990 in recognition for his services to resource engineering and resource management education. He was also awarded the prestigious McKell Medal by the Australia Soil Conservation Council in 1991. He was awarded the degree of Doctor of Resource Management in 1995 by UNE in recognition for his distinguished public service in natural resources management.

He continued to remain active in natural resources management after his retirement from UNE, by being involved in consultancies, publications and national conferences despite periods of ill health. Late in 1999 he co-authored a publication for the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia entitled "Regional Cooperation in the Twenty-first Century on Flood Control and Management in the Asia Pacific". The Secretary-General of the United Nations, Kofi Annan, recently presented a copy of this report to the King of Thailand. In March this year John Burton presented the keynote address to the First Australasian Conference on Natural Resources Law and Policy &endash; Focus on Water in Canberra. He also participated in other activities in Armidale and was appreciated for his adjudication and good sense of humour in the annual Town-Gown debates.

To all of us involved in natural resources and their management, John Burton was and will always be remembered as the Doctor of Natural Resources Management. He was a stimulating leader and inspired a level of devotion among students that impressed us all. But equally important was his kindness, his sense of humour, his easy-going approach, and his fondness for the students of natural resources and resource engineering, who incidentally affectionately called him "Prof". These qualities made him the person we in natural resources cherish and consider a great mate.

Professor Burton is survived by his wife Barbara, Robyn, Sue and Jayne and six grandchildren.

Dr John Duggin
Vice-Dean for Natural Resources
University of New England