ONZM
JOHN DARBY
Wanaka
For services to wildlife conservation and science
Cultivating the peace he feels in nature is the driving force behind John Darby’s 50-year-long dedication to science and wildlife conservation in New Zealand.
He was acknowledged for his services, being awarded the Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit.
Mr Darby said he was humbled by the honour and never imagined it in his wildest dreams.
"It’s very exciting — it’s giving back to New Zealand what New Zealand has given to me, which is pretty astonishing in what it has given me."
He referred to the evolution of his own life story, living between eight different orphanages before the age of 18.
The opportunity to come to work as a farmhand in New Zealand at 17 was the catalyst.
"Everything I have is what happened in New Zealand.
"It has been achieved with the support and help of a great number of people. They were all real Kiwis," he said.
Mr Darby became a Otago Museum zoologist in 1969 and was appointed assistant director in 1971.
He developed many science-based holiday programmes for children and senior students, many focused on conservation.
This included setting up Discovery World at the museum — New Zealand’s first interactive science centre.
Two decades were spent researching the conservation needs of the yellow-eyed penguins (hoiho) on the mainland and New Zealand’s subantarctic islands.
He negotiated the purchase by WWF of the largest breeding area of yellow-eyed penguins on the mainland, engineering the first fully protected area for this species in 1985.
Mr Darby has spent three summers in the Antarctic, in his career to date.
His work extended to governance as a foundation trustee of the Otago Natural History Trust, the Yellow Penguin Trust, board member of the Otago Science Into Action project and served on the Otago Conservation Board’s Scientific Advisory Group.
He has spent the last 10 years on the conservation of the rare and threatened species of the Australasian crested grebe in southern New Zealand.
The grebe project was undertaken around Lake Wanaka, Lake Hayes, Lake Wakatipu and Lake Hawea.
Mr Darby assisted in the preparation of a management plan for the species and regularly contributes updates on resident grebes in The Wanaka Sun.
