History and Vision
The late Dr Don McNair (1920 – 2014); Honorary Doctor of Science, (1996) was a Novocastrian who combined his career as an auto-electrician with an extraordinary passion for the Australian native flora and its ecology. He was a meticulous collector of plant specimens for almost 70 years and undertook extensive floral surveys. Thanks to his passion, forethought and dedication, the Don McNair Herbarium contains a record of the floral diversity of the Hunter Region since the 1950s.
Don donated his collection as a gift-in-kind to the University of Newcastle and worked with volunteers and staff of the University to establish the Herbarium in his name. He provided a generous bequest to the University to assist in sustaining the Don McNair Herbarium and to foster postgraduate research in plant identification and conservation.
Don was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by the University of Newcastle in 1996, recognising his lifetime work in botany and his remarkable contributions to the Hunter community.
Don’s vision for the Herbarium was that:
“The Herbarium should be a vibrant working unit supporting the research and teaching of The University and engaging with the community in the areas of Plant Taxonomy, Ecology and Natural History Illustration, and itself continuing to build the collection for perpetuity”.
The University of Newcastle acknowledges the traditional custodians of the lands within our footprint areas: Awabakal, Darkinjung, Biripai, Worimi, Wonnarua, and Eora Nations. We also pay respect to the wisdom of our Elders past and present.