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In many ways, plants, either as individuals or as communities define the natural world in which I work. As individuals they're extraordinary beings, but it's plant communities that interest me most. The complex relationship between plants, the soil, the local climate and the wildlife is one of the marvels of the natural world. Indigenous Australians understood these relationships at both a practical and spiritual level and were able to live in harmony with them for many thousands of years. The history of Australian plants is traceable back to the great super-continent Gondwanaland that once filled the southern ocean and contained Australia and South America As the tectonic plates drifted north Gondwanaland broke up and the continents we know today gradually appeared. At that time Australia was covered in rainforests but with the northerly drift it slowly became drier and the plant communities of today evolved. Remnants of the Gondwanaland forests can still be found in the rainforests and even in some of the drier forests. The tropical rainforests of north Queensland represent the pinnacle of biodiversity in Australia. They evolved mostly from the Gondwanaland forests but were also influenced by Asian forests as Australia approached the Asian land mass. There are many different types of rainforest ranging from tropical to cool temperate and each is a unique ecosystem. I have a particular interest in rainforests but they make up only a small percentage of Australian plant communities. Other communities range from eucalypt forests and woodlands to savanna, open grasslands and dune plants. Within these there are many unique and identifiable ecosystems.

My interest in plants has lead me to explore most of these plant communities. The photographs below have been selected to show the beauty and variety of plants and plant communities. Most are native to Australia and a few are introduced species.

Photo-Gallery