Early History  (from the Presidential address, Rob Magarey 2007)

 

Pathology meetings

•  With Australian disease epidemics came meetings of plant pathologists

•  At the end of the 19th century –There were a number of cereal rust meetings

•  Melbourne 1890, Sydney 1891, Adelaide 1892, Brisbane 1894 and Melbourne 1896

•  Early 20th century, meetings were sporadic, until 1949 , when 5-yearly meetings were convened by CSIRO

 

Pioneer Plant Pathologists
Daniel McAlpine	David North	Nathan Cobb

 

First 5 year meetings 23-27 May 1949

• Included –State Departments of Agriculture –CSIRO –Commonwealth Departments of Health, Commerce and Agriculture –Universities , Sydney, Queensland and Adelaide

 

Subsequent conferences

• Held every 5 years • Richmond NSW (1955) • Waite SA (1961) • Toowoomba Qld (1966) • Hobart, Tas (1971)

• In Toowoomba - 1966 • Noel Flentje proposed  that the Australian Plant Pathology Society be formed

 

APPS formation (1966)

• Steering committee formed • Noel Flentje (convenor) • J.W. Meagher • C.J. Shepherd • L.L. Stubbs

 

	Noel Flentje

Draft constitution – based on • Australian Society of Microbiology  and Australian Entomological Society – 

• President’s term: 1-2 years

• Executive term: 2-3 years

 

APPS development

• Started with: AGMs held in association with other scientific meetings

• Ended with: initiating the Biennial conference • Initiating a newsletter

 

First AGM (1969)

• Held at the ANZAAS conference in Adelaide • 18 August 1969 

• Draft constitution adopted by 60 ‘foundation’ members  

 

Second AGM (1971) 

• Held at the last of the 5-yearly plant pathologists meetings • Hobart 1971

• A number of significant motions passed Motions (1971)

• Quarterly newsletter: ‘APPS News’

• Directory of members 

• A list of post-graduates and their research topics

• APPS to join ISPP 

• Regions to receive 10% annual subscriptions

• Agreed not to hold meetings with ANZAAS 

• Memorial Lecture be given at least every 5 years –Daniel McAlpine Memorial Lecture

 

First newsletter (March 1972) View Cover

• Contained • Society news • Personal news • Scientific notes –as letters to the editor

 

Third AGM • Sydney 1973

 • In association with APPS Workshop on plant pathogenic bacteria 

• Plans made by Sydney Executive for the future of APPS 

• Changes to the Constitution were voted on and made! •  –Including ‘Australasian’ Society  APPS Constitution:

 

First Biennial Conference: 1974

• Sydney • 100 members plus visitors attended 

• Abstracts of papers placed in APPS News 

• Motion passed to hold 2-yearly national conferences –With a workshop in the intervening period