Stephenson, Alan William   (1944 - 2024)

He was born in Wonthaggi, Gippsland, Victoria, on the 21 October 1944; died on 10 May 2024, in NSW.

When he recieved the Order of Australia in 2019 for his work in orchid conservation, he said:
"Not bad for a high school drop out and former factory worker".

Extracts from his obituary in 'The Orchadian' are reproduced here:

"From an early age Alan developed a great interest in Australian Native Orchids.

Allan had a large colection and and he won many prizes and championships for his growing of orchids. He was a great supporter of the Shoalhaven Orchid Society and Ilawarra [Australian Native Orchid Society] ANOS, leading many orchid walks in the Shoalhaven for these societies, showing members many orchids in situ, which they would otherwise not have seen.

Alan was best known for his work in conservation, being responsible for some development and road projects being redesigned to protects the orchids.

Alan was a tenacious fighter for orchid conservation particularly in the Shoalhaven.

He authored many guides and articles on the orchids of the Shoalhaven.

Allan had many articles on conservation published in Orchids Australia, The Orchadian and the Australian Orchid Review.

Alan was the ANOS and AOC National Conservation Officer for a period of about 20 years.

Alan was awarded the Order of Australia Medal [2019] to Honour for his work in conservation of orchids and his work with local orchid societies.

A few of his successful conservation projects include:
• Boundary Creek Illawarra now a regional park,
• Vincentia Woolworths site land set aside for protection of Prasophylum affine,
• Heritage Estate turned over to the National Park, instead of a residential proposal,
• Discovery of Rhizanthella slateri at Vincentia.

Genoplesiurm stephensonii (Corunastylis stephensoni) was named in his honour because of his extensive conservation work over many years, much of it to the benefit of several botanists and entomologists.

Alan was fortunate to discover several orchid species not known to grow in the Shoalhaven and either get them identified by those botanists or send samples for scientific analysis.

These include Rhizanthella slateri (eastern underground orchid), more than one new species of Speculantha (Pterostylis) and also Prasophylum affine, which led to the identification and publication of pollinator details after the initial discovery of that species in the early 1800's.

Alan will be missed for his friendship, mentoring of the new members, his knowledge of native orchids and his irreplaceable tenacious conservation work."

Source: Extracted from:
Regional newspaper 'South Coast Register', June 3 2019:
"Orchid man Alan Stephenson describes receiving the Order of Australia Medal"
'The Orchadian', Vol.21, No.04, June 2024
Portrait Photo: Extracted from: South Coast Register, June 3 2019

Collecting localities for 'Stephenson, A.' from AVH (2024)

Data from 269 specimens