Dr Peter Stanton receives the Order of Australia [AU]Friday 12 Jun 2026
The national honour comes just months after Forestry Australia awarded Stanton its highest accolade. In October 2025, at the organisation’s conference in Adelaide, he received the N.W. Jolly Medal for a career spanning more than five decades advancing forest science, particularly in Queensland’s tropical forests and the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area. “Peter Stanton’s career shows that foresters have led conservation in Australia for generations,” said Forestry Australia CEO Jacquie Martin. “A respected member of Forestry Australia for 60 years, Peter has shown lifelong commitment to the nation’s forests.” “When we presented Peter with the N.W. Jolly Medal last year, we recognised more than five decades of work that transformed the understanding and conservation of Queensland’s forests and landscapes. Seeing that contribution recognised more broadly is a proud moment for the profession.” Stanton began his career with the Queensland Forestry Department before transferring to the National Parks branch in 1967. He later spent two decades as a senior scientist with the Queensland National Parks and Wildlife Service, moved to Cairns in 1979, and remained in Far North Queensland for the rest of his working life. In the 1960s and 1970s, his systematic surveys mapped ecosystems from the rainforests of Cape York Peninsula to the Wet Tropics between Townsville and Cooktown. His vegetation mapping of the Wet Tropics bioregion classified some 90,000 polygons across 4,000 aerial photographs into 250 distinct ecosystem types, each one verified on the ground. Published in 2005, the study has been described by the Wet Tropics Management Authority as the most comprehensive vegetation mapping ever undertaken in the region. Stanton was the first Australian to receive the IUCN Fred M. Packard International Parks Merit Award in 1982. He later received the Public Service Medal in 1996, the Centenary Medal in 2001, and an honorary Doctor of Science from James Cook University in 2023, before receiving the N.W. Jolly Medal in 2025 and being appointed a Member of the Order of Australia this year. The 2026 Honours List recognised 949 Australians, including Adrian John Kloeden, former Chair of HVP Plantations and Sustainable Timber Tasmania. Announcing the recipients, Mostyn said the honours system recognised people who had given greatly to the nation. “Recipients have made an exceptional contribution to Australia,” Mostyn said. Source & image credit: Forestry Australia  | ||
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