As part of the official opening of this new playground, I represent the Geary’s Gap/Wamboin Landcare Group in the dedication of this fine memorial park bench to a member of our broader community and in particular of our Landcare Group, that person being Dr Roger Bishop Good.  Even after living out here for 30 years, it never ceases to amaze me the incredible pool of talent that exists within our small community.  This is evident in the people who were involved in bringing this playground to fruition.  Roger Good was also one of these talented people, and he was lost to us on the 12th October 2015 after a battle with cancer.

Roger was a nationally and internationally renowned alpine ecologist.  His career commenced with 10 years at the NSW Soil Conservation Service in the 1960’s.  This was shortly after grazing had been withdrawn from the Kosciuszko National Park, and Roger was instrumental in commencing the repair of the then rapidly eroding high country catchments.

In the 1970s Roger commenced his 30 years of work with the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service.  He was involved with early computer modelling of fire and other fire management issues in the alpine and subalpine areas, as well as continuing with alpine catchment repair.  Roger was one of 4 alpine ecologists who were responsible for the establishment of the Australian Alps Liaison Committee which now manages all the alpine regions of Australia as a single unit.  Roger was also heavily involved in the repair of alpine wetlands, especially the sphagnum bog habitats of the endangered Corroboree Frog after the 2003 bushfires.  There is no doubt that the National Heritage listed Australian Alps are in no small part due to the work of Roger Good.  He has been recognised nationally and internationally through numerous visiting university fellowships and various environmental awards.

Like many professional people upon retirement in 2004, Roger continued to advise on national environmental projects, including to regional local governments, Catchment Management and other environmental groups on environmental matters, and gave generously of his time to our Landcare Group.

It is our local Landcare Group’s great pleasure to dedicate this bench to Roger Bishop Good – a colleague and a true friend.

Geoff Butler
16 December 2017