Hutton, Ian John   (1950 -  )

Born on 18 April 1950 in Sydney, NSW;

In 1981 he was awarded a BSc Biology from Macquarie University, majoring in Climatology and Plant Ecology.

From 1981 to 1984 he was on Lord Howe Island for the Bureau of Meteorology and was able to pursue his interest in the Island's flora and fauna.

From that time he has lived on the Island.

His wesite says "from the beginning he set out to emulate the great naturalist David Attenborough, exploring and documenting the Island's diverse habitats, marine life, plants, birds and weather patterns. Over more than forty years he became the world expert in his own, very special backyard".

In 1986 he authored the book: 'Discovering Australia's World Heritage - Lord Howe Island'.

He worked with universities, botanic gardens and museums from around the world, contributing to numerous documentary films and research papers on Lord Howe Island's unique ecology.

He played an important part in preserving Lord Howe Island's ecosystem, spearheading eradication projects to rid the island of the feral weeds and rats that threatened the Island's delicate balance. From 1995 he ran Weed Eco Tours, allowing visitors to the Island to join his mission to eradicate non-native weeds.

He is a gifted photographer and has recorded the birds, marine life and plants of the island since he first arrived with an old Edixa 35mm camera. He has published his photographs in over 20 books and field guides on Lord Howe Island.

He conducts regular lectures at the Lord Howe Island Museum where he also acts as a part-time curator.

In 2006 he was Awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) "for services to conservation and tourism on Lord Howe Island".

Source: Extracted from:
The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW) Thu 20 Apr 1950, Page 24, - Family Notices
Hutton, Ian (1986) 'Discovering Australia's World Heritage - Lord Howe Island', Conservation Press, back cover flap.
https://lordhowe-tours.com.au/about/about-ian/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2006_Australia_Day_Honours
Portrait Photo: 2026, R.Purdie, ANBG Photo Collection.

Collecting localities for 'Hutton, I.' and 'Hutton, I.J.' from AVH (2026)

Data from 928 specimens