Serventy, Vincent Noel (Vin)   (1916 - 2007)

Born on 6 January 1916 at Armadale, near Perth, WA; died on 8 September 2007

He was was born to Victor and Antica Serventy, who had come from Croatia early last century, met on the Kalgoorlie goldfields and moved to an orchard and vineyard at Armadale, outside Perth, where Vincent was the youngest of eight children.

He attended Perth Modern School, graduated in geology and psychology from the University of Western Australia, researched zoology for the CSIRO and taught at Northam High School.

In 1956 he bought a movie camera and made a documentary film, which led to Nature Walkabout, Australia's first television environment program. Media mogul Sir Frank Packer commissioned it and supplied Vincent and his wife Carol with a caravan and four-wheel-drive vehicle. He also wrote a column for Packer's Daily Telegraph and later for the Herald.

He went on to publish over 70 books on the wildlife of Australia and more than 50 documentary films.

Vin was active in numerous wildlife organisations, and was on the first National Trust of Australia (WA) council from 1959. His work helped to protect the Dryandra Forrest south of Perth as well as many sites of world significance including the Great Barrier Reef.

He died at the family home at Pearl Beach on the New South Wales Central Coast on 8 September 2007, aged 91.

Vincent Serventy was a younger brother of the Australian ornithologist Dom Serventy.

Source: Extracted from:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vincent_Serventy
https://slwa.wa.gov.au/stories/slwa-abc-radio/extraordinary-serventy-family
https://www.smh.com.au/environment/green-before-it-was-fashionable-20070912-gdr373.html
https://www.openaustralia.org.au/debates/?id=2008-02-19.69.1
Portrait Photo: c.1975, National Library of Australia.

Collecting localities for 'Serventy, V.N.' from AVH (2024)

Data from 50 specimens