David Chalmers

Professor David Chalmers' lifelong career in plant biology began as a field assistant, eventually leading to Deputy Vice Chancellor in universities, research centres, and organisations in Australia and overseas. Throughout David's career his constant research goal was to learn to manipulate plant growth so these processes could be harnessed to reduce the cost, and increase the yield and quality, of plant products. With his colleagues he published work in many research journals and scholarly...See more

Professor David Chalmers' lifelong career in plant biology began as a field assistant, eventually leading to Deputy Vice Chancellor in universities, research centres, and organisations in Australia and overseas. Throughout David's career his constant research goal was to learn to manipulate plant growth so these processes could be harnessed to reduce the cost, and increase the yield and quality, of plant products. With his colleagues he published work in many research journals and scholarly treatises. Their work has been recognised with awards from national and international scholarly societies. Quirkily, whilst exploring the mysteries of plant growth, David also owned a dairy farm. David the farmer learned to understand his animals in similar ways to how he understood his plants. Bizarrely, in the most mysterious and coincidental of ways, this potpourri of knowledge prepared his mind for his 'move to retirement in the bush' and in due course lit the fuse to inflame his scientific curiosity yet again. Alvin Darcy is a Yorta Yorta, Taungurung man through his father, and a Ngarigo, Walbunja man through his mother. Alvin studied graphic design and has worked in building and construction, landscaping, and as an artist using pyrography, screen printing, logo design, and bronze sculpture. In 2019 he was awarded the People's Choice Award - Koorie Heritage Trust Art Prize. His works are held in private collections in Victoria and South Australia and public galleries. In 2021, he had a solo exhibition through Castlemaine Art Museum's Orbit program and most recently was commissioned by Sharing Stories Foundation to create a large-scale totem series for a permanent cultural exhibition - Boorp Boorp Boondyil (passing knowledge onto our children), on Djaara Country. See less