Bill Lane

Who was Bill Lane?

Selwyn George Lane E.D. R.L. was an Australian amateur ornithologist who worked for the Sydney County Council for most of life until he retired in 1983. He joined the Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union in 1947, was a State Representative for New South Wales on that body from 1964 until 1967, and a Vice-President from 1968 to 1969. He was elected a Fellow of the RAOU in 1983. He was a founding member and President of the Australian Bird Study Association.

He banded Australian birds for half a century throughout Australia, and was an early experimenter with cannon netting. He also helped in the training of many of Australia's bird-banders. Lane published numerous articles in the Australian Bird Bander, Corella and Emu. He was instrumental in raising the awareness of the impact urban development has upon the habitat and distribution of Australia's native birds and other animals. He was awarded the inaugural John Hobbs Medal of the RAOU in 1995 in recognition of his contributions to amateur ornithology.

The S.G. 'Bill' Lane Award is presented annually by the Australian Bird Study Association to the most outstanding student in ornithology at Charles Sturt University. Recipients of the award are: