JFLS, ATSE
John Curtin Distinguished Professor & Conservation Scientist
Professor Kingsley Dixon was born in Perth and raised in a working class family. Growing up in Bayswater he was privileged to enjoy the magnificent surrounding bush with an amazing array of animals and plants. The Carnabys Cockatoo, now so tragically reduced to near extinction, would blacken the skies as they migrated in their millions. Little did Kingsley realise that his future career would be shaped by those first impressions of Western Australia’s astounding flora and fauna.
Kingsley commenced Year 8 at Cyril Jackson Senior High School in 1968 and graduated in 1972, completing his Leaving Certificate and matriculating to the University of Western Australia. Kingsley completed his Doctorate in Plant Science at UWA in 1982. Following his studies, he joined the Kings Park and Botanic Garden becoming the Foundation Director of Science and was able to create in the wonderful environment of Kings Park what was to become a globally significant plant and conservation research centre with nearly 50 research scientists and students. In 2015 Kingsley had the rare honour of being offered a Personal Professorship at Curtin University and continued the conservation work he commenced so many years earlier at Kings Park.
In his distinguished career he has published over 420 scientific publications including 18 books and received many awards and accolades. He is only the second Australian to be awarded the prestigious Linnean Medal. Kingsley has also had an orchid species, Caleana dixonii, named after him. An example of his work is seen in research undertaken to show the importance of smoke as a cause in the germination of plants following a bushfire and in isolating the specific chemicals at work, including the discovery of a new molecule. This is karrikinolide named after “karrik” the Noongar word for fire.
In 2016 Kingsley was named WA Scientist of the Year and in November 2022 was awarded international Highly Cited status as the top 1% of global scientists in his field.
Today the research programs Professor Dixon has commenced at Curtin University continue and they have expanded to major projects working with Indigenous communities in Western Australia to help heal their country, save threatened species and share western science with traditional science – the two-way science concept.
It is with humility and gratitude that Kingsley acknowledges the education foundations provided by the staff and his fellow students at Cyril Jackson SHS. The school played a role in building his appreciation of science and with his love of the natural world, led to an outstanding career as a botanist. Professor Kingsley Dixon has built an internationally acclaimed reputation and is today named a Champion of CJ.
The King’s Birthday Honours List 2023
Congratulations are extended to former CJ student, Distinguished Professor Kingsley Dixon, AO of the Class of 72, on his award of the Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) announced in the King’s Birthday Honours List of 2023. The short citation of the award is:
“For distinguished service to conservation biology, particularly ecological research and restoration, and to tertiary education.”
Following the gaining of his Doctorate, Kingsley commenced at the Kings Park Botanical Garden as the foundation Director of Science. He has led for many years a world renowned plant and conservation research centre. In the early 1990s Kingsley led a team that discovered the role of smoke from bushfires in the germination of plants, providing the capacity to renew the landscape following the destruction caused by fire. The work in isolating the chemicals involved and the role of a molecule, karrikikinolide, that was you identified in the research can only be described as pioneering.
The orchid species, Caleana dixonii, was named after Kingsley and for his work, he was the second Australian botanist to be awarded the international Linnean Medal. In 2015, Kingsley was appointed as a Distinguished Professor by Curtin University and in 2016, he was celebrated as the WA Scientist of the Year.
The award of the AO is a prestigious honour and acknowledges Kingsley’s many years of work in the science field. In 2022 Kingsley was acknowledged as a Champion of CJ and it is with great delight that the CJ school community rejoice in the success of Kingsley Dixon, AO as a botanist, conservationist and university educator. Congratulations.