Murray Dawson (Webmaster and Journal Editor of the RNZIH)

Botanist, Manaaki Whenua - Landcare Research, Lincoln (view his profile at Landcare Research).

Murray Dawson has worked as a researcher for the former DSIR Botany Division from 1981 and then Landcare Research since its inception in 1991 to the present time.

In 1995 he took study leave to complete a MSc at the University of Reading in the UK.  His thesis was on ornamental cultivars of Leptospermum (manuka) for which he received the DD Baker Award through the RNZIH.

With the introduction of the RNZIH website Murray saw the potential uses and benefits of this platform to the Institute.  He approached National Executive expressing interest in expanding and redeveloping the site.  Because of these contributions, Murray was appointed Webmaster in 2001 and also co-opted onto the National Executive where he still serves.  The RNZIH website could be described as one of the major horticultural resources in New Zealand, and will undergo a third redevelopment in the near future.

From 2005, he has also taken on the role of principal editor of the New Zealand Garden Journal (Journal of the RNZIH) and the RNZIH Newsletter.

Murray has been successful with several funding applications, one that helped establish the Notable Trees Trust database and website, and past and current funding for managing an inventory of cultivated plant names.

In 2013, Murray was appointed Registrar of New Zealand native genera for the International Cultivar Registration Authority (ICRA).

In 2020, he became a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM) for services to horticulture.

Qualifications

• MSc
• NZCS

Industry & Professional Associations

• Australasian Systematic Botany Society
• Hebe Society (UK) (Vice-President)
• New Zealand Native Orchid Group
• iNaturalist NZ - Mataki Taiao (Trustee)
• Friends of the Christchurch Botanic Gardens (Webmaster, 2012-2021)
• New Zealand Botanical Society (Webmaster)
• Royal New Zealand Institute of Horticulture (AHRIH)