UNE ecologists Hal Heatwole and Wal Whalley talk about their Scientific Legacies at Science in the Club this week

Nicholas Fuller
Updated August 13 2019 - 1:58pm, first published August 11 2019 - 3:00pm
SCIENCE: Ecologists 'Wal' Whalley and Hal Headwole will speak about their careers at the Wicklow Hotel this week. Photo: Kirsti Abbott.
SCIENCE: Ecologists 'Wal' Whalley and Hal Headwole will speak about their careers at the Wicklow Hotel this week. Photo: Kirsti Abbott.

UNE ecologists Hal Heatwole and Ralph D.B. ('Wal') Whalley have 120 years of experience between them. They will speak about their careers and contributions to science at the Wicklow Hotel on Wednesday evening.

Subscribe now for unlimited access.

$0/

(min cost $0)

or signup to continue reading

See subscription options
Nicholas Fuller

Nicholas Fuller

Group Journalist - Northern Tablelands

The exciting thing about journalism is the variety; one can explore the world, meet interesting people and write about it. I've sat in the caravan of an African circus ringmaster; I've squatted on my haunches in a plastic-sorting factory in the Mumbai slums, talking to the workers and drinking hot chai in plastic cups the size of thimbles; and I've interviewed Chinese cultural attachés, Danish football stars and Japanese drummers. Now I’ve come to the Northern Tablelands as a group journalist working across six of Fairfax’s mastheads. Living in New England is a return to country. My father’s side of the family lived here since the 19th century. My great-great-grandparents are buried in Ben Lomond. My great-grandmother and grandmother spent most of their lives in and around Glencoe and Glen Innes, and are both buried in Tamworth. My grandfather isn’t; his ashes are in a cupboard until we throw them in the Macdonald, near Bendemeer, where he used to fish. And my father cut his teeth as a cadet journalist on the Northern Daily Leader, before moving to Canberra, and studied history at UNE. Moving here is following in the family footsteps. Armidale seems charming: up here, in Australia’s highest city, one feels close to the sky. And the mixture of 1830s historic buildings; green, rain-washed hills, crowned with conifers; and one of the country’s leading universities give it a unique appeal. I completed my journalism qualifications last year, while freelancing for newspapers and magazines, and holding down a full-time job. I spent the end of last year in Sri Lanka, where I reported on visiting Buddhist dignitaries (from exotic Perth), UN development programs, Italian food weeks, and hotels in former war-zones. Previously, I worked as a writer and editor for the Australian Government in Canberra for a decade. In my day job, I briefed members of parliament about international relations, and wrote about agricultural aid programs to developing countries. Journalism, though, is where my heart lies. I want to experience life, rather than sit behind a desk. And, having grown up in Belgium, I want to be Tintin. I hope to get to know and love the region where my ancestors lived, while reporting on issues important to the Tablelands.

Get the latest Armidale news in your inbox

Sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date.

We care about the protection of your data. Read our Privacy Policy.