Reviews

by Adam Grubb (Director and Manager of Design & Education, Very Edible Gardens Pty Ltd)

The series of seminars to accompany the 45th annual meeting of the Weed Society of Victoria certainly lived up to the promise in the title, Contentious Perspectives on Weeds.

As Australian agricultural and environmental sciences continue to grow in importance and complexity, so does our need for reliable and up-to-date-reference books such as this recent checklist of the scientific and common names of Australian plants. It is one of those books that needs to be always at hand - an office essential to the working agriculturist, horticulturist, environmentalist and weed scientist.

Until now weed science teaching in Australian colleges and universities has relied on overseas textbooks, mainly from the USA. Whilst the principles are undoubtedly the same our weeds are different, our ecosystems are different, and our approaches to weed management are different. The main educational objectives of the highly successful Cooperative Research Centre for Weed Management Systems were the production of a common syllabus for weed science and a supporting text book, and at last we have our own Australian text on this important topic.

Can Australian natives be weeds?

"Oh yes they can!" was the resounding voice from this seminar held at Monash University in Melbourne on 22nd February 2001. Speakers illustrated the increasing number of Australian native plants that have spread beyond their natural range within Australia and overseas to become invasive in areas where they don't normally exist.