Stephen Hopper

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Stephen Donald Hopper
AC FTSE
Born (1951-06-18) 18 June 1951 (age 74)
Known forOCBIL Theory (old, climatically-buffered, infertile landscapes)
Scientific career
FieldsBotany, Conservation Biology, Eucalyptus, Haemodoraceae
InstitutionsUniversity of Western Australia, Kings Park, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
ThesisSpeciation in the Kangaroo Paws of South-western Australia: (Anigozanthos and Macropidia: Haemodoraceae).
Author abbrev. (botany)Hopper
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Stephen Donald Hopper (born 18 June 1951)[1] is a Western Australian botanist. He graduated in Biology, specialising in conservation biology and vascular plants. Hopper has written eight books, and has over 200 publications to his name. He was Director of Kings Park in Perth for seven years, and CEO of the Botanic Gardens and Parks Authority for five. He is currently Foundation Professor of Plant Conservation Biology at The University of Western Australia. He was Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew from 2006 to 2012.[2]

This botanist is denoted by the author abbreviation Hopper when citing a botanical name.[3]

Research

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Hopper published his early research on the systematics and speciation of the family Haemodoraceae, including kangaroo paws (Anigozanthos), which formed the basis of his PhD at the University of Western Australia in 1978. He subsequently worked on the conservation, ecology, and taxonomy of Western Australian flora, including eucalypts, orchids, and plants of granite outcrops.[4]

In the 1990s and 2000s, Hopper’s research extended to plant biogeography and conservation management, emphasising the flora of south-western Australia. In 2009 he developed OCBIL theory (old, climatically buffered, infertile landscapes), proposing evolutionary and ecological processes distinctive to ancient, nutrient-poor regions.[5]

Honours

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On 1 January 2001, the Australian government awarded Hopper the Centenary Medal for his "service to the community".[6] On 11 June 2012, Hopper was named a Companion of the Order of Australia for "eminent service as a global science leader in the field of plant conservation biology, particularly in the delivery of world class research programs contributing to the conservation of endangered species and ecosystems."[7] He was also inducted into the Western Australia Science Hall of Fame in the same year.[8]

Albany

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In 2015, he moved to Albany, Western Australia, and he has returned to his interest in Anigozanthus.[9] In 2025 he will publish a book on the genus Eucalyptus that examines Aboriginal knowledge and Western Science relating to the genus.[10][11]

Selected works

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  • Gondwanan heritage (1996)[12]
  • Eucalyptus (2025)[10]

with Jane Sampson:

  • Endangered poison plants (1989)[13]

with Anne Taylor:

with Bert and Babs Wells:

  • Kangaroo paws and catspaws (1993)[15]

with illustrator Philippa Nikulinsky:

  • Soul of the Desert (2005)[16]
  • Life on the Rocks (2008)[17]
The standard author abbreviation Hopper is used to indicate this person as the author when citing a botanical name.[18]

References

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  1. ^ "Birthdays". The Guardian. 18 June 2014. p. 41.
  2. ^ "Director (CEO & Chief Scientist) – Professor Stephen D Hopper AC FLS FTSE". History & Heritage. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Archived from the original on 9 March 2014. Retrieved 8 March 2014.
  3. ^ Brummitt, R K; Powell, C E (1992). Authors of Plant Names. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. ISBN 1-84246-085-4.
  4. ^ "Stephen Hopper". the UWA Profiles and Research Repository. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
  5. ^ Hopper, Stephen D. (1 September 2009). "OCBIL theory: towards an integrated understanding of the evolution, ecology and conservation of biodiversity on old, climatically buffered, infertile landscapes". Plant and Soil. 322 (1): 49–86. doi:10.1007/s11104-009-0068-0. ISSN 1573-5036.
  6. ^ "Stephen Donald Hopper". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. Retrieved 11 June 2012.
  7. ^ "Companion (AC) in the General Division of the Order of Australia – The Queen's Birthday 2012 Honours Lists" (PDF). Official Secretary to the Governor-General of Australia. 11 June 2012. p. 5. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 June 2012.
  8. ^ "WA Science Hall of Fame Inductees". www.wa.gov.au. 31 July 2025. Retrieved 31 October 2025.
  9. ^ "'Heaven on Earth' in a botanist's garden". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 15 January 2016.
  10. ^ a b Hopper, Stephen D. (2025). Eucalyptus. Botanical Series. London EC1V 0HE: Reaktion Books, Limited. ISBN 978-1-83639-111-1.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  11. ^ Laurie, Victoria (3 October 2025). "The humble scientist who became the world's greatest eucalypt expert". The Age. Retrieved 31 October 2025.
  12. ^ Hopper, Stephen D (1996), Gondwanan heritage : past, present, and future of the Western Australian biota, Surrey Beatty & Sons in association with Australian Systematic Botany Society and Kings Park and Botanic Garden, Western Australia, ISBN 978-0-949324-66-5
  13. ^ Sampson, Jane; Hopper, Stephen; Rainbird, John; Western Australian Wildlife Research Centre (1989), Survey of endangered poison plants of Western Australia : field guide, Western Australian Department of Conservation and Land Management in association with the World Wildlife Fund Australia, retrieved 17 January 2016
  14. ^ Taylor, Anne; Hopper, Stephen D; Western Australia. Department of Conservation and Land Management; Australia. Bureau of Flora and Fauna (1991), The banksia atlas (Repr. with amendments ed.), Australian Govt. Pub. Service, ISBN 978-0-644-07124-6
  15. ^ Hopper, Stephen D; Wells, Babs; Wells, Bert; Western Australia. Department of Conservation and Land Management (1993), Kangaroo paws and catspaws : a natural history and field guide, Dept. of Conservation and Land Management, ISBN 978-0-7309-5913-7
  16. ^ Nikulinsky, Philippa; Hopper, Stephen D; Nikulinsky, Philippa (2005), Soul of the Desert, Fremantle Arts Centre Press, ISBN 978-1-921064-06-7
  17. ^ Nikulinsky, Philippa; Hopper, Stephen D (2008), Life on the rocks : the art of survival (Reissued casebound ed.), Fremantle Press, ISBN 978-1-921361-28-9
  18. ^ International Plant Names Index. Hopper.