By KATH GANNAWAY
DON Valley naturalist Ken Simpson has died, in his 76th year.
Mr Simpson was a respected bird expert who co-authored Australia’s most popular field guide, Birds of Australia and taught people of all ages about birds virtually all his life.
In the Yarra Valley, he was best-known for the quarterly bird-watching walks he did through Yarra Junction Library.
His love of Australian birdlife started when he was a boy and he was lecturing about his favourite subject from 11 years of age.
It was great good fortune for bird-lovers in the district when Mr Simpson and his partner Zoe moved into the area 20 years ago and his long-standing connection with the library began.
Contributing to an article in the Mail last year he shared some of his favourite bird-watching spots and a special highlight of coming eye to eye with a Powerful Owl in Don Valley.
“One showed up in a tree on two occasions, looked at me and flew away again. It was a Eureka moment,” he said.
Librarian Sandra Hamnett said Mr Simpson was very much part of the library.
“He was one of life’s gentlemen,” she said. “So intelligent, but so down-to-earth and so interested in people. He would do anything for anyone.
“He is going to be missed.”
A tribute has been set up at the library paying respect to Mr Simpson as a great naturalist, and a local treasure.The Mail will pay tribute to Mr Simpson in a future edition.
