OBITUARY

John Gladstones died on 24/04/2024.

Dr John Gladstones was elected to the Academy as one of its Foundation Fellows in 1976. 

He was an expert in multiple fields, and is recognised for significant contributions to the Australian agriculture industry. He became one of the world’s leading authorities on lupin as a cropping plant for use in animal feed and to improve the quality of soils. John bred the world’s first crop varieties of narrow-leaf lupins, which are now bred all over the world. 

He was also the first person to identify Margaret River as a suitable region for wine production. His 1965 papers highlighted the climatic similarities between Margaret River and the wine-producing regions of Bordeaux, which catalysed the fine wine industry now thriving in the area. 

John received the Clunies Ross Award in 1991 for his plant breeding. In 1980, he was made a Member of the Order of Australia, and in 2022, an Officer of the Order of Australia.