Pate, John Stewart   (1932 - 2023)

Born on 15 January 1932 at Ilford, UK; he died on 1 July 2023 in Denmark, WA, at the age of 91.

His interest in plants started as a child when his family grew food during the Second World War.

He studied at Queen's University, Belfast, obtaining BSc (Hons) in 1953 followed by MSc in 1954 and his doctorate in 1956.

He worked as an Assistant Lecturer between 1954 and 1956 while working towards his doctorate. He was awarded a DSc in 1965.

Pate moved to Australia and took up a post as Lecturer in Botany at the University of Sydney from 1957 to 1960.

He then returned to be Lecturer in Botany at Queen's University between 1960 and 1965 and was subsequently promoted to Reader in 1965 and then awarded a Personal Chair of Plant Physiology in 1970.

In 1973 he returned to Australia as Professor and Head of Department of Botany at the University of Western Australia until he retired in 2000 and was awarded the title of Emeritus Professor.

His special interests are physiology and biochemistry of nitrogen-fixing legumes and ecophysiology of native Australian plants.

His research on adaptations in Australian native plants centered on the ecophysiological strategies enabling survival in the arid and semi-arid environments of WA, particularly in Mediterranean-type ecosystems characterized by seasonal droughts, nutrient-poor soils, and frequent fires. His studies highlighted how native flora, including phreatophytic species, employ specialized root architectures and physiological mechanisms to optimize water and nutrient acquisition under stress.

Upon retirement in 2000, he relocated to Denmark, Western Australia, where he collaborated on groundbreaking studies in plant ecology, such as those with soil scientist Bill Verboom, and maintained persistent fieldwork on his 65-hectare property, known as 'Pate's Patch', near Denmark, WA, where he conducted observations and experiments into his later years.

Pate maintained lifelong musical interests, rooted in his childhood exposure to music in post-war Britain. He played the organ and piano in churches, including during his time in Perth, and the trombone in local orchestras and brass bands, such as one in Albany, WA.

Source: Extracted from:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Stewart_Pate
https://grokipedia.com/page/john_stewart_pate
Money, K.A. & Pate, J.S. (1999) 'Australian rushes: biology, identification and conservatua of Restionaceae and allied families', University of Western Australia Press.
https://science.org.au/about-us/academy-fellows/discover-our-fellows/john-pate
Portrait Photo: https://particle.scitech.org.au/science-society/unravelling-extraordinary-life-professor-john-pate/

Collecting localities for 'Pate, J,' from AVH (2026)

Data from 360 specimens