Tim Entwisle

Dr Tim Entwisle is a highly respected scientist and scientific communicator with a broad interest in plants, science and gardens. 

Tim has worked as a scientist and senior manager in botanic gardens for nearly 20 years, and before that as a Post-doctoral Fellow at The University of Melbourne. He is now Executive Director of the Botanic Gardens Trust in Sydney.

Tim is author of over 70 scientific publications, including three books. While working at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Melbourne, Tim co-edited and contributed to the four-volume Flora of Victoria.

He has contributed to, and chaired, many national and State committees. Currently Tim is chair of the Scientific Program Committee for the XVIII International Botanical Congress to be held in Melbourne in 2011.

In 2007, Tim was appointed the 12th New South Wales Government Botanist, an honorary position dating back to 1817 (then Colonial Botanist) and filled intermittently until 1985. Tim is also an Adjunct Professor in the School of Biological Sciences at The University of Sydney.

Tim is a regular contributor to the ABC Sydney radio and website, e.g. 'Passion for Plants', and a frequent guest on many Sydney media. He writes for a variety of science, nature and garden magazines.

Born in Nhill, in the dry north-west of Victoria, streams and lakes have always fascinated Tim. His PhD from La Trobe University concerned the discovery and classification of a group of algae never studied before in this country. Since 1984, Tim has described dozens of new species, two new genera and a new family of algae, and published extensively on the evolutionary history of his favourite group - the freshwater red algae - based on DNA sequencing (see the Australian freshwater algae pages on this website). He has also worked with ecologists on some of the first research into the distribution, seasonality and environmental responses of steam algae in Australia.

In 2004, Tim was appointed Executive Director of the Botanic Gardens Trust in Sydney. In this role, Tim has responsibility for the world-renowned Royal Botanic Gardens, the Domain, Mount Tomah Botanic Garden and Mount Annan Botanic Garden. The Trust has internationally recognised programs in science, education, horticulture and conservation, and manages sites used for major events such as the Sydney Festival and Sydney Harbour New Year’s Eve celebrations.

To Tim, botanic gardens are all about ‘planting ideas’ - interpreting and studying plants from around the world to understand, appreciate and celebrate the importance of plants to life. Tourism and major events bring people into these inspiring cultural and botanical landscapes, to enjoy themselves as well as learn something about our flora.

Outside his botanical interests, Tim enjoys reading and writing, and has a curious fascination with noisy guitar music and Dr Samuel Johnson.