Botanist, All Black and saviour of Riccarton Bush

botanist, conservationist, All Black b August 12, 1930 d July 31, 2022

Brian Molloywill be remembered for saving Christchurch’s Riccarton Bush, but hewas also a world-class botanist, ecologist, conservationist and All BlackNo 588.

Orphaned as a child, Molloy grew up in foster homes in rural Waikanae and Palmerston North. Being fosteredwas a ‘‘mostly positive’’ experience, but allowed him to develop an ‘‘independent strength of character’’ that served himwell all his life, said daughter Sue Molloy.

He wanted to be a farmer but couldn’t afford a farm. Instead, he completed a two-year diploma of agriculture from Massey Agricultural College.

Opportunity took him to Canterbury, where he lived for the rest of his 91 years and where he developed passions for native orchids, the high country and the plants on limestone outcrops.

In the early 1970s, Molloy joined the trust board at Riccarton Bush-Pūtaringamotu, the 7.8-hectare native podocarp forest 3km from central Christchurch. It was in a ‘‘terrible state through decades of mismanagement’’, said Dr DavidNorton, a friend and colleague for 40 years.

The grass between the mighty kahikatea trees was regularly cutwith a mower, preventing natural regeneration and damaging surface roots. Fallen branches and debris were collected and burned. ‘‘He was clearly shocked by the state of the bush and quickly recognised that unless some pretty drastic action was taken, we would lose it,’’ Norton said.

Molloy convinced the board to stop the mowing and burning. Exotic treeswere cut down, unused paths removed, irrigation installed, a native plant nursery established, and in 2004, a predator-free fence built.

Molloywas able to radically change Riccarton Bush because of his training and experience. He studied botany at Canterbury University College, graduatingwith a bachelor of science in 1957 and amasters of science in 1960. He completed his PhD at Lincoln College in 1966, while working as a research officer for the Department of Agriculture. He was later a field botanist at DSIR and Landcare.

Molloy’s earlywork in high country tussocklands showed that itwas once mostly forested and had been burned before European arrival, said Dr Peter Heenan, a senior botanist at Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research and another close friend and colleague.

He became a leading authority on NZ orchids and co-authored the book, Native Orchids of New Zealand, with John Johns in 1983. Orchids are often delicate and tiny. Molloy had a ‘‘botanist’s eye’’ and spotted plants that otherswould have overlooked, Heenan said.

He never stopped ‘‘botanising’’, his daughter said fondly. On family outings to the beach, for example, while his children cavorted in the waves, he was forever off to the side looking for rare or unusual plants.

He was a director of the QEII National Trust from 1989 to 1998, and then for 14 years was the trust’s high-country representative. He helped farmers identify critically important native plant remnants on their land and protect them forever with QEII covenants.

He was amajor contributor to the establishment of the Mahu Whenua covenants, which protect 53,000 hectares between Lake Wanaka and Arrowtown, and many others.

He’d learnt to read people as a foster child, whichmade him effective in this role, Heenan said. ‘‘Time spent around the kitchen table, or looking at awetland at the back of the farm, results inmuch bigger gains for conservation than publications in scientific journals.’’

It helped that Molloy had been an All Black and engaged easily with farmers. ‘‘Trying to take land away from farmers is not the answer. Rather you have to work with farmers to help them integrate biodiversity management into their overall farming operation,’’ Heenan said.

Later in life Molloy lostmost of his stomach to cancer and was never a big man. His All Blacks profile says hewas 1.75m and 77kg. That made him a natural halfback and his game was called ‘‘intelligent and tidy’’. He played 49 firstclass matches, 23 of them for Canterbury. He was Canterbury captain in 1958.

He was selected by the All Blacks for the 1957 tour of Australia, playing five midweek matches and scoring one try – then worth three points.

In terms of rugby, hewas most proud of his timewith theNZ Universities squad, said Sally. He played in the famous 22-15 student victory over the touring 1956 Springboks atAthletic Park in amidweek game.

In 1977, he was a coach-selector of the varsity all-star team that beat the British Lions 21-9 before his home crowd at Lancaster Park. Outside of tests, it was the only match the Lions lost on that tour.

Brian Molloy, ONZM for services to conservation, was predeceased by his wife Barbara and sonMichael. He is survived by daughters Sally, Jane and Sue and five grandchildren. –