Gordon Binns
Gordon Binns | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date Yarraville, Victoria, Australia |
| Died | September 24, 1976 (aged 77) Blackburn, Victoria, Australia |
| Occupation(s) | Banking professional, amateur ornithologist |
| Years active | 1914–1964 |
| Known for | Contributions to Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union; Secretary (1953–56, 1959–63); President (1965–66) |
Gordon Binns (1 March 1899 – 24 September 1976) was an Australian banking professional and passionate amateur ornithologist, recognized for his significant contributions to the Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union. He held the position of Secretary twice, from 1953 to 1956 and again from 1959 to 1963, and later served as President between 1965 and 1966.
Early life and career
Born in Yarraville, Victoria, Binns grew up in the Victorian localities of Great Western and Victoria. Upon completing his schooling in 1914, he commenced employment at the State Savings Bank of Victoria. At age 17, during the period of the First World War, he enlisted with the First Australian Imperial Force as part of the 2nd Australian Machine Gun Company. On 10 August 1918, during the offensive at Lihons in northern France, he sustained injuries that required over a month of hospitalization. Following the conflict, Binns stayed in England for an additional two years before returning to Australia to continue his banking profession at the State Savings Bank.
Natural history
From 1938 onward, Binns was stationed at multiple rural bank branches across Victoria, including postings in Cobram (1938–44), Ouyen (1945–47), and Terang (1948–50). It was during these years that he began contributing to natural history literature, authoring "Notes for Birdland" featured in Savings Weekly, the journal of the State Savings Bank. For two decades, he penned a weekly column titled "The Out of Doors" in the Terang Express, using the pseudonym Neophema. After joining the Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union in 1943, he published several pieces in its journal, The Emu, including a notable article on "Birds of Terang, South-western Victoria." Later, between 1951 and 1964, Binns managed branches located in suburban areas such as Horsham and Box Hill. Throughout this period, he remained an engaged member of the Union, fulfilling roles as Secretary during 1953–56 and 1959–63 and as President from 1965 to 1966.
Death and legacy
Binns passed away on 24 September 1976 in Blackburn, Victoria, only months following the death of his wife Ilma. He was survived by four children: daughters Ruth, Phyllis, Meredith, and son Greg. His commitment to ornithology was commemorated in an obituary published in The Emu, where W.R. Wheeler highlighted his industriousness and vigor as embodying "the old school."