Summary

Booklet issued at the memorial service to acknowledge the lives of Jenny Barnett and her husband John Barnett, who were killed in the Black Saturday bushfires on their property in Steels Creek, 7th February 2009. The memorial service was held at Melba Hall (Conservatorium of Music) at the University of Melbourne, 26th February 2009.

Jenny and John Barnett, both zoologists, were actively involved in environmental research and community campaigns. Jenny Barnett was employed at the Victorian National Parks Association (VNPA), and was deeply interested in ant ecology and protecting parks, landscapes, flora and fauna. John Barnett was an Associate Professor in the Melbourne School of Land & Environment at the University of Melbourne. He specialised in the welfare of domestic animals, especially poultry and pigs. Both were actively involved in conservation research and campaigns with the VNPA.

The program lists the tributes from family, friends and colleagues presented at the memorial service; provides a brief biography of Jenny and John Barnett; and invites donations towards two funds established as a tribute to the life work of Jenny and John Barnett. The University of Melbourne established the John & Jenny Barnett Memorial Fund to support teaching and research in animal welfare at the University of Melbourne. The Victorian National Parks Association established the Jenny Barnett Conservation Tribute Campaign to raise funds for providing science-based input to the Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission, to respond to the backlash against national parks and conservation following Black Saturday, continue Jenny's work in research and protection of habitats, flora and fauna.

Physical Description

Colour booklet, 8 pages, colour photograph of wattle on the cover and a wedding photograph of Jenny & John Barnett on the rear.

Significance

This is a story of the tragic deaths of Jenny and John Barnett during the Black Saturday bushfires in 2009 in their bush weekender at Steels Creek. It is also a story about the value that they invested in native habitat and landscape, animal rights, fauna and flora; their years of dedicated research, community environmental activism and personal choice in living close to the environment that they loved. The response to their deaths has reaffirmed their life work and points to the issues that have emerged since the 2009 bushfires: the importance of science research to inform environmental management, habitat protection and fuel reduction burns.

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