Gerry: I try to keep set up to a minimum and just let
the animals do their thing, but of course it depends
on what you are trying to photograph. There is a lot
of difference between photographing a gecko and a
snake, for example. With digital cameras you don't
have to worry about film and processing costs, so
you just keep shooting. Dangerous elapids are
difficult during the middle of a hot day.
Neville: Gerry, hopefully the fact that you have no
academic qualifications and yet have gained such a
sterling reputation as an authority will be an
inspiration to others who have not gone down the
academic path. How did you first get into publishing
and what was your first effort in this aspect of
herpetology?
‘The endangered Ornamental
Snake was the second most
common snake we
removed from the trench....’
Gerry: I think that things were a bit different in our
day Neville. We were all field-oriented then and
learned most of what we know by field observations,
etc. These days you need to have a degree for
starters. Mind you, I have seen a few graduates out
in the field who were pretty useless when it came to
finding or catching a reptile, or even finding their
way around.
Allen Greer at the Australian Museum is to blame
for getting me into publishing. It was back in the
1980s and we were talking about the lack of
regional field guides. So I got started on the NSW
field guide which first came out in 1990. The big
publishers at the time were not interested and I
finally had it published by Three Sisters Publications
in the Blue Mountains.
Neville: How long were you
publishing before you combined
with Steve Wilson and how did this
eventuate?
Gerry: I had already published four
books and around 2001 or 2002 my
publisher (New Holland) contacted
me because they were keen to do a
guide covering all the Australian
reptiles. I told them it was too big a
job for one person within their time
frame and suggested Steve Wilson
could be a good co-author. I knew
Above left: another rare photo of
Gerry involved in pipeline work.
Right: a typical pipeline trench.
Steve of course, and also that he was a recognised
wildlife photographer. Photos would be a major part
of any such book. So it all evolved from there.
Neville: How and when did you get involved in the
gas line animal rescues and what are some of the
species you have removed from the trenches?
Gerry: The pipeline work came about through
Steve. I was doing a reptile survey out near
Gunnedah when I got a phone call from Steve who
was working on a pipeline in Queensland from
Moranbah to Townsville. The work was too much for
one person, so the construction company told Steve
to find someone else. It was either a Friday or
Saturday when he phoned and when I said, “That
sounds like an interesting job, when do I start?” he
replied next Monday. Short notice but pipeline work
can be a bit like that.
There are so many species that I have removed, but
some that come to mind were the numbers of
Pseudonaja that we relocated up in the Channel
Country. There were five species and many
different colour patterns. Plus the occasional Inland
Taipan.
On another job in Queensland the endangered
Ornamental Snake (Denisonia maculata) was the
second most common snake we removed from the
trench; very localised, but very common where it
occurs. Centralian Blue-tongues by the bucketful on
one job where we had a Spinifex fire that burnt
along the trench line and resulted in huge numbers
of animals in the trench. Although we had removed
this species from the trench before it was never in
big numbers. It was a surprise to find out just how
common they are.
Neville: Who was behind the idea to have guys like
you and Steve working on the gas lines?
Gerry: As far as I can remember it was accidental.