Alex Griffiths
Encyclopedia
Dr Alexander Morris Griffiths (died 29 July 1998) was an Australia
n beekeeper
, floriculturist
and conservationist.
on his family property at Currumbin, Queensland
in 1947 after he started feeding the local wild lorikeet
s to distract them from damaging his flowers, an initiative that grew into a major tourist attraction. In 1976, he donated the Sanctuary to the people of Queensland, to be managed by the National Trust of Queensland.
ed property that is now the Currumbin Valley Reserve
and donated it to the Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland
. In his will he expressed a wish for Bush Heritage Australia
(BHA) to take over ownership and care of the land, and the transfer to BHA took place in 1999.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n beekeeper
Beekeeper
A beekeeper is a person who keeps honey bees for the purposes of securing commodities such as honey, beeswax, pollen, royal jelly; pollinating fruits and vegetables; raising queens and bees for sale to other farmers; and/or for purposes satisfying natural scientific curiosity...
, floriculturist
Floriculture
Floriculture, or flower farming, is a discipline of horticulture concerned with the cultivation of flowering and ornamental plants for gardens and for floristry, comprising the floral industry...
and conservationist.
Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary
Griffiths founded the 26 ha Currumbin Wildlife SanctuaryCurrumbin Wildlife Sanctuary
Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary at Currumbin on the Gold Coast, Queensland in Australia, is world renowned for its feeding of huge flocks of free-flying wild Rainbow Lorikeets, which come to the Sanctuary to feast off the special mixture which the Lorikeets eat....
on his family property at Currumbin, Queensland
Currumbin, Queensland
Currumbin is a suburb in the Gold Coast region of Queensland, Australia. At the 2006 Census, Currumbin had a population of 2,647.-History:Many of the houses at Currumbin date from the period of its earliest subdivision and the area contains a substantial grouping of fibro beach houses...
in 1947 after he started feeding the local wild lorikeet
Lorikeet
Lories and lorikeets are small to medium-sized arboreal parrots characterized by their specialized brush-tipped tongues for feeding on nectar of various blossoms and soft fruits, preferably berries. The species form a monophyletic group within the parrot family Psittacidae...
s to distract them from damaging his flowers, an initiative that grew into a major tourist attraction. In 1976, he donated the Sanctuary to the people of Queensland, to be managed by the National Trust of Queensland.
Currumbin Valley Reserve
In 1994 Griffiths bought the 4 ha rainforestRainforest
Rainforests are forests characterized by high rainfall, with definitions based on a minimum normal annual rainfall of 1750-2000 mm...
ed property that is now the Currumbin Valley Reserve
Currumbin Valley Reserve
Currumbin Valley Reserve is a 4 ha nature reserve in the Gold Coast hinterland of south-east Queensland, Australia, west of Coolangatta, 105 km south of Brisbane...
and donated it to the Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland
Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland
The Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland is a Queensland based conservation organisation. The Society was founded in 1962 by Judith Wright, Brian Clouston, David Fleay and Kathleen McArthur...
. In his will he expressed a wish for Bush Heritage Australia
Bush Heritage Australia
Bush Heritage Australia is a non-profit organisation based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia that operates throughout Australia. It was previously known as the Australian Bush Heritage Fund, which is still its legal name. It purchases land, assessed as being of outstanding conservation value, from...
(BHA) to take over ownership and care of the land, and the transfer to BHA took place in 1999.