Densey Clyne
Encyclopedia
Densey Clyne is an Australia
n naturalist
, photographer
and writer, especially well-known for her studies of spiders and insects. She was born in Risca
, Wales
, United Kingdom
, and moved to Australia in 1936. During WW2 after a year in the Land Army
Densey served as a commissioned officer in the Australian Women's Army Service
. Densey (née Dorothy Denise Bell) ) married Peter Clyne (now deceased) in 1950. She lives in Wauchope, New South Wales
.
Dinopis subrufa, (Australian Zoologist, 1967); the web structure of the spider Poecilopachys bispinosa (Journal of the Australian Entomological Society, 1973); and a joint paper with D. Rentz, CSIRO Insect Division, on Anthophiloptera dryas, a new orthoptera
n genus and species, studied and recorded over several years by Clyne in her Sydney garden (Journal of the Australian Entomological Society, 1983).
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 naturalist
Natural history
Natural history is the scientific research of plants or animals, leaning more towards observational rather than experimental methods of study, and encompasses more research published in magazines than in academic journals. Grouped among the natural sciences, natural history is the systematic study...
, photographer
Photography
Photography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
and writer, especially well-known for her studies of spiders and insects. She was born in Risca
Risca
Risca is a town of approximately 11,500 people in South Wales, within the Caerphilly County Borough and the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire. It is today part of the Newport conurbation , though it is not a Ward of Newport City Council...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, and moved to Australia in 1936. During WW2 after a year in the Land Army
Australian Women's Land Army
The Australian Women's Land Army was an organisation created in World War II in Australia to combat rising labour shortages in the farming sector. The AWLA was formed on 27 July 1942 and was modelled on Women's Land Army in Great Britain. When Japan joined the Axis in 1941 male agricultural labour...
Densey served as a commissioned officer in the Australian Women's Army Service
Australian Women's Army Service
The Australian Women's Army Service or "AWAS" was a women's service established on 13 August 1941 to "release men from certain military duties for employment in fighting units".-Formation / Structure:...
. Densey (née Dorothy Denise Bell) ) married Peter Clyne (now deceased) in 1950. She lives in Wauchope, New South Wales
Wauchope, New South Wales
-People from Wauchope:* Iva Davies - Musician, Icehouse* Alison Langdon - Channel Nine News Reader - Today Show* Phil Jamieson - Musician, Grinspoon* Andrew Stoner - NSW National Party of Australia leader, Member for Oxley...
.
Achievements
Over the years, as naturalist, conservationist and communicator she has:- written 30 books on natural history subjects, in particular on insectInsectInsects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
s and spiderSpiderSpiders are air-breathing arthropods that have eight legs, and chelicerae with fangs that inject venom. They are the largest order of arachnids and rank seventh in total species diversity among all other groups of organisms...
s (see list below) - written scripts for her own and other televisionTelevisionTelevision is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
documentariesDocumentary filmDocumentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
on natural history (see list below) - published numerous papers and articles dealing with invertebrateInvertebrateAn invertebrate is an animal without a backbone. The group includes 97% of all animal species – all animals except those in the chordate subphylum Vertebrata .Invertebrates form a paraphyletic group...
lives and behaviour in professional journalsScientific journalIn academic publishing, a scientific journal is a periodical publication intended to further the progress of science, usually by reporting new research. There are thousands of scientific journals in publication, and many more have been published at various points in the past...
and popular magazineMagazineMagazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
s. - delivered talks and addresses on invertebrate behaviour and the pleasures of insect-watching to schools, adult groups and professional organisations
- taken part in seminars on natural history writing and on wildlife filming
- acted as a consultant on local wildlife for Australian and overseas television film productions, including several of Sir David AttenboroughDavid AttenboroughSir David Frederick Attenborough OM, CH, CVO, CBE, FRS, FZS, FSA is a British broadcaster and naturalist. His career as the face and voice of natural history programmes has endured for more than 50 years...
's natural history series - partnered Jim FrazierFrazier lensThe Frazier lens is a special camera lens designed by photographer Jim Frazier. The Frazier lens provides a massive depth of field, allowing the foreground and background of an image to be in focus. Frazier's lenses have been widely used in Hollywood and wildlife cinematography...
, leading cinematographer, in providing sequences for David Attenborough’s natural history series - served as a juror at Japan's Environmental Film Festival (1995)
- presented regular natural history segments for eight years on Channel 9Nine NetworkThe Nine Network , is an Australian television network with headquarters based in Willoughby, a suburb located on the North Shore of Sydney. For 50 years since television's inception in Australia, between 1956 and 2006, it was the most watched television network in Australia...
's Burke's BackyardBurke's BackyardBurke's Backyard is an Australian gardening and lifestyle program, broadcast on both radio and television. On television, it was a regular weekly series on the Nine Network from 1987 to 2004.- History :...
lifestyle show - given support to MuseumMuseumA museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
activities relating to invertebrate animals.
Print media
Clyne has written several regular columns on natural history for the print media for:- Australian Wildlife MagazineWildlife Preservation Society of AustraliaThe Wildlife Preservation Society of Australia was founded in Sydney, Australia in May 1909 to encourage the protection of, and to cultivate interest in, the Australian flora and fauna. The founding President of the Society was The Hon Frederick Earle Winchcombe MLC . David Stead was one of four...
- Sydney Morning Herald
- This Australia
- Australian Natural History (now Nature Australia)
- Australian Women's WeeklyAustralian Women's WeeklyThe Australian Women's Weekly is an Australian monthly women's magazine published by ACP Magazines, a division of PBL Media based in Sydney. Audited circulation in 2009 exceeded 500,000 copies monthly, making it the largest magazine in Australia.-History:...
- Burke's Backyard MagazineBurke's BackyardBurke's Backyard is an Australian gardening and lifestyle program, broadcast on both radio and television. On television, it was a regular weekly series on the Nine Network from 1987 to 2004.- History :...
- Gardens and Outdoor Living
Scientific papers
Clyne's scientific contributions include the first detailed description of the netmaking behaviour and sperm induction of the spiderSpider
Spiders are air-breathing arthropods that have eight legs, and chelicerae with fangs that inject venom. They are the largest order of arachnids and rank seventh in total species diversity among all other groups of organisms...
Dinopis subrufa, (Australian Zoologist, 1967); the web structure of the spider Poecilopachys bispinosa (Journal of the Australian Entomological Society, 1973); and a joint paper with D. Rentz, CSIRO Insect Division, on Anthophiloptera dryas, a new orthoptera
Orthoptera
Orthoptera is an order of insects with paurometabolous or incomplete metamorphosis, including the grasshoppers, crickets and locusts.Many insects in this order produce sound by rubbing their wings against each other or their legs, the wings or legs containing rows of corrugated bumps...
n genus and species, studied and recorded over several years by Clyne in her Sydney garden (Journal of the Australian Entomological Society, 1983).
Awards
- Hasselblad Master's AwardHasselblad AwardThe Hasselblad Foundation International Award in Photography is an award granted to "a photographer recognized for major achievements".The award – and the foundation – was set up from the estate of Erna and Victor Hasselblad...
, 1976 - C. J. Dennis Nat. Hist. Lit. Award, 1982, "Wildlife in the Suburbs"
- C. J. Dennis Nat. Hist. Lit. Award, 1989, "Garden Jungle"
- Roy. Zool. Soc. NSWRoyal Zoological Society of New South WalesThe Royal Zoological Society of New South Wales was formed in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia in 1879 as the New South Wales Zoological Society. A Royal Charter was granted in September, 1908, leading to a change to the current name on 10 February 1909...
, Whitley AwardsWhitley Awards (Australia)The Whitley Awards have been awarded annually since 1979 by the Royal Zoological Society of New South Wales . They commemorate Gilbert Whitley, an eminent Australian ichthyologist, and are presented for outstanding publications, either printed or electronic, that contain new information about the...
1982, Best Children's Series, "Nature City" - Roy. Zool. Soc. NSW, Whitley Awards, Commendation, "Garden Jungle"
- Roy. Zool. Soc. NSW, Whitley Awards 1993, Best Children's Series, "Small Worlds"
- Roy. Zool. Soc. NSW, Whitley Commendation, Best Children's Series, "Small Worlds"
- Wilderness Society's Environmental Award 1996, "Small Worlds"
- TV Society of Australia, Individual Achievement Award 1977,Best Documentary Directo
- National Geographic SocietyNational Geographic SocietyThe National Geographic Society , headquartered in Washington, D.C. in the United States, is one of the largest non-profit scientific and educational institutions in the world. Its interests include geography, archaeology and natural science, the promotion of environmental and historical...
, Earthwatch award 1995, "Webs of Intrigue" (film) - Australian Geographic Society, Award for Excellence 1996
- Australian Geographic Society, Photographer of the Year Award 1999
- Roy. Zool. Soc.NSW Whitley Awards 2010 Best Children's Series '"All About Ants" and "Secret Life of Butterflies"
Filmography
The following are the TV and other documentary productions in which Densey Clyne has been involved as researcher, writer, narrator and/or adviser, in partnership with award-winning cinematographer Jim Frazier, OAM:- 1971 - "The Australian Ark" (Shell's Australia). Clyne was asked by producers Robert Raymond and Vincent Serventy to film her garden insects in macro, as part of a TV series on Australia's natural heritage. She approached Jim Frazier to join her in the venture; his first attempt at cinematography, based on her research iinto insect behaviour, was so successful that the team was commissioned to complete one entire programme for the series. This was the start of a 28-year filming partership between Clyne and Frazier
- 1975 - "Garden Jungle" and "Aliens Among Us", two 50-minute documentaries researched and written by Clyne and filmed by Frazier, about the insects and spiders in her garden. These were sold first in Australia to the national 0-10 TV network and subsequently to the BBC in Britain and to networks in Germany, Holland, USA ("Garden Jungle"), Japan and Middle Eastern countries. Awards included the Australian Television Society's 'Golden Penguin'
- Short (20-minute) educational documentaries:
- 1975 - "Now You See Me Now You Don't"
- 1975 - "Come Into My Parlour"
- 1977 - "Every Care But No Responsibility"
- 1977 - "Blueprint for Survival"
- 1978 - "Butterfly Farming in Papua New Guinea", 10-minute film made for the ABCAustralian Broadcasting CorporationThe Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
's 'Weekend Magazine', researched and scripted by Densey Clyne - 1979 - "Life on Earth"
- 1983 - "The Living Planet". Clyne and Frazier were commissioned by the BBC as one of several filming teams to contribute to three of the BBC's world-renowned television series by Sir David Attenborough. They filmed sequences for these series in Borneo, Penang, West Sumatra and California, and were responsible for advising, researching and filming a number of Australian subjects, notably invertebrate animals
- 1979 - "Encounter Underground". Produced by BBC/ABC, a documentary about bulldog ants
- 1980 - "Gippsland". Series of four half-hour documentaries by the ABC about the natural history of the GippslandGippslandGippsland is a large rural region in Victoria, Australia. It begins immediately east of the suburbs of Melbourne and stretches to the New South Wales border, lying between the Great Dividing Range to the north and Bass Strait to the south...
region in the state of Victoria - 1982 - "Lady of the Spiders". Produced by BBC/ABC, a film about Dr Barbara Main and her trapdoor spiderTrapdoor spiderTrapdoor spiders are medium-sized mygalomorph spiders that construct burrows with a cork-like trapdoor made of soil, vegetation and silk. Some similar species are also called trapdoor spiders, such as the Liphistiidae, Barychelidae, Cyrtaucheniidae and some Idiopidae and Nemesiidae...
studies in Western AustraliaWestern AustraliaWestern Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east... - 1982 - "Funnelweb". Produced by Forest Homes Films, a documentary about the search for an antiveninAntiveninAntivenom is a biological product used in the treatment of venomous bites or stings. Antivenom is created by milking venom from the desired snake, spider or insect. The venom is then diluted and injected into a horse, sheep or goat...
to Funnelweb spiderAustralasian funnel-web spiderAustralian funnel-web spiders are venomous spiders of the family Hexathelidae, represented by 31 described species of Hadronyche, four Bymainiella spp., two Teranodes and monotyptic genera Plesiothera fentoni and Ilawarra whisharti...
venom - 1983 - "Thrill of the Chase". Produced by the ABC, a film about Densey Clyne and Jim Frazier
- 1983 - "Kinchega National Park". Produced by the ABC
- 1984 - "Desire of the Moth". Conceived and written by Densey Clyne, and filmed by Jim Frazier, a one-hour documentary about the lives of moths produced by the BBC Natural History Unit, Bristol, England
- 1985 - "Frazer Island - The Sands of Time". Produced by Yowie Films, Sydney; written by Densey Clyne and filmed by Jim Frazier, a one-hour TV documentary about the biggest sand island in the world, off the coast of Queensland
- 1985-6 - "The Nature of Australia". Produced by the ABC for Australia's bicentennial year, a series of six one-hour documentaries for TV about the evolution of Australia's fauna
- 1986 - "To Be a Butterfly" (Gold Camera Award, USA). Conceived, written and directed by Densey Clyne and filmed by Jim Frazier in Australia, a one-hour documentary about the lives of tropical butterflies, produced by Oxford Scientific FilmsOxford Scientific FilmsOxford Scientific Films is a British company that produces natural history and documentary programmes. Founded on 8 July 1968 by noted documentary filmmaker Gerald Thompson, the independent film company broke new ground in the world of documentaries, using new filming techniques and capturing...
for Anglia TV - 1986 - "Sounds Like Australia". Produced by Film Australia, directed by Jamie Robertson, a documentary about two musicians inspired to compose music by the sounds of nature. Wildlife sequences filmed, and sound recorded, by Mantis. (Won Golden Tripod Award)
- 1988-9 - "Trials of Life". Wildlife sequences filmed over three years for David Attenborough's award-winning 13-part BBC TV series; consultations with BBC on Australian subjects researched and filmed by Mantis
- 1991-2 - "Webs of Intrigue" (one-hour documentary about spiders). This documentary, filmed by Jim Frazier, is an update of the original "Aliens Among Us", conceived, researched, written and presented by Densey Clyne. The new film won a number of cinematography, educational and other awards, including an Emmy in the USA, a Panda at Wildscreen in the UK, and the Japan Wildlife Festival Grand Award in 1995. Produced by Roger Whittaker Productions
- 1996-7 - "The Amazing World of Minibeasts". One-hour documentary about the lives of insects and others, conceived, researched, written and presented by Densey Clyne and filmed by Jim Frazier, using his unique Deep FocusDeep focusDeep focus is a photographic and cinematographic technique using a large depth of field. Depth of field is the front-to-back range of focus in an image — that is, how much of it appears sharp and clear. Consequently, in deep focus the foreground, middle-ground and background are all in focus...
lenses. Produced and directed by Silvergrass Productions