Dr James W Peacock, AC, FAA, FTSE, FRS, Australia’s Chief Scientist, President of the Academy of Science, was a colossus in Australian plant science. He was hugely respected both nationally and internationally, receiving numerous awards and honours.
Jim passed away last week, and much will be written by others about his many achievements. He was my boss and mentor for many years and had a huge impact on my life and career. Jim gave me, what my mum called my first “real” job and the chance to travel from Scotland to Australia straight after submitting my PhD thesis. This was a 3-year contract at CSIRO-Division of Plant Industry, in Canberra – and it lasted for 27 immensely enjoyable years. My first meeting with Jim is still vivid in my mind. “We are taking you to meet the Chief”, they said, on my first day. I had visions of a warrior chief with a full feather head-dress, but waiting at his office door was not a Sitting Bull look-alike, nor what I had more realistically imagined, a besuited administrator, it was a sun-tanned, athletic, stocky man, wearing shorts, socks, sandals, a grin from ear to ear, and offering a bone-crushing handshake.
Jim was unwavering in his encouragement and pro-active support for his researchers and staff. His Division was filled with amazing people. He recruited or retained not only exceptional Australian researchers with a wide range of expertise (cotton breeders, Norm Thomson and Peter Reid; drought physiologist, John Passioura; wheat genomicist, Rudi Appels; photosynthesis gurus, Hal Hatch and Jan Anderson; molecular biologist Liz Dennis, to name a few – look them up) but also hot-shot young post-docs from the likes of John Innes, UCLA and Stanford, and he brought in a constant stream of internationally renowned researchers (like Mike Gale, Roger Beachy, Virginia Walbot, Norman Borlaug) as long-term or drop-in visitors. He created a brilliant environment with a vibrant energy, a strong feeling of collegiality, and a shared passion for pioneering research with impact, novelty and relevance. Many of the agricultural benefits (like a viable Australian cotton industry) we enjoy today, and excellent young (well maybe not so young anymore) national and international plant researchers stem from his leadership. His capacity to forge collaborations and partnerships was phenomenal and it was wonderful to be a part of that scientific melting pot.
Jim had a reputation for being tough, both within and outside of CSIRO. I think he liked that and embraced it (indeed, sometimes I copped an earful from him and other times I’d get an earful from others because of him), but I believe it was largely an act. He could fight tooth and claw to get the best for his Division from the CSIRO hierarchy, companies, granting agencies and politicians and he could also lay on the charm with a trowel. Nevertheless, you could totally rely on him to be completely (sometimes brutally) honest and when the chips were really, really down he gave you unwavering support. I could not have asked for a better mentor and, I like to think, friend. We will not look upon his like again.
Peter Waterhouse
Chief Investigator and Node Leader, Queensland University of Technology
