Joe Lyons

Australia’s Amphibian Apocalypse

13 June 2025 / 5 Comments

Ninety years ago this month, Australia embarked on an ambitious but ultimately ill-fated experiment in biological control.

In 1935, Queensland sugar cane farmers faced a relentless enemy—the cane beetle. These voracious insects burrowed into sugarcane roots, devastating crops and threatening an industry vital to the nation’s economy. Desperate for a solution, scientists at the Bureau of Sugar Experiment Stations (BSES) looked to overseas biological control methods for inspiration.

An intriguing Australian animal

12 May 2023 / 5 Comments

Australia is home to a fascinating diversity of unique animals and birds. One of the most intriguing is the emu.

My only real interest in the emu was when I played rugby for the Orange Emus in my younger years. It wasn’t until I travelled around the country that the emu became part of my consciousness.… Read more

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Stopping the grey invasion

10 June 2022 / 1 Comment

“The only fence in the world that cuts a continent into two mighty paddocks”. Ernestine Hill

Towards the end of the nineteenth century, rabbits began eating their way towards Western Australia. They were known as a serious threat to the environment and ruined profitable farming land in the eastern states.… Read more

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