Judy Messer (1933–2023) was an Australian conservationist.[1]
Judy Messer was born in 1933 in Armadale, Western Australia.[2] Her early life was marked by a close connection to nature due to her upbringing in a rural setting.[2] She pursued nursing as a career and, in the 1970s, obtained a PhD in sociology from the University of New South Wales (UNSW).[2]
In 1957, she married Michael Messer, a biochemistry professor known for his research on marsupial milk.[2] By 1970, she was involved in the establishment of the Lane Cove Bushland and Conservation Society in Greenwich.[2]
From 1984 to 2000, Messer led the Nature Conservation Council (NCC), during which the council addressed various environmental issues in Australia.[2] She served as a non-executive director of Sydney Water from 1988 to 2002.[2]
Messer participated in several global conservation events, including the World Conservation Assemblies and the World Congress on National Parks.[2] In 1993, she was awarded a Churchill Fellowship in the U.S. to study conservation funding mechanisms.[2]
In 2000, Messer received the Serventy Conservation Medal from the Australian Wildlife Society.[3]
In 2003, Messer became a member of the Order of Australia.[4] Her papers are held in the National Library of Australia.[5]