The foundation director of the Cooperative Research Centre for Legumes in Mediterranean Agriculture has died aged 79

A fierce advocate for science and its place in agriculture, Emeritus Professor Alan Robson AO CitWA, has died aged 79. Professor Robson made a significant contribution to the grains industry through his work in soil science and plant nutrition.

He was the foundation director of the Cooperative Research Centre for Legumes in Mediterranean Agriculture (CLIMA) and the University of Western Australia’s (UWA’s) dean of the Faculty of Agriculture, head of the School of Agriculture, professor of Agriculture (Soil Science), and Hackett chair in Agriculture until his retirement.

He also served as UWA’s vice-chancellor from 2004 to 2011 and remained connected to the university throughout his retirement.

Professor Robson was a lifelong advocate for science. In an interview with the Western Australian Marine Science Institution in 2014 he said that science allowed “you to travel the world, meet good people, and solve real-world problem”.

Everything we do depends on science, and we’ve always got to keep looking at smarter ways of doing things.

GRDC senior regional manager – west – Peter Bird says Professor Robson’s contribution to agriculture led GRDC to name a meeting room in Perth in his honour in 2016.

“Professor Robson’s advocacy in creating legumes suited to western conditions is still felt today.”

UWA will name the Agriculture Lecture Theatre the Alan Robson Agriculture Lecture Theatre in his honour.