Elery Hamilton-Smith

Elery Hamilton-Smith (28 December 1929 – 27 June 2015) was an Australian interdisciplinary scholar and academic, and later an adjunct professor of Environmental Studies at Charles Sturt University.

Background
Elery Hamilton-Smith was born on a property named Shady Grove, near Hahndorf and grew up in rural South Australia.

He did not have conventional academic training, and graduated from the University of Adelaide with a Diploma in Social Sciences in 1956. His professional career moved between research, consultancy and teaching in 50 countries.
 * From 1949 to 1968 he worked in teaching and community services.
 * From 1969 to 1977 he was a social policy & planning consultant, with an honorary position as zoologist at the South Australia Museum. His work included many studies on social policy and open space in Victoria, Australia.
 * In the 1980s and 90s he was lecturer and then Professor, latterly in the Department of Leisure Studies, Phillip Institute of Technology (now RMIT University), Melbourne.
 * Professor, Department of Environmental Studies, Charles Sturt University
 * He spent a total of 15 years outside Australia working for the UNESCO World Heritage Bureau and the United Nations Development Program. Educational
 * Fellowship with the Government of Canada.
 * He also had many years of working (as a volunteer) within various IUCN programs.

Professional contributions
Hamilton-Smith had wide interests. He worked on:
 * social policy development and programmes dealing with youth issues.
 * development of leisure and outdoor recreation activities
 * Conservation, particularly tourism and visitor appreciation of wilderness and National Parks
 * Cave and karst management
 * sustainability and environmental studies.

Awards

 * Membership of the Order of Australia (AM) in Australia Day Honours List in 2001
 * former federal president of the Australian Association of Social Workers