Sammy, Nathan   (1945 - 1998)

Born in 1945 in Malaysia; died in Northern Territory 11 July 1998.

Born in Malaysia, Nathan was educated at St. Patrick's College in Geraldton then majored in botany and zoology at the WA University in 1969.

While at university, he completed one year of amateur theatre as well as competing in ballroom dancing.
In 1975 Nathan completed a course with the Graduate School of Dance, involving classical, jazz ballet and a small amount of choreography. While teaching at the Aquinas College school drama group staged 'Joseph and His Technicolour Dreamcoat' at the Perth Concert Hall under Nathan's direction.

After coming to the North-West in 1976, Nathan joined the Dampier and Districts Repertory Company and continued his theatre work.

Nathan was also an active sportsman. He held a brown belt in judo and was a keen skin diver.

Nathan was employed by Dampier Salt Limited as a marine biologist. In 1976 Nathan gained a grant from the CSIRO to study for two months at the British Museum in London and the Museum of Natural History in Geneva. Whilst in London, Nathan was accepted as a Fellow of the Linnaen Society.

In March 1978, Nathan was invited to join the Royal Geographical Society's expedition to Mt. Mulu in 1978 to survey virgin rain forests for the Sarawak Malaysian Government.

The team comprised specialists from various parts of the world and Nathan was the only Australian representative.

An article in the 'Hamersley News' (Published in Perth, WA, 1969-1987)
from 8 June 1978, reads:

NATHAN SAMMY ON EXPEDITION TO BORNEO
Mr. Nathan Sammy, biologist with Dampier Salt is taking one month's leave to join a Royal Geographical Society expedition in Borneo.
The Malaysian Government wants to open Mt. Mulu area as a national park and has asked the society to make this study first.
There is a wide spectrum of people going with special interests. They will stay for varying periods during the project that will take a year.
Nathan is the only lichenologist and has had a special interest in this field since university days when he went back to Kuala Lumpar for a particular study. Lichens are fascinating in that they can be dried naturally and kept for hundreds of years.
Nathan holds a science degree with a double major in botany and zoology and he did most of his honours work in lichens.
A CSIRO travel grant enabled Nathan to spend two months at the British Museum last year studying early collections of Australian lichens.
It was then that Nathan joined the Royal Geographical Society and applied to go on this expedition to Borneo.
Theatre goers will be pleased to know Nathan will be back to produce another show for the Dampier and Districts Reporatory Company after his success with the production of 'Joseph and his Technicolour Dream Coat'.

Source: Extracted from:
The Ryerson Index, for Nathan Sammy
Hamersley News (Perth, WA) Thu 8 Sep 1977 Page 14
Hamersley News (Perth, WA) Thu 8 Jun 1978 Page 5
https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/233106139?keyword=Nathan%20Sammy
Flora of Australia, Vol.54, Lichens, p.8, AGPS Canberra.
www.stonefamilyinaustralia.com.au/shane_stone/archive_items/browse/people/nathan-sammy
Portrait Photo: 1977, Hamersley News (Perth, WA) Thu 8 Sep 1977 Page 14

Australian collecting localities for 'Sammy, N.' from AVH (2024)

Data from 2,644 specimens