VALE PETER STUART

Since those very early days in the deer conservation movement his work was unremitting. Peter’s strength of character made an impact at all levels within the ADA. He was a person whose ethics could not be questioned, a person who could be relied upon to do ‘the right thing’ even if a particular course of action may not have been popular with some people – be they hunters, wildlife and park officials or the general public.

The welfare of the deer and his commitment to ADA always came before his own hunting aspirations.

At the Victorian State level, Peter led countless delegations and representations to various authorities, from parliamentary inquiries to government agencies involved in the administration affecting wildlife, particularly deer.

The extent of Peter Stuart’s commitment to our cause is indicated by the following list of positions that he held.

In other spheres of deer management, Peter made a significant contribution. He was a foundation member of Para Park Co-Operative Game Reserve Ltd (Sunday Island), a member of their Game Management Panel from 1966 to 1976, and its delegate to the Victorian Deer Advisory Council from 1973 to 1979. For a number of years, he was a director of the Australian Deer Research Foundation Ltd, which published books on deer and hunting and funded research into Australia’s deer species.

Rowland Ward’s Records of Big Game appointed Peter their official measurer in 1976 – their first Australian appointment.

Peter worked with a trapping team radio collaring sambar on St. Vincent’s Island in Florida in 1984 and white-tailed deer and bighorn sheep in Texas and Idaho in 1989.

PJ, more than anyone, introduced Quality Deer Management and its principles to Australia. He travelled to the US and forged relationships with Joe Hamilton, which eventually led to the employment of Brian Murphy and the introduction of Quality Deer Management to Tasmania, which was copied in South Australia.

It was also the foundation of enduring solid relations between the ADA and the now National Deer Association (He is pictured with Dr Craig Harper and Kip Adams from the National Deer Association at last year’s ADA Hunter’s Dinner).

In his retirement, Peter and Jean moved to ‘Harmony’, which was a living experiment in practical game management.

Deer hunters owe a debt of gratitude to the work and legacy of PJ, which helped build today's foundations.

Home is the hunter, home from the hill, Vale Peter Stuart.

“Peter’s strength of character made an impact at all levels within the ADA.“