Gordon McClymont

Gordon McClymont (1920 to 2000) was an Australian agricultural scientist, ecologist and educationist, and the originator of the term sustainable agriculture. Sponsored by the New South Wales Department of Agriculture, he studied veterinary science at the University of Sydney and took a PhD at the University of Cambridge, then worked as an animal nutrition researcher for the state. Believing his education had not prepared him for his work, he designed a broader, multidisciplinary approach to livestock and agricultural production, and in 1955 the University of New England hired him as foundation chair of its Faculty of Rural Science, the first degree program to integrate animal husbandry, veterinary science, agronomy and related fields. He is known for his multidisciplinary approach to farm ecology, received a special award from the Australian poultry industry in 1967 and was appointed Officer of the Order of Australia in 1978.