Zich, Frank Anthony (1968 - )

Frank has worked in Herbaria and Botanic Gardens in Australia and Indonesia since 1990, and was the Plant Records Manager at the Australian National Botanic Gardens (ANBG) from 2002-06. At the ANBG he is also responsible for processing requests from other insitutions for research and plant release, and Registrar of the Australian Cultivar Registration Authority. He is now Curator of the Australian Tropical Herbarium in Cairns, Queensland.

In 1989 he graduated from the University of Canberra with a Degree in Applied Science (Ecology) and in 1990 began work in Canberra at the Australian National Herbarium undertaking general duties including database editing, curatorial duties, field work and research assistance.

In 1995 he left the Herbarium to begin an Australian Volunteer Abroad placement with the team at the office of the Indonesian Network for Plant Conservation (INetPC) based in the Indonesian Botanic Gardens, Bogor. He worked with the INetPC until 1997, and in 1998 took up another Australian Volunteer Abroad placement in Bali Botanic Gardens.

In 1999, after 3½ years in Indonesia, he returned to Australia and worked in Darwin at the Herbarium of the Northern Territory and the Darwin Botanic Gardens for 6 months.

In late 1999 he returned to Canberra and the Australian National Herbarium where he had a number of jobs including editor of the Australian Plant Name Index (a database of Australian plant names and references), databaser of herbarium records and curator of various sections of the herbarium collection.

In 2002 accepted position as Plant Records manager at the Australian National Botanic Gardens. From 2003 until he left the gardens in 2006 he was also Registrar of the Australian Cultivar Registration Authority (ACRA).

In 2006 accepted position as Curator of the Australian Tropical Herbarium in Cairns, Queensland.

Source: pers com 2004