Charles Douglas Howick, born April 9, 1935 in Twickenham, London, and sadly passed away in Melbourne on the June 1, 2018 after a short illness. His loved and loving wife Sigrid was by his side. A private cremation, followed by a Wake, was held on the 8th of June. It was a wonderful tribute to Doug, Sigrid and their family. Attendees from WA, SA, NT, QLD, NSW and Victoria spent a few hours reminiscing on Doug-stories. Doug’s passing leaves a deep void in our hearts and indeed our industry and for you to better understand his many achievements, we have included an excerpt of the obituary, written by Jim Bowden and Ion Staunton, for you below.
Doug’s first step into wood protection was taken in 1961; he joined the CSIRO Division of Forest products in Melbourne as a Technical Officer and Experimental Scientist, retiring some 31 years later as Assistant to the Chief of the Division as a Senior Specialist. His research focused on termite and other insect studies and the management of a variety of projects in wood protection, but also importantly, industry interactions, networking and technology transfer. His emphasis on these last three, were the reasons he became one of the best-known persons in the world of wood protection. Doug’s many positions on industry bodies included national secretary of the J.W.Gottstein Trust (1984-87) and Secretary-Treasurer to the formation committee of the National Association of Forest Industries (1986-87).
Already making an impression and being noticed in CSIRO as someone with potential, in 1967 he was awarded one of the early Australian Churchill Fellowships, for a ten-month world study tour ─ “An International Study of the incidence, distribution and economic significance of certain wood-destroying insects having the potential ability to establish in Australia”. For the most of 1968, he met and worked alongside most of the international gurus in that field in USA, UK, Europe and South and East Africa. He returned to his Division to find that many of those international experts had communicated commendatory remarks about his abilities to the CSIRO management. The Organisation listened and accepted his recommendations to expand its research and experimental entomological endeavours.
Doug was author of more than 60 scientific papers on forest products entomology, wood technology and pest management, as well as a further 50 reports, conference papers and presentations. He retired from CSIRO in 1992, aged 57. He was far too young, had too much knowledge, too many contacts and therefore involvement with so many organisations, to actually retire — so he didn’t. He was offered the position of the National Secretary of the Timber Preservers Association of Australia (TPAA) which he held for 20 years, and during that time he also served as the National Executive Director of the Australian Environmental Pest Managers Association (AEPMA) for 10 years. His drive in both organisations saw an increase in membership and involvement with government and like-minded organisations — and he was honoured by both with Life Memberships. The deepening ties between the AEPMA and the Federation of Asian and Oceania Pest Managers Associations (FAOPMA) led to Doug being given the title of Honorary Advisor to FAOPMA. Then he “retired.” He was only 71, he was still healthy, and he wanted to continue being useful.
His Advisory role within FAOPMA, meant attending the conferences with Sigrid and, to fill in “spare” time, he edited and produced their bi-monthly Newsletter “PPM News” and, continuing his involvement with TPAA, did the same with the “CONTACT” newsletter.
For most of all this time, Doug was also a member of the timber industry service club: the Hoo Hoo Club. He became the Jurisdiction IV President, 1983-84, and also wore the mantle of Hoo Hoo Historian. He was the driver of the Hoo-Hoo International Convention in Melbourne in 1982 which attracted the biggest delegation of US and Canadian industry representatives ever assembled Down Under. He earned his Life membership there as well.
Doug had authored many scientific papers but he thought he might have something else to say — to write a book on the history of termite research in Australia. He phoned Ion Staunton and asked about his historical flavoured Preface: in the beginning, in the book Urban Pest Management in Australia. After an overnight think, Doug phoned Ion again and asked if he would join him as co-author. He felt that between them, the threads of scientific developments could be entwined with the threads of commercial stories.
Doug had a cavernous vault of meticulously recorded facts about anything pertaining to wood particularly termites including many hard copies — real paper scientific papers — in two steel cabinets beside his desk. Over 600 of these are listed in three Appendices. The book as planned, morphed into something bigger during the writing and the word “concatenated” from the Hoo Hoo influence was inserted into the title which was published in October 2017 as Colonies in Collision: a concatenated chronicle of termites and termiteers in Australia 1788-2018. (Doug really liked alliteration).
During the co-writing years they referred to it as “the CTB” (coffee table book) and, printed in Australia on good quality “paper from trees not eaten by termites” and weighing 1.5kg, it will hold down any coffee table. It was favourably reviewed and buyers usually comment on how delightfully readable it is. It was Doug’s last big effort — apart from always being on-time or a day-early with the bi-monthly newsletters. Mr Dependable.
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