{{Short description|Australian schoolteacher, author and environmentalist}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2016}} {{Use Australian English|date=October 2016}} {{Infobox person | name = Don Goodsir | honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=AUS|OAM|size=100}} | image = | image_size = | alt = | caption = | birth_name = Donald Henry Goodsir | birth_date = {{Birth date|df=y|1937|05|21}} | birth_place = Haberfield, New South Wales | death_date = {{Death date and age|df=y|2010|10|06|1937|05|21}} | education = Bachelor of Arts | alma_mater = University of Sydney | occupation = Teacher, administrator | years_active = 1956–2010 | employer = NSW Department of Education and Training | known_for = Environmentalism | notable_works = Gould League books on Australian birds and mammals | spouse = Julie (nee Ferguson) | children = 3 | awards = Medal of the Order of Australia }}

'''Donald Henry Goodsir''' {{post-nominals|country=AUS|OAM}} (21 May 1937 – 6 October 2010) was an Australian teacher, school administrator, author and environmentalist.

==Early life== Goodsir was born in Haberfield, New South Wales on 21 May 1937 to Harry Goodsir (a maintenance engineer) and Molly Moore. He was educated at Haberfield Primary School, Fort Street Boys' High School and William Balmain Teachers' College.<ref name="Richards">{{cite news|url=http://www.smh.com.au/national/obituaries/urban-crusader-fought-to-conserve-and-protect-his-community-20101025-170rp.html|title=Urban crusader fought to conserve and protect his community|last=Richards|first=George|date=26 October 2010|work=smh.com.au|accessdate=31 October 2010|archive-date=7 November 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121107071700/http://www.smh.com.au/national/obituaries/urban-crusader-fought-to-conserve-and-protect-his-community-20101025-170rp.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Career== At the age of 18, Goodsir was appointed to a one-room school at Bulby Brush School near Krambach, New South Wales, the same school attended earlier by Australian poet Les Murray.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Kinross Smith|first=Graeme|date=September 1980|title='...The Frequent Image of Farms' - A Profile of Les Murray|journal=Westerly|volume=25|issue=3|pages=38–52|url=http://www.austlit.edu.au/common/fulltext-content/pdfs/brn15260/brn15260.pdf|accessdate=31 October 2010|archive-date=6 January 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110106124854/http://www.austlit.edu.au/common/fulltext-content/pdfs/brn15260/brn15260.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>

After three years Goodsir returned to Sydney where he taught while completing an Arts degree at the University of Sydney. After teaching in England for three years, he served as principal at public schools in North Sydney, Lindfield, Maroubra Junction and Mosman. Frustrated that books on birds focussed on North American species, he approached the Gould League and wrote the text for two books, on Australian birds and mammals.<ref name="Richards"/>

Goodsir went on to become an inspector of schools in Coonabarabran and a director of schools for Woollahra.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://mosman-daily.whereilive.com.au/news/story/terrific-bloke-gentleman/|title=Don Goodsir, a terrific bloke, gentleman|last=Crawford|first=Kate|date=14 October 2010|work=mosman-daily.whereilive.com.au|accessdate=31 October 2010|archive-date=6 July 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110706113448/http://mosman-daily.whereilive.com.au/news/story/terrific-bloke-gentleman/|url-status=live}}</ref>

==After retirement== Following his retirement in 1994, Goodsir undertook many voluntary community roles including: *President, Headland Preservation Group<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.defence.gov.au/news/navynews/editions/5005/topstories/story9.htm|title=Penguin supports preservation|year=2007|work=defence.gov.au|accessdate=31 October 2010|archive-date=8 June 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110608045523/http://www.defence.gov.au/news/navynews/editions/5005/topstories/story9.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> *President, Mosman Historical Society<ref name="mosman">{{cite news|url=http://mosman-daily.whereilive.com.au/news/story/friends-hand-over-significant-records/|title=Friends hand over significant records|last=Page|first=Emma|date=30 April 2009|work=mosman-daily.whereilive.com.au|accessdate=31 October 2010|archive-date=6 July 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110706113439/http://mosman-daily.whereilive.com.au/news/story/friends-hand-over-significant-records/|url-status=live}}</ref> *Member, Friends of the Bradley Bushland Reserve<ref name="mosman"/> *Community Advisory Committee Member, Sydney Harbour Federation Trust<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.harbourtrust.gov.au/docs/2007-2008appendices.pdf|title=Community Advisory Committee Members|year=2008|work=harbourtrust.gov.au|accessdate=31 October 2010|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110228171543/http://harbourtrust.gov.au/docs/2007-2008appendices.pdf|archivedate=28 February 2011|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

Goodsir also served as a volunteer teacher training adviser in Thailand, Kiribati and, while suffering from cancer, the Solomon Islands.<ref name="Richards"/>

==Honours== * Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for service to the community, particularly through environmental preservation and heritage organisations (2008)<ref>{{cite web|date=26 January 2008|title=Donald Henry Goodsir|url=https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/1137645|url-status=live|work=It's An Honour|accessdate=17 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210817175706/https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/1137645 |archive-date=17 August 2021 }}</ref>

==Publications== *''The Gould League book of Australian birds'' (1979) {{ISBN|0-85558-632-X}} *''The Gould League book of Australian mammals'' (1981) {{ISBN|0-85558-640-0}} *''Fascinating Australian birds : a pictorial guide'' (2007) {{ISBN|978-1-921221-08-8}}

==References== {{reflist}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Goodsir, Don}} Category:1937 births Category:2010 deaths Category:People from Sydney Category:Schoolteachers from New South Wales Category:Australian non-fiction writers Category:Australian environmentalists Category:Recipients of the Medal of the Order of Australia