Obituary: John Jerram

Forest and Bird, Volume 23, Issue 2, 1 May 1992, Page 49

Obituary: John Jerram

A.A.T. Ellis

JOHN VICKERS JERRAM died on 26 December aged 79.

He was the president of Forest and Bird from 1974 until 1976, a period of critical importance to the society. In 1974 the society had some 17,000 members. It operated from tiny premises in Wellington. It had for 19 years been run by a remarkable man, Roy Nelson, with the assistance of one full-time paid secretary. The demands of the society and the urgency and increase of conservation issues meant great changes were to be inevitable. The task for John Jerram was to change the society from one run essentially by dedicated and gifted amateurs to one comprising a large section of our community served and directed by the fully professional organisation we know today. John had all his life been a committed conservationist. He had been chairman of the Auckland Branch Committee, an active member of the campaign to save Lake Manapouri and a member of the Coromandel Forest Park Advisory Committee from 1970 to 1975. John had a wide knowledge of the world and of business. Born in Wellington, he studied at Victoria University and joined the merchant house of Bing Harris Limited, of which he was to become a director. His interest in local body politics led to terms on the Eastbourne Borough Council and he became deputy mayor in 1950 to 1952. By the time he became president he had retired to Taupo. This placed an added burden on

his energies, as much time had to be spent in Wellington. One of the major issues that greeted him was the emerging government Indigenous Forest Policy proposed at the Forestry Development conference held on the West Coast. The preservation of the West Coast beech forests was then to the forefront. It still is. The society’s first technical officer, to become the national conservation officer, was appointed. A large sum was raised to purchase Maud Island as a bird sanctuary. John’s hope was that conservationists could speak with one voice on the great issues. He had a pretty pen and his editorials in Forest & Bird were written from the heart. Forest and Bird was fortunate indeed to have had John Jerram to lead it at that critical time. He lived to enjoy retirement with his family and fishing. His passing is a loss to us all and we extend our sympathy to his family.