FENTON, John David (1935-2020)John, son of
David and Lesley Fenton, boarded at The Geelong College from Form IA 1949 to Form IV 1952. A member of Morrison House, John participated in the cadets, becoming a Q Store Corporal. He was also on the 1952 Relay Team and captain of the 3rd XVIII football team.
After school John spent some time jackarooing before heading to New Zealand. There he worked on a property in Canterbury where he was exposed to pioneering farming practices. He brought these practices back home to Lanark, near Branxholme. The land on the farm was largely cleared with its wetlands drained. With his new practices, John became an advocate for tree planting for shelter, conservation, farm forestry and establishing wetlands to modify the climate and benefit wildlife. He saw the future of farming in balancing the needs of farming and production with land management and conservation.
John became well known in the field, providing opportunities for students to learn his land management practices. In the 1980s John became director of Rural Trees Australia which was a farm, rural planning and broadacre revegetation company. This business invested in mechanical tree planting and indigenous seed collection. With his hands on and practical nature, John became a mentor for many.
In 2010 John published, “The Untrained Environmentalist: how an Australian grazier brought his barren property back to life.” He was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Landscaping and was a keen supporter of the College’s Enviro Centre.
John passed away 15 May 2020, aged 85 years. He is survived by his wife Cicely and four children.
Sources: The Age 23 May 2020, Pegasus, OGC 1949.https://www.foreground.com.au/agriculture-environment/a-farewell-to-john-fenton-australias-influential-untrained-environmentalist/https://www.landcarevic.org.au/landcare-magazine/spring-2020/vale-john-fenton/http://natureglenelg.org.au/vale-john-fenton-honouring-the-life-and-impact-of-a-true-visionary-who-was-ahead-of-his-time/