Pandanus Park - LES HIDDINS - The Bush Tucker Man

Citation for the Award of Honorary Doctorate of Science
Leslie James Hiddins

Chancellor

I present to you for the award of Honorary Doctor of Science, Leslie James Hiddins. James Cook University wishes to recognise his outstanding service and public contribution to Australia and northern Queensland.

Better known as Les Hiddins and even more well known as the Bush Tucker Man, Mr Hiddins through ABC television has taught Australians and viewers in 50 other countries how to survive in the bush. But there is much more to him than wandering through the bush followed by a camera crew, and part of that work has had JCU connections.

Mr Hiddins began his career in the Australian Army in 1966 as a private soldier and completed two tours of duty in Vietnam in the late 1960s as a forward scout in infantry units with 6RAR, 7RAR and 1RAR. He was commissioned with the rank of Second Lieutenant in 1971 and transferred to the Army Aviation Corp in 1974.

He was awarded a Defence Fellowship in 1980 to study at the Townsville Campus of JCU and to research survival in northern Australia, but the following year he was seconded to the Directorate of Special Action Forces by Brigadier Mike Jefferies, now His Excellency, the Governor General Major General Jefferies. He was called on to head up the direction of the Australian Army Survival policy for Special Forces. In 1982, he raised the Army Combat Survival Project based at Lavarack Barracks, and he is the principal author of the Army’s Combat Survival Manual, which was published in 1987.

Les Hiddins retired from the regular army in 1989 with the rank of Major but provided consultancy services to the Department of Defence in the early 1990s and re-enlisted in the Australian Army Reserve in 1997. He worked with Aboriginal communities in Northern Australia and was attached to 5th Aviation Regiment in Townsville working with Australian Army pilots as Aboriginal people taught them survival skills. His work with the Army Reserve ended in 2001 when Mr Hiddins reached retirement age.

Throughout this time there was an almost parallel career in exploration, broadcasting and publishing which began in 1975 with his first documented expedition – The Pudding Pan Hill expedition in search of explorer Edmund Kennedy’s death site on Cape York Peninsula. The film of that expedition was broadcast on ABC television’s “A Big Country”. In 1979, Mr Hiddins lead another expedition – Retracing the journals of explorer Christie Palmerston in the North Queensland Rainforests. This was a joint Army and JCU expedition with several JCU staff and postgraduates involved in the survey including geographers, biologists, archaeologists and environmental scientists. Again it was broadcast by ABC television.

In January 1993, he was diving on the wreck of HMS Pandora on behalf of the Queensland Museum and ABC TV for a program broadcast as Pandora – in the wake of the Bounty. The following year he was diving off the West Australian coast for a one-hour documentary for the ABC on the wreck in 1629 of the Dutch ship Batavia.

In 1988, the joint ABC/Defence Department television series Bush Tucker Man was first screened. Belying its ongoing impact only two more series were made, one in 1990 and then Bush Tucker Man – Stories of Survival in 1995. The series has now been sold to more than 50 countries and given birth to numerous books and CDs, including Explore Wild Australia with the Bush Tucker Man, which has sold more than 160,000 copies – so far.

In 1999, Mr Hiddins was a Visiting Fellow at Hatfield College at the University of Durham in the UK, although his title was rapidly changed to Visiting Bloke. In recent years, Mr Hiddins has directed his energy and passion into providing a bush haven for Vietnam Vets called Pandanus Park on Cape York. More than 2000 veterans are using it each year and he has been quoted as describing it as “better than all the pills and pensions in the world”. In 2005, the indigenous land council granted the vets a 15 year licence for their bush retreat.

Chancellor, in recognition of his outstanding service and distinguished contribution to Australia and the northern Queensland community, and his exceptional contributions beyond the expectations of his particular field of endeavour that have influenced the thinking and general well-being of humanity, it is with great pleasure I present Leslie James Hiddins for admission to the award of Honorary Doctor of Science.


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	*CONGRATULATIONS LES !*

	On the evening of Friday 28 March 2008, James Cook University in Townsville honored our Les "...in recognition of his outstanding service and distinguished contribution to Australia and the northern Queensland community, and his exceptional contributions beyond the expectations of his particular field of endeavour that have influenced the thinking and general well-being of humanity..."
	Citation for the Award of Honorary Doctorate of Science Leslie James Hiddins Chancellor I present to you for the award of Honorary Doctor of Science, Leslie James Hiddins. James Cook University wishes to recognise his outstanding service and public contribution to Australia and northern Queensland. Better known as Les Hiddins and even more well known as the Bush Tucker Man, Mr Hiddins through ABC television has taught Australians and viewers in 50 other countries how to survive in the bush. But there is much more to him than wandering through the bush followed by a camera crew, and part of that work has had JCU connections. Mr Hiddins began his career in the Australian Army in 1966 as a private soldier and completed two tours of duty in Vietnam in the late 1960s as a forward scout in infantry units with 6RAR, 7RAR and 1RAR. He was commissioned with the rank of Second Lieutenant in 1971 and transferred to the Army Aviation Corp in 1974. He was awarded a Defence Fellowship in 1980 to study at the Townsville Campus of JCU and to research survival in northern Australia, but the following year he was seconded to the Directorate of Special Action Forces by Brigadier Mike Jefferies, now His Excellency, the Governor General Major General Jefferies. He was called on to head up the direction of the Australian Army Survival policy for Special Forces. In 1982, he raised the Army Combat Survival Project based at Lavarack Barracks, and he is the principal author of the Army’s Combat Survival Manual, which was published in 1987. Les Hiddins retired from the regular army in 1989 with the rank of Major but provided consultancy services to the Department of Defence in the early 1990s and re-enlisted in the Australian Army Reserve in 1997. He worked with Aboriginal communities in Northern Australia and was attached to 5th Aviation Regiment in Townsville working with Australian Army pilots as Aboriginal people taught them survival skills. His work with the Army Reserve ended in 2001 when Mr Hiddins reached retirement age. Throughout this time there was an almost parallel career in exploration, broadcasting and publishing which began in 1975 with his first documented expedition – The Pudding Pan Hill expedition in search of explorer Edmund Kennedy’s death site on Cape York Peninsula. The film of that expedition was broadcast on ABC television’s “A Big Country”. In 1979, Mr Hiddins lead another expedition – Retracing the journals of explorer Christie Palmerston in the North Queensland Rainforests. This was a joint Army and JCU expedition with several JCU staff and postgraduates involved in the survey including geographers, biologists, archaeologists and environmental scientists. Again it was broadcast by ABC television. In January 1993, he was diving on the wreck of HMS Pandora on behalf of the Queensland Museum and ABC TV for a program broadcast as Pandora – in the wake of the Bounty. The following year he was diving off the West Australian coast for a one-hour documentary for the ABC on the wreck in 1629 of the Dutch ship Batavia. In 1988, the joint ABC/Defence Department television series Bush Tucker Man was first screened. Belying its ongoing impact only two more series were made, one in 1990 and then Bush Tucker Man – Stories of Survival in 1995. The series has now been sold to more than 50 countries and given birth to numerous books and CDs, including Explore Wild Australia with the Bush Tucker Man, which has sold more than 160,000 copies – so far. In 1999, Mr Hiddins was a Visiting Fellow at Hatfield College at the University of Durham in the UK, although his title was rapidly changed to Visiting Bloke. In recent years, Mr Hiddins has directed his energy and passion into providing a bush haven for Vietnam Vets called Pandanus Park on Cape York. More than 2000 veterans are using it each year and he has been quoted as describing it as “better than all the pills and pensions in the world”. In 2005, the indigenous land council granted the vets a 15 year licence for their bush retreat. Chancellor, in recognition of his outstanding service and distinguished contribution to Australia and the northern Queensland community, and his exceptional contributions beyond the expectations of his particular field of endeavour that have influenced the thinking and general well-being of humanity, it is with great pleasure I present Leslie James Hiddins for admission to the award of Honorary Doctor of Science.
	Les is currently exploring his new Telstra blog, and we'll have a link here for you when he is ready. Yes - you'll get to see some of his happy snaps! There is also a website in development for him. If you have any content suggestions, pop them on the Forum or Guestbook.
	At the time of writing, Les is scheduled to appear on Channel Ten's State Focus at 0830 - 0900 on Sunday 30 March 2008
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