Living proof that age should never limit you…

What do you plan to do when you are 100 years old?

Most of us have some idea that does not involve a lot of effort, but Professor David Goodall, 100 years old in early April 2014 – intends to publish two scientific papers.“I can’t get out in field now so I work at a desk writing and editing, mainly editing,” he said.

He goes into work at Edith Cowan University, where he is an honorary research fellow at the Centre for Ecosystem Management, every day. In addition to writing and editing he is the joint supervisor of a PhD candidate.

He has written two papers which will be published shortly: One is an invited review in Educational Science on his centenary covering his experience of education. The other is a paper on computer diagnostics in the Italian Journal Plant Biosystems.

Professor Goodall, a pioneer of numerical taxonomy, has written a computer program which helps classify plant specimens to species level, even if they are an unknown species.

“It can be used to characterise anything defined by a large number of attributes. It could even by used to define diseases based on large number of symptoms.” He is also associate editor of the scientific journal Tropical Ecology.

“I receive papers and send them out for review and make decisions about publication.” But it is not all work for David Goodall. He is a keen amateur actor and director.

“I’ve not counted them, but I must have been involved in more than 80 productions over the years.”

He last appeared on stage in a small part in Shakespeare’s Love’s Labour Lost two years ago, but has had to give up theatre because he can longer drive. Instead he has joined Well Versed, a group who meet regularly to discuss and write poetry.

“I was always interested in poetry. I joined Well Versed when it was formed two years ago. They hold meetings in the daytime so I can get to them,” he said. Dr Goodall first came to Australia in 1948 as senior lecturer in Botany at Melbourne University.

He spent several years overseas in academic roles including Professor of Agricultural Botany at Reading University, Professor of Biological Sciences at University of California, Irvine and Professor of Systems Ecology at Utah State University. Nevertheless he always considers Australia home.

He worked for many years at CSIRO Division of Land Resources Management, and then with the Division of Wildlife & Ecology in Helena Valley before formally retiring in 1979 to take on more work as an honorary research fellow, first with CSIRO and later Edith Cowan University.

He still retains an English accent after more than 65 years in Australia. “I’ve never tried to get rid of it, nor considered it a disadvantage,” he said.

The secret of active ageing is to keep mentally alert and active and in contact with younger people, he said.

Age is not a limiter unless you want it to be… What do you aspire to achieve next?