Robert Whyte (born 1955, in Melbourne) is an Australian writer. He was a founding co-owner and director of the Brisbane-based multimedia firm ToadShow. After 2012 he participated in the Australian Government's new species exploration program Bush Blitz. His works include The Creek in Our Back Yard: a practical guide to creek restoration (2011)[1] and A Field Guide to Spiders of Australia[2] for CSIRO Publishing 2017.
Biography
Robert Whyte delivering a paper on invertebrate biodiversity Photo: Mark Crocker[3] at the Brisbane City Council's 2010 Biodiversity Forum
Robert Whyte was born in Melbourne in 1955.[4] His family moved to Brisbane in 1957.
In 1981 he completed a Postgraduate Diploma in Professional Art Studies at Alexander Mackie CAE (now University of Western Sydney), and was a contributor to Sydney art magazine Art Network.
In 1985 he undertook the production of Environment Victoria, the magazine of the Conservation Council of Victoria, now Environment Victoria. In 1987 he was founding co-editor of contemporary art magazine Eyeline with Sarah Follent and Graham Coulter-Smith.[7]
Robert Whyte was a co-owner of ToadShow, a multimedia firm in Brisbane, Queensland.[8]
Anne Jones, Damien Ledwich, Robert Whyte and Mark Bracken, editors of Cane Toad Times.
As a web designer he was responsible for Brisbane Stories a collection of web sites revealing stories of hidden Brisbane featuring art, environment and history.[9]
Robert Whyte was an editor of The Cane Toad Times from 1985 to 1990.[10][11][12] Between 2002 and 2019 he undertook habitat restorations projects in South East Queensland.[13] In 2011 his book The creek in our backyard: A practical guide for landholders[14] was published, an expanded second edition appearing in 2013[15]A field guide to the spiders of Australia for CSIRO Publishing was released 1 June 2017.[2][16]
Bush Blitz
Robert Whyte far right with the Bush Blitz team in Kiwirrkurra Indigenous Protected Area Gibson Desert WA.
In September 2018 Robert Whyte’s discovered 37 new spider species leading the spider team as part of the fauna, flora and fungi stocktake led by John Sinclair of the Fraser Island Defenders Organisation[29] in conjunction with Cooloola Coast Care.[30][31][32][33][34][35]
A Field Guide to Spiders of Australia
Whyte and Anderson's A Field Guide to Spiders of Australia was published in 2017 by CSIRO Publishing (with foreword by Tim Low). The News Network news.com.au report on "Five reasons why you shouldn't be afraid of spiders" was based on the content of the book.[36] On 4 May 2018 Robert Whyte appeared on Gardening Australia as a “My Garden Path” presenter, explaining the link between spider diversity and healthy gardens.[37]
Publishing
In 2019 Whyte started a new venture called h.a.r.p.o. (How About Resisting Powerful Organisations) to publish books featuring Brisbane, especially Brisbane Noir.[38][39]
Manacles, Melbourne, Melbourne Paragraph of the Senate of Pataphysical Representatives, 1985[41]
From inside the asylum, South Sydney, Brou Ha Ha Books, 1980, [18] p., ISBN0959321306[42]
The creek in our backyard: a practical guide for habitat restoration, Second edition revised and expanded June 2013. Save Our Waterways Now Inc, 2013 59 pages, colour illustrations, colour map, colour portraits ISBN9780646902142[43]
A field guide to spiders of Australia, by Whyte, Robert, 1955, and Anderson, Greg Clayton, Vic., CSIRO Publishing, 2017 ISBN9780643107076[16][44]
Taxonomy papers
Australian jumping spiders of the genus Hypoblemum (Araneae: Salticidae: Euophryini) Peckhamia 180.1[45]
A new peacock spider from the Cape York Peninsula (Araneae: Salticidae: Euophryini: Maratus Karsch 1878). Peckhamia 177.1: 1-6.[46]
Revision of eastern Australian ant-mimicking spiders of the genus Myrmarachne (Araneae, Salticidae) reveals a complex of species and forms[47]
The first described male Tube-web Spider for mainland Australia: Ariadna kiwirrkurra sp. Nov. (Araneae: Segestriidae)[48]
The Peacock Spiders (Araneae: Salticidae: Maratus) of the Queensland Museum, including six new species[49]
Biodiversity discovery program Bush Blitz yields a new species of goblin spider, Cavisternum attenboroughi (Araneae: Oonopidae), from the Northern Territory[50]
Biodiversity discovery program bush blitz supplies missing ant spider females (araneae: Zodariidae) from Victoria[51]
^Robert., Whyte (2011). The creek in our backyard : a practical guide for landholders. Save Our Waterways Now (Organisation). The Gap, Qld.: Save Our Waterways Now Inc. ISBN9780646551586. OCLC780532080.
^Robert, Whyte (10 April 2024). The creek in our backyard : a practical guide for habitat restoration. Save Our Waterways Now (Organisation) (Second edition revised and expanded June 2013 ed.). The Gap, Queensland. ISBN9780646902142. OCLC856951935.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
