The biohistorical paradigm: the early days of human ecology at The Australian National University

In 1971, the Human Ecology Group came up with the proposal to carry out a study of the ecology of the city of Hong Kong. This idea was canvassed around the university, and initially met with either stony silence or open ridicule. Just about everybody thought it was a crazy idea. Everybody, that is, except Frank Fenner, who was director of the John Curtin School of Medical Research at the time. He made crucial funding available that made it all possible. Later, further substantial financial support was provided by other sources, including the Nuffield Foundation and UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization).