By Renee Wood
Family and friends have gathered to honour the life of well known Healesville resident and past Healesville Sanctuary keeper Richard Naisbitt on Wednesday 23 February at the St Brigid’s hall.
Richard touched many lives living and working in the area since the 90s but sadly his life was cut short when he died earlier this month on 2 February.
His love and passion for birds of prey transferred to anyone he met, as he spent year’s with the Healesville Sanctuary as a birds of prey keeper.
He was also a familiar face in recent times often seen around the area with his decorated walking stick.
Richard gave much of his time and spirit to rehabilitating birds and worked closely with wildlife groups throughout Victoria sharing his expertise.
He was well known throughout the wildlife and raptor community, writing for falconer magazines and he also published a book with, Dr Peter Holtz which became an international manual used in raptor rehabilitation.
Richard’s work training low security prisoners to work with birds of prey also inspired the Australian film, Healing, and for his involvement in the project he received an International Federation of Wildlife Banksia award in 2001.
Richard was born in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe on 22 June 1965, was one of eight children and growing up in Africa was where his great love for animals blossomed.
Richard’s ex-wife Vanessa Thomas said he discovered his gift and love for working with birds when he was a child, watching and observing the many animals around him in Africa.
“One of his first little birds was a shrike called George that he nursed back to health after a broken wing,” Vanessa said.
Vanessa met Richard when he was working as a safari guide at Fothergill Safari Camp at Lake Kariba.
“Richard took local and international tourists out for walking safaris, canoe safaris, game drives and boat drives.
“He was fascinated by the animals and plants and infused his clients with his knowledge and passion.
“He flew and rehabilitated a string of birds and often had a falcon on his fist.”
Later, they married and moved to Melbourne in 1992 and it was then when Richard’s long distinguished career started with Zoos Victoria after he contacted the Healesville Sancturary when he read an article about its birds of prey show.
Richard was a senior keeper and is said to have built the show into a word-class presentation, sharing his years of knowledge with fellow keepers.
“He trained Gabby the wedge tail and soon had her flying high in the sky performing amazing aerobatic feats when catching her food in the air. Richard was charismatic and together he and Gabby featured on the Sancutary’s advertising.”
Richard was also part of rehabilitating feathered friends for the sanctuary and released his first bird, a male wedge tail eagle, into Victoria’s high country in 1993.
In 1993, Richard also became a dad to Camille, and his son Piers was later born in 1999.
Vanessa said Richard was a wonderful dad.
“He was the first person to bathe Millie and had to stand for hours swinging her basket so she would sleep.
“When Piers, a boy came along, he was delighted to have a son. He would hold both children, even when they were babies, at the same time as he held a bird.”
Richard trained many keepers during his time with Zoos Victoria, including his colleague and friend Matthew Kettle.
Matthew spoke at the memorial and discussed how they bonded over raptors, inspired by Richard’s wealth of knowledge and passion for falcons.
“Eventually, the opportunity came to work on his team and they became some of the best years to date working of my professional career,” he said.
“There was always a spark in his eyes, a wicked sense of humour and a story to be told.
Matthew said they were out flying birds, lunches, evenings and afternoons and he feels very fortunate to have been part of his adventures while in Healesville.
“I still Reminisce at this time and I regularly share stories with colleagues, families and friends. Vanessa and my wife Emma often joke we were in a relationship, and I think in many ways we were. To this day it is still the closest friendship I’ve made outside my marriage and I will always value it immensely,” he said.
Debbie Edwards from Pastoral Care read out a tribute from Richard’s cherished friend Marilyn Harman who he met in 2009 at Kalimna House.
Marilyn wrote about his later years and how he connected with his creative side – often drawing, painting and creating unique items including his walking stick.
“It was during this time that he created his favourite walking stick, which he fashioned from a local tree branch and decorated and re-decorated with feathers and other symbols unique to himself,” Debbie read aloud.
The stick was quite the topic of conversation for Richard and passerbys which he mischievously told some was an ‘African tribal artefact with spiritual powers’.
“He was a well know and a much loved figure walking to the shops everyday with his trusty stick and will be sadly missed by many people in the Healesville community.”
