Urban Pest Management in Australia

Phillip Hadlington OAM

Phillip Hadlington OAM received his Order of Australia Medal in 2000 for his contribution to the Australian community, both directly and indirectly through his education of the pest management industry. In the 1950s, the NSW state government identified the need for technical training of pest controllers, and Hadlington was chosen to establish a course for technicians.

With Ion Staunton, he co-authored the first textbook, Pests of Australian Homes and Industry, self-published in 1961 and later published by the University of New South Wales Press Limited in 1963 with expanded chapters. Years later, in collaboration with John Gerozisis, he co-wrote Urban Pest Control in Australia, a thoroughly revised textbook that has served as a cornerstone for pest controllers for nearly four decades.

In 1963, Hadlington initiated the meeting that led to the formation of the Australian Pest Controllers Association. His close-up photography, featured in this book, originated from his work with funnel web spiders. He lived a full life, passing away at 97.

John Gerozisis

John Gerozisis holds a Science degree from the University of New South Wales, with a major in Entomology and Zoology. He gained industry experience as an entomologist and consultant and dedicated ten years to teaching the NSW TAFE pest control course.

He collaborated with Phillip Hadlington to keep Urban Pest Management current until 2004. The advancements in the textbook, from its initial edition with Hadlington and Staunton to the 2004 revision, are a testament to Gerozisis’s expertise and dedication. He subsequently spent another decade with a prominent Sydney building consultancy before retiring to Tasmania.

Ion Staunton

Ion Staunton returned to the pest control field to contribute to the revisions for the 2008 edition and the current edition. Similar to Gerozisis, he studied entomology at UNSW. He served as the technical officer at Houghton & Byrne (prior to its acquisition by Rentokil) and dedicated 25 years as the honorary secretary for both the NSW Pest Controllers Association and the Council of Australian Pest Control Associations.

He played a role in establishing the Australian Environmental Pest Managers Association and organized his final national conference in 1988. He maintained contact with executive director Doug Howick during Howick’s tenure. Together with Howick, he co-authored Colonies in Collision, a history of the pest control industry. In partnership with Lextar and Pesense, he was instrumental in realizing his vision for the TermiSensor, a device that enables daily electronic monitoring of termite activity, significantly reducing the need for frequent manual inspections and improving baiting opportunities.

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