The Old Diocesan Issue 13 - Magazine - Page 40
TWO MORE MEDALS
ROBERT GRAY MEDALLISTS:
IAN MICHLER & ALASTAIR MILLAR
The Robert Gray Medal is the most prestigious award the school
can bestow on an OD. This year, the ODU is honoured to congratulate
two new recipients: conservationist Ian Michler and paediatric
surgeon Alastair Millar, both exceptional Old Diocesans
VOICE OF THE
AFRICAN WILDERNESS
THE PROCESS
ODs from around the world are
invited to nominate fellow ODs
who have made a significant and
exceptional contribution in their
field of endeavour or to society
in general, writing a motivation
letter to justify their choice.
Nominations are considered and
conferred on by the selection
committee, which consists of
the College principal and the
chairmen of the College Council
and the ODU. The image above is
a rendition of the honours board
at The Mitre, which had not been
updated when we went to print.
36 | THE OLD DIOCESAN
In his time at Bishops, Ian Michler
(1977W) stood out as a natural leader,
an excellent sportsman and a boy with
an affinity for nature. He was a house
and school prefect, received colours
for both rugby and water polo, and
was remembered in particular for
his interest in ornithology. At one
of the meetings of the Ornithology
Society, he gave a memorable
presentation on birds found on
his family farm along the southern
Cape coast. Of special interest was
a series of slides covering the growth
of a fish-eagle chick from the egg
stage to first flight.
Ian is a globally renowned
environmental photojournalist,
wilderness guide and conservation
champion. For more than 35 years,
he has dedicated his life to being
a voice for the African wilderness
and standing up for those who
cannot speak for themselves
– our continent’s wildlife. In
the 1980s, he was a successful
stockbroker, but in his early 30s,
he swapped the trading floor for
a career in ecotourism and wildlife
conservation. In 2000, he co-founded
Invent Africa Safaris, a boutique
operation that now runs high-end
safaris to 19 countries across Africa.
Ian is perhaps best known as lead
investigator, researcher and one of
the campaign leaders of the award-
winning 2015 feature documentary
Blood Lions, which exposed the brutal
realities of the captive lion breeding
and canned hunting industries.
In May 2021, the South African
government officially committed
to ending the captive lion industry,
thanks in part to his efforts.
In 2012, Ian undertook the Tracks
of Giants expedition, completing
an epic 5,400km, 125-day journey
across six African countries with
Ian McCallum. Together, they later
co-authored Living in Two Worlds,
published in 2022 – one of Ian’s nine
books on African natural history and
travel. After returning to studying,
Ian graduated from the Sustainability
Institute at Stellenbosch University
in 2019. He lives in Plettenberg Bay
with his life partner, Tessa van Schaik.
Adapted from the formal Robert Gray
medallist citation. See page 103.
