Stephen D. Hopper received his Ph.D. degree from the University of Western Australia in 1978. He has been the Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew (2006–2012), Director of Kings Park and Botanic Garden (1992–2004), and involved in flora conservation research and academic teaching in conservation biology at UWA. Since 2012, he has been a Professor of Biodiversity at The University of Western Australia. He focuses on the ecological, evolutionary, conservation, and sustainability aspects of biodiversity on old, climatically buffered infertile landscapes (Ocbils), with a special focus on plants of granite rock outcrops, and the Haemodoraceae, eucalypts, and orchids.