First published in 1990, Plant Life of Western Australia grew out of a project between Department of Geography at the University of Western Australia and the author, the Foundation Director of the Botanic Garden at Kings Park, Perth. Dr Beard established a project known as the Vegetation Survey of Western Australia which aimed at mapping the plant cover of the entire state.
A series of Vegetation Maps was produced and the project was finally completed in 1981. About 200,000 km were covered by vehicle in 17 years. Dr Beard acquired an unrivalled knowledge of the landscapes and their plant cover over the whole immense area of Western Australia.
