Fangs a lot … Ardeer’s Brian Francis Barnett was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia for his pioneering work in the production of anti-venoms. 59272 Picture: KRISTIAN SCOTT
By Belinda Nolan
A SINGLE bite from a deadly taipan snake is enough to kill a small army but thanks to Brian Francis Barnett, the poisonous venom can also save lives.
And after more than five decades studying snakes you could say the Ardeer resident’s veins run with venom, rather than blood.
A fanatical snake catcher, Mr Barnett was instrumental in pioneering anti-venoms in the 1950s and ’60s by supplying and studying the dangerous creatures to aid scientists’ work.
Last week, he was one of two Brimbank residents who received the prestigious Medal of the Order of Australia for outstanding contributions to their country.
Mr Barnett received the award for services to conservation and the environment for his work with Australia’s reptile and amphibian species.
A long-running president of the Victorian Herpetological Society, Mr Barnett’s fascination with serpents began when he was just 12 years old.
“A lot of kids used to go out in the field to catch frogs and lizards,” Mr Barnett said.
“Well I used to do that too but I was more interested in snakes. I could go out and catch 20 tiger snakes in a lunch time.”
What started out as a hazardous hobby quickly took over as Mr Barnett began breeding some of the most dangerous snake species.
Now 67, he is considered one of the world’s foremost experts on reptiles, with numerous publications and research papers to his name.
After 55 years working with reptiles, there aren’t many snakes Mr Barnett hasn’t encountered.
His favourite, the taipan, is considered the world’s most deadly.
But taming taipans is all in a day’s work for the snake catcher.
At one stage he had more than 200 in his collection.
“In the wild they’re the fastest thing you’ve ever seen,” Mr Barnett said.
“They say they’re the most dangerous snake but to me one thing that kills you is just as dangerous as the next.
“If you’re dead, you’re dead – it doesn’t matter what bit you.”
While many would raise their eyebrows at such a dangerous hobby, wife Lani doesn’t bat an eyelid.
And it’s no wonder.
A former snake dancer, she’s every bit as fond of reptiles as her husband.
A love of snakes clearly runs in the family.
Son Ty was named after the serpent species, while grandson Taipan inherited the more obvious tag.
These days Mr Barnett has cut back on his collection, with only half a dozen pythons, a dog, a parrot and a cockatoo in his backyard menagerie.
Despite being bitten twice, the stalwart snake enthusiast said he was never afraid of being killed by his beloved pets.
“Yeah I’ve had a couple of bites, I’ve had venom put in me but nothing serious,” Mr Barnett said.
“Some might say it’s a dangerous hobby but I’ve never encountered a snake that has come after me.
“They’re more scared of me than I am of them.”
