Judy Messer (1933–2023) was an Australian conservationist.^[1]

Judy Messer was born in 1933 in Armadale, Western Australia.^[2] Her early life was marked by a close connection to nature due to her upbringing in a rural setting.^[2] She pursued nursing as a career and, in the 1970s, obtained a PhD in sociology from the University of New South Wales (UNSW).^[2]

In 1957, she married Michael Messer, a biochemistry professor known for his research on marsupial milk.^[2] By 1970, she was involved in the establishment of the Lane Cove Bushland and Conservation Society in Greenwich.^[2]

From 1984 to 2000, Messer led the Nature Conservation Council (NCC), during which the council addressed various environmental issues in Australia.^[2] She served as a non-executive director of Sydney Water from 1988 to 2002.^[2]

Messer participated in several global conservation events, including the World Conservation Assemblies and the World Congress on National Parks.^[2] In 1993, she was awarded a Churchill Fellowship in the U.S. to study conservation funding mechanisms.^[2]

In 2000, Messer received the Serventy Conservation Medal from the Australian Wildlife Society.^[3]

In 2003, Messer became a member of the Order of Australia.^[4] Her papers are held in the National Library of Australia.^[5]