In this lecture I commemorate the outstanding contribution made by Daniel McAlpine to plant pathology. I take my listeners on a journey through my experiences as a plant pathologist. These include the study of those fungi which penetrate and decay the wood of Eucalyptus regnans, one of those which causes cereal diseases (Gaumannomyces gramimis), and a 30 year study of the disease jarrah dieback caused by Phytophthora cinnamomi in Victorian open forests and heathlands. The innovations for sustaining plant health which were introduced as a result of this work proved vital to protect susceptible endemic plant species endangered by pathogens.