Toby Martin was born into a family of bird breeders in Sydney, Australia in 1927. His early years were spent working as a shipwright on the Sydney waterfront and travelling the world as what could be best described as an adventurer, dealing in shells and all sorts of rare and unlikely objects. Toby is also quite an artise, specialising in painting the older sailing ships. He married in 1950 and after 22 years his wife found his passion for birds too much to bear. Some years after his divorce, he met his present wife, Jacki, who also bred birds. It was with her that he really specialised in the breeding of Neophema and Psephotus Grass Parrots. He now keeps many of the mutations available today and of course the colours that will combine to produce the mutations of the future. Toby lectures at many avicultural meetings all over the world. He has been invited to lecture in England, Sweden, Denmark and the USA. He also founded, and is the current President of The Grass Parrot and Lorikeet Society of Australia Inc.