Conn's first appointment as a botanist was with the Lae Herbarium in 1974. He then became herbarium curator and a lecturer at the Papua New Guinea Forestry College, Bulolo (1976–1979). He is a scientific advisor to the Food and Agriculture Organisation. In Australia, he has been senior botanist at the National Herbarium of Victoria (1982–1987), and botanist (and principal research scientist) at the National Herbarium of New South Wales (1987–2015). In 1994-1995, he was Australian Botanical Liaison Officer at Kew. While with the National Herbarium of New South Wales, he managed the Australia’s Virtual Herbarium Project for New South Wales, and was scientific editor of the journal Telopea from 2013 to 2015.[4]
Hadiah, Julisasi T.; Conn, Barry J.; Quinn, Christopher J. (2008). "葉緑体配列データを用いたイラクサ科の科内系統分類". Australian Systematic Botany . 21 (5): 375. doi : 10.1071/SB08041 .PDF