I
T WAS THE battle to save Tasmania’s stunning
Franklin River, shortly before this journal was
founded in 1986, that really made Australia’s
conservation movement a force to be reck-
oned with. This AUSTRALIAN GEOGRAPHIC
rundown of influential conservationists of the
past 30 years features some key players from that fight,
who went on to great things, including the indomi-
table force of nature that is Bob Brown. High-profile
leaders such as Bob have been crucial, as have inter-
national inspirations such as David Attenborough and
Jane Goodall, but we mustn’t forget the thousands of
unsung heroes who have toiled away behind the scenes
to keep Australia’s natural heritage safe.
We’ve had space to include a few, such as Felicity
Wishart and Nick Mooney. But there are so many
other extraordinary people it was impossible to fit in,
such as those instrumental in brokering forestry agree-
ments and developing and caring for the national parks
that have featured prominently in this journal’s pages.
Recently, it’s been exciting to see government work
complemented by private conservation groups, such
as the Australian Wildlife Conservancy (AWC),
founded by WA-based philanthropist Martin Copley.
Sadly, Martin died in 2014, but the AWC’s vital work
continues under the watch of Atticus Fleming.
In 1986 our National Reserve System covered
about 5 per cent of the country. It’s now almost 18
per cent and includes 10,000 properties covering more
than 1,370,000sq.km – an area almost as big as theJanuary. February 61Tim Flannery
Northern Territory. Our national park system set the
stage for us to embrace the World Heritage Convention
to which Australia was one of the earliest signatories,
adding the Great Barrier Reef, Kakadu National Park
and Willandra Lakes in 1981. Australia remains
unusual in having World Heritage listing enshrined in
law. This allowed Bob Hawke’s government to step in
to protect Queensland’s Wet Tropics – and World
Heritage listing was also sought by Djok Aboriginal
man Jeffrey Lee in 2013 to ensure protection from
uranium mining for his people’s traditional lands.
Also significant has been the Endangered Species
Protection Act 1992 , which many people, such as Col
Limpus and Helene Marsh, have relied on to help
rescue endangered species.
Australian conservation has many battles ahead and
always will, but I believe the biggest threats now come
from feral animals and climate change. It’s crucial we
step up our efforts, particularly at government levels,
to stop the destruction caused by cane toads, foxes, cats
and camels. And, as the world warms, offering plants
and animals space to move and adapt through corridors
of bush linking our parks and reserves will be crucial.
But the inspirational efforts of the extraordinary
conservation warriors featured on the following pages
make me optimistic about our capacity to overcome
these challenges and also confident that the future is
bright for Australia’s natural environments and the
many special plants and animals they harbour.OPPOSITE: ILLUSTRATION BY GEMMA O’BRIEN; THIS PAGE: RENEE NOWYTARGER/NEWSPIX TIM FLANNERY
30 YEARS OF AUSTRALIAN GEOGRAPHIC
Tim, one of our AG Society
expert advisers, is among
Australia’s most outspoken
advocates on climate change.
This former Australian of the
Year fell in love with fossils as
a child, and while working as a
zoologist discovered more
than 30 new mammals. He’s
currently a professorial fellow
at the Melbourne Sustainable
Society Institute and chief
councillor at Australia’s
Climate Council. Tim has
worked on ABC, NPR and BBC
radio for more than a decade
and written many books.