The Wilderness Society is an Australian, community-based, not-for-profit non-governmental environmental advocacy organisation. Its vision is to “transform Australia into a society that protects, respects and connects with the natural world that sustains us.”
It all began in 1976 with a meeting of just 16 people in the home of Tasmanian GP Dr Bob Brown. The passionate campaign that emerged to save the Franklin River rocked the political orthodoxy and defined a generation.
In total, 6,000 Australians registered to blockade construction of the Franklin dam, each willing to be arrested for the cause.
The new opposition leader, Bob Hawke, voiced his support for the Franklin River, securing his party a victory in the federal election.
A majority of everyday Australians had cast a vote for the environment.
The Tasmanian Premier mounted a High Court challenge. But in 1983, a final decision was handed down: “There shall be no dam on the Franklin River”. This vital ecosystem would remain intact.
To this day, our story of success continues.
- In 2012, we negotiated protection for over 500,000 hectares of native Tasmanian forest.
- In 2013, we helped protect the biodiversity and culture of the Kimberley from a gas export megahub.
- In 2016, our independent spill modelling sealed BP’s exit from the pristine Great Australian Bight.
- In 2018, we blew the lid off Queensland’s hidden deforestation crisis and improved the badly broken laws.
To find out more and how you can get involved visit: https://www.wilderness.org.au/
