On 15 June, 130 people gathered at the Auditorium of the Mount Coo-tha Botanical Gardens to hear esteemed environmental campaigner Dr Bob Brown deliver the third John Sinclair Memorial Lecture.

Bob spoke of the outstanding work of John Sinclair, the founder of FIDO in the 1970s to rally public support for the protection of K’gari, against the combined forces of then Premier Joh Bjelke-Petersen and his National Party Government, very well-resourced mining companies and concern within the local community about job losses. He talked about the struggles in the late 1990s to end logging of the native forests on K’gari, in the face of considerable resistance from the forestry interests and many locals who understandably had concerns about the implications for local employment.

Bob reminded audience members of the abuse and persecution that John suffered along the way including in his hometown of Maryborough.

Bob spoke of the inspiration and personal support John provided to him in the 1980s in his battle to protect the natural integrity of Tasmania’s Franklin River from the construction of a dam on this wild river. He worked with John in 1998 when they both went to the Kimberleys at the invitation of the Traditional Owners, the Bunuba people, to help them in their struggle to prevent the damming of the Fitzroy River. Bob attributed the success of the campaign largely to the work John did with the Bunuba people.

Bob spoke of his current battles to end mining and logging in the Tarkine old-growth temperate rain forests of Tasmania. He will shortly face court for standing in front of a bulldozer, which could result in him going to prison, as he did for 19 days during the Franklin River campaign.

Bob focused on the major threat large corporations posed to the natural environment. He referenced the work of political lobbyists in Canberra where various corporations and development interests have 794 full-time registered political lobbyists, and representatives of the natural environment have just one. Bob regards this imbalance as a major impediment to the protection of nature in our country.

If you would like to hear Dr Brown’s inspirational lecture, you can listen to the 3rd John Sinclair Memorial Lecture by clicking on the link here.

Article contributed by Peter Shooter, FIDO