The Australian Wildlife Society was established in Sydney, Australia in May 1909 as the Wildlife Preservation Society of Australia (WPSA) to encourage the protection of, and cultivate an interest in, Australia's flora and fauna. The founding president of the Society was The Hon. Frederick Earle Winchcombe MLC. David Stead was one of four vice presidents and a very active founder of the Society.
The Society is a national not-for-profit wildlife conservation organisation dedicated to conserving Australian wildlife (flora and fauna) through national environmental education, advocacy, and community involvement.
History In 2009, the Society celebrated a centenary of wildlife conservation.
In 2013, the Wildlife Preservation Society of Australia was rebranded as the Australian Wildlife Society (AWS).
In 2019, the Australian Wildlife Society celebrated its 110th Birthday and released a birthday video in collaboration with Design Centre Enmore TAFE New South Wales. In the same year, the board engaged its first paid employee – National Office Manager, Ms Megan Fabian.
In 2020, the Society established a new National Head Office in Hurstville, New South Wales.
In 2021, the Society established 'Snip Rings for Wildlife', a campaign that aims to raise awareness and encourage individuals to protect Australia’s wildlife, by cutting through plastic rings, rubber bands, hair ties, the loops of facemasks, and plastic dome-shaped lids, in their entirety, before disposing of them.
In 2022, the Society increased the value of its annual University Research Grants to ten $3,000 grants – totalling $30,000 each year.
In 2024, for the first time in over one hundred years, the Board of the Society purchased and established a new National Office and Education Centre at 9/121 Queen Street, Campbelltown, New South Wales, which was officially opened on Tuesday, 20 August 2024, at 11 am by Mr Gregory Warren MP, Member for Campbelltown.
Serventy Conservation Medal The Serventy Conservation Medal was inaugurated in 1999 to commemorate conservation work by members of the Serventy family, the siblings Lucy, Dominic and Vincent Serventy. The award honours conservation work that has not been done as part of a professional career for which the person will have been paid and honoured, but for work done for a love of nature and a determination that it should be conserved. The first award of the Medal was made in 1998. People who have been awarded the Medal are: 1998 – Margaret Thorsborne – for work in the conservation of local fruit pigeons and cassowaries and environmental conservation at Mission Beach, Queensland 1999 – Bernie Clarke – for lifetime devotion as a local environmentalist and long-time Towra/Botany Bay campaigner 2000 – Judy Messer – for outstanding contribution to conservation and environmental protection work in New South Wales 2001 – Ron Taylor and Valerie Taylor – for promoting a greater understanding of the Great Barrier Reef and the need to protect its wildlife 2002 – John and Cecily Fenton – for wildlife habitat conservation on their property, Lanark, in south western Victoria 2003 – Lance Ferris – of the Australian Seabird Rescue team 2004 – Wayne Reynolds – for work with the Cape Solander Whale Migration Study on the coast of the Royal National Park, Sydney 2005 – Lyall Kenneth Metcalfe – for lifetime contribution to the conservation movement in New South Wales and the Northern Territory 2006 – Lindsay Smith – for wildlife conservation work involving seabirds 2007 – Bev Smiles – for dedication to the conservation of native forests in New South Wales 2008 – Barry Scott – of the Koala Foundation, for dedication to Koala conservation 2009 – June Butcher – for dedication in promoting the welfare of native animals 2010 – Helen George – for dedication to the welfare of native animals 2011 – Jenny Maclean – for her contributions to saving the spectacled flying fox 2012 – Bob Irwin – for services to conservation and education 2013 – Not awarded 2014 – Helen Bergen and Ray Mjadwesch – for helping injured animals 2015 – John Weigel – of the Australian Reptile Park, for his work to help the Tasmanian devil 2016 – Awarded jointly to Graeme Sawyer – Lord Mayor of Darwin from 2008–2012 2017 – Jennie Gilbert for her work to rescue, rehabilitation and release of marine turtles. 2018 – Lorraine Vass of Lismore, New South Wales 2019 – Alexandra Seddon of Merimbula, New South Wales 2020 – Professor Kevin Kenneally AM for his contribution to wildlife conservation, science, & education 2021 – Maureen Christie of Aberfoyle Park, South Australia 2022 - Patricia LeeHong for her work in rehabilitating orphaned echidnas. 2023 - Robert Westerman for safeguarding endangered migratory shorebirds on the Gold Coast, QLD.
References
External links