Bush Heritage Australia

Bush Heritage Australia is an independent Australian environmental organisation focused on the long-term protection of native ecosystems, wildlife and cultural landscapes. Established in 1990 as the Australian Bush Heritage Fund, it began when conservationist Bob Brown acquired two forested Tasmanian properties adjoining the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area. The purchases were intended to prevent the properties from being logged and woodchipped, and established the organisation's basic model: use philanthropic support and conservation finance to secure land of outstanding ecological value and manage it permanently for nature. The organisation initially operated on a small Tasmanian scale before expanding across mainland Australia. It now combines direct ownership and management of conservation reserves with partnership-based conservation on land held by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander groups, pastoralists, farmers and other landholders. Its stated vision is “Healthy Country, Protected Forever.” Rather than functioning as a conventional consumer brand, Bush Heritage presents itself as a conservation institution and public-interest organisation that channels donations, technical knowledge, field staff and volunteer effort into landscape-scale environmental outcomes. Bush Heritage works through three principal impact models. First, it purchases or secures control of properties assessed as having exceptional conservation value and manages them as wildlife reserves in perpetuity. Management can include habitat restoration, control of introduced predators and herbivores, ecological monitoring, fire management, protection of threatened species and cooperation with neighbouring landholders. Second, it invests in partnerships with Aboriginal groups, supporting the preparation and implementation of Healthy Country Plans and contributing to the management of Indigenous Protected Areas. These partnerships are intended to bring together Indigenous knowledge, cultural responsibilities, local governance and conservation science. Third, it works with farmers and other agricultural landholders to improve biodiversity outcomes across working landscapes, with an ambition to influence conservation management on 10 million hectares of agricultural land by 2030. The organisation's partnership work became particularly prominent through its long-term relationship with the Wunambal Gaambera Aboriginal Corporation in Western Australia's Kimberley. Begun in 2011, the agreement was described as an early example of a long-term relationship between Traditional Custodians and a non-government conservation organisation in Australia. The resulting Healthy Country Plan supports conservation and cultural management in the Mitchell River area and helped establish a broader Aboriginal Partnerships Program. Bush Heritage selects priority landscapes using factors such as concentrations of threatened species and ecosystems, endemic biodiversity, ecological condition, likely climate impacts and the organisation's capacity to work effectively in each region. Its conservation science program supports species research, monitoring and evidence-based land management. The organisation is governed by an independent board and supported by paid staff, donors, volunteers and partner organisations. Its 2024–25 impact reporting described contributions to the protection and management of approximately 22.5 million hectares across owned reserves and partnership areas, with 9,268 native species recorded on reserves and partnership properties, including many threatened species. These figures describe areas covered through both direct stewardship and collaboration rather than land owned solely by Bush Heritage.

Bush Heritage Australia was created in 1990 by Bob Brown after he acquired two forested properties in Tasmania near the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area. Brown used prize money from the Goldman Environmental Prize as a deposit and borrowed the remainder, establishing the Australian Bush Heritage Fund to prevent the properties from being logged for woodchips. The organisation's founding purpose was therefore both practical and symbolic: acquire threatened land, place it under long-term conservation management and use public support to protect areas that might otherwise be exposed to development or resource use. During its early years, Bush Heritage concentrated on Tasmania and depended heavily on individual supporters and other donors. It gradually developed a national role, expanding its reserve portfolio and building the operational capacity needed to manage properties across very different Australian environments. In 1997 it acquired the lease of Erith Island in the Kent Group in Bass Strait. The island had been used for cattle grazing; in 2002 it was transferred to the Tasmanian Government for inclusion in the Kent Group National Park. This episode illustrated that the organisation's role could include securing threatened land and then transferring it to public conservation management when that produced the strongest long-term outcome. Doug Humann led the organisation as chief executive from 1997 to 2011 and helped raise its national profile. Under and after his tenure, Bush Heritage continued moving beyond a model based only on purchasing land. It developed a broader conservation strategy involving direct reserve management, ecological science, collaboration with neighbouring landholders and formal relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. The organisation's work increasingly treated biodiversity protection as a landscape-scale task requiring coordinated management across property boundaries. A major development came in 2011, when Bush Heritage entered a ten-year agreement with the Wunambal Gaambera Aboriginal Corporation in Western Australia's Kimberley. The relationship was described as one of the first long-term agreements in Australia between Traditional Custodians and a non-government conservation organisation. Together, the partners developed a Healthy Country Plan supporting management of the Indigenous Protected Area associated with the Mitchell River area and Mitchell River National Park. The arrangement helped shape Bush Heritage's Aboriginal Partnerships Program, through which the organisation supports Indigenous-led planning, cultural land management and conservation outcomes while recognising Aboriginal governance and connection to Country. Gerard O'Neill served as chief executive from 2011 to 2018, followed by Heather Campbell from 2019 to 2023. Rachel Lowry became chief executive at the beginning of 2024. Throughout these leadership changes, the organisation retained a mixed operating model: it owns and manages conservation reserves, contributes resources and expertise to partnership areas, works with agricultural producers and supports research into threatened plants, animals and ecosystems. Bush Heritage's current approach is organised around priority landscapes selected using ecological and practical criteria. These include the presence of threatened species and ecosystems, concentrations of endemic biodiversity, the condition of the land, projected climate-change pressures and the availability of staff and partner capacity. Field management can involve weed and pest control, rehabilitation of degraded areas, carefully planned fire regimes, habitat-corridor creation, wildlife surveys and cooperation with governments, neighbouring landholders and Traditional Custodians. Its conservation science program provides monitoring and research intended to improve decisions about species and landscape management. The organisation's 2024–25 impact reporting stated that Bush Heritage was contributing to protection and management across approximately 22.5 million hectares through its reserves and partnership areas. It also reported 9,268 native species recorded on reserves and partnership properties, including hundreds of threatened species. These figures reflect the breadth of the organisation's collaborative conservation footprint. Bush Heritage remains an active Australian non-profit supported by donors, more than 50,000 supporters, paid staff, volunteers and an independent board, with its long-term objective expressed through the vision of healthy country protected forever.

• 2025

  2024–25 impact results published

  [2]Bush Heritage Australia official websitebushheritage.org.au

  Bush Heritage reported contributions to protection across approximately 22.5 million hectares and records of 9,268 native species on reserves and partnership properties.

• 2024

  Rachel Lowry appointed chief executive

  [1]Bush Heritage Australiaen.wikipedia.org

  Rachel Lowry became chief executive after Heather Campbell's 2019–2023 tenure.

• 2011

  Wunambal Gaambera conservation agreement begins

  [1]Bush Heritage Australiaen.wikipedia.org

  Bush Heritage entered a ten-year agreement with the Wunambal Gaambera Aboriginal Corporation, supporting a Healthy Country Plan in the Kimberley.

• 2002

  Erith Island transferred to Tasmania

  [1]Bush Heritage Australiaen.wikipedia.org

  Erith Island was transferred to the Tasmanian Government for incorporation into Kent Group National Park.

• 1997

  Erith Island lease acquired

  [1]Bush Heritage Australiaen.wikipedia.org

  Bush Heritage acquired the lease of Erith Island in the Kent Group, an island then used for cattle grazing.

• 1990

  Australian Bush Heritage Fund established

  [1]Bush Heritage Australiaen.wikipedia.org

  Bob Brown founded the organisation after acquiring two Tasmanian forest properties to prevent them from being logged and woodchipped.

A science-informed, partnership-led Australian conservation organisation combining private reserve management with Indigenous-led and farmer-focused landscape stewardship.

• Land conservation · 1990

  Conservation reserves

  Bush Heritage acquires or otherwise secures properties with high conservation value and manages them as long-term wildlife reserves. Activities can include restoring degraded habitat, controlling introduced predators and herbivores, managing fire, monitoring species and coordinating with neighbouring landholders and government agencies.

• Indigenous conservation partnership · 2011

  Aboriginal Partnerships Program

  This program supports conservation partnerships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations and communities. Work commonly includes co-developed Healthy Country Plans, support for Indigenous Protected Areas, ecological monitoring and the integration of cultural land-management priorities with conservation science.

• Conservation planning · 2011

  Healthy Country Plans

  Healthy Country Plans provide a structured framework for identifying cultural and ecological priorities, threats, management actions and measures of success. Bush Heritage helps partner organisations develop and implement these plans, with the precise content shaped by local Traditional Custodians and conditions on Country.

• Agricultural biodiversity program

  Farmland conservation partnerships

  Bush Heritage works with farmers and other agricultural landholders to improve biodiversity outcomes in working landscapes. The approach seeks to connect conservation on owned reserves with habitat protection, restoration and wildlife-friendly management across privately managed agricultural land.

• Environmental research

  Conservation science program

  The conservation science program studies native plants, animals and ecosystems and supports evidence-based management. Research and monitoring help track threatened species, assess ecological condition and evaluate interventions such as restoration, fire management and invasive-species control.

• 2011

  Move toward long-term Indigenous conservation partnershipsStrategy

  Background

  Large areas of ecologically important Country are owned or governed by Aboriginal groups, and durable conservation outcomes require partnership with Traditional Custodians.

  Action taken

  Bush Heritage entered a ten-year agreement with the Wunambal Gaambera Aboriginal Corporation and supported a Healthy Country Plan for the Kimberley.

  Aftermath

  The agreement helped establish and expand the organisation's Aboriginal Partnerships Program and its role in supporting Indigenous Protected Area management.

  Source

• 2002

  Transfer Erith Island to public conservation managementStrategy

  Background

  Bush Heritage had secured the lease of Erith Island, which had previously been used for cattle grazing.

  Action taken

  The organisation transferred the island to the Tasmanian Government for inclusion in Kent Group National Park.

  Aftermath

  The island became part of a public protected-area system rather than remaining under Bush Heritage's direct stewardship.

  Source

• 1990

  Adopt land acquisition as a core conservation modelStrategy

  Background

  The organisation was created in response to the risk that two Tasmanian forest properties would be logged for woodchips.

  Action taken

  Bob Brown established the Australian Bush Heritage Fund to acquire and manage land of outstanding conservation value for long-term protection.

  Aftermath

  The acquisition model became one of the organisation's continuing conservation approaches and was later complemented by Indigenous, agricultural and other landscape partnerships.

  Source

• 2025

  Bush Heritage reports protection and management of 22.5 million hectares[2]Bush Heritage Australia official websitebushheritage.org.au

  Other

  The organisation's 2024–25 impact reporting described its contribution to conservation across owned reserves and partnership areas covering approximately 22.5 million hectares, with 9,268 native species recorded across those properties.

• 2024

  Rachel Lowry becomes chief executive officer[1]Bush Heritage Australiaen.wikipedia.org

  Leadership change

  Rachel Lowry succeeded Heather Campbell as Bush Heritage Australia's chief executive, beginning a new leadership period for the national conservation organisation.

• 2011

  Bush Heritage expands its Aboriginal Partnerships Program[1]Bush Heritage Australiaen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  A ten-year agreement with the Wunambal Gaambera Aboriginal Corporation established a prominent long-term conservation partnership and supported a Healthy Country Plan for the Kimberley region.

1. 1Bush Heritage Australiaen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Bush Heritage Australia official websitebushheritage.org.au
3. 3JCDecaux announces new partnership with Bush Heritage Australiamumbrella.com.au