In 2019 Environment Victoria commissioned me to write a book, People for the Planet, on their 50-year history. The non-government environmental organisation began in 1969 as the Conservation Council of Australia and changed their name to Environment Victoria in 1994.

The project took several months and involved dozens of interviews with former Environment Victoria directors, presidents, CEOs and volunteers. The passion these people have for the natural world was evident in every single conversation I had.

The experience also taught me so much about Victoria’s environmental history, including how politically diverse conservation groups have been in the past, a subject that inspired this story I wrote for the Sunday Age.

People For The Planet is my first book and is available by contacting Environment Victoria.

“When Victoria’s Little Desert was threatened in the late 1960s, an unlikely coalition was formed to fight for it. Bird watchers, duck shooters, scientists and foresters put aside their differences to protect the place they loved, and their struggle gave birth to the organisation we now know as Environment Victoria.”

“In the 50 years since, Environment Victoria has been instrumental in placing environmental concerns at the centre of Victorian politics. From political intrigue and industrial espionage to mass protests and creative publicity stunts, People for the Planet reveals for the first time the inside story behind this relentless campaigning for a better world. Covering big achievements for our forests and rivers, and from recycling to renewable energy, it’s also a human story of resilience, determination, heartbreak and exhilaration.”