Uploaded July 2024 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
Presented by The Bob Hawke Prime Ministerial Centre
Discover the incredible journey of John Büsst, a Melbourne bohemian artist who became one of Australia’s most influential conservationists. Highly respected and award-winning Emeritus Professor of History and the Humanities, Iain McCalman is in conversation with UniSA’s Standing Acting Vice Chancellor, Distinguished Professor Marnie Hughes-Warrington AO. They discussed the remarkable life of John Büsst, the enigmatic figure known to his adversaries as ‘The Bingil Bay Bastard’.
In the 1960s and early 70s Büsst led campaigns to protect two of Australia’s most important and endangered environments – saving lowland rainforests from destruction and the Great Barrier Reef from reckless resource mining for oil, gas, cement and fertiliser. A plan Büsst likened to ‘bulldozing the Taj Mahal to make road gravel’. Along the way Büsst obtained the active support of five current or future prime ministers – Holt, Whitlam, Gorton, Hawke and Fraser.
Iain McCalman's inspiring biography is a timely reminder that the passionate commitment of ordinary citizens is crucial to achieving truly transformative environmental change.
www.hawkecentre.unisa.edu.au
Presented by The Bob Hawke Prime Ministerial Centre
Discover the incredible journey of John Büsst, a Melbourne bohemian artist who became one of Australia’s most influential conservationists. Highly respected and award-winning Emeritus Professor of History and the Humanities, Iain McCalman is in conversation with UniSA’s Standing Acting Vice Chancellor, Distinguished Professor Marnie Hughes-Warrington AO. They discussed the remarkable life of John Büsst, the enigmatic figure known to his adversaries as ‘The Bingil Bay Bastard’.
In the 1960s and early 70s Büsst led campaigns to protect two of Australia’s most important and endangered environments – saving lowland rainforests from destruction and the Great Barrier Reef from reckless resource mining for oil, gas, cement and fertiliser. A plan Büsst likened to ‘bulldozing the Taj Mahal to make road gravel’. Along the way Büsst obtained the active support of five current or future prime ministers – Holt, Whitlam, Gorton, Hawke and Fraser.
Iain McCalman's inspiring biography is a timely reminder that the passionate commitment of ordinary citizens is crucial to achieving truly transformative environmental change.
www.hawkecentre.unisa.edu.au
