Community
26 July, 2024
Defender of woodlands
A POSTHUMOUS book launch honouring one of Australia’s most pivotal environmental conservationists will be taking place next week at the Botanic Gardens visitor centre.
Originally born in NSW, Peter Hitchcock (OAM) spent his life fighting for the conservation of national and international forests, playing a major role in establishing several national parks in Australia and the world, the establishment of the Wet Tropics and Management Authority in FNQ, and other key conservation roles in Nepal, Papua New Guinea and Cairns.
Mr Hitchcock died on May 20, 2019, in Cairns after battling cancer for several years while he was working on a book about the tall eucalyptus forests in Australia.
His wife Liana Hitchcock decided his work and legacy should be honoured and, with the support of two co-editors and friends, the memoir – Peter Hitchcock Defender of Forests – will officially be launched at the Botanic Gardens on Wednesday, July 31 at 5pm.
No registrations are needed.
“All people are welcome to the launch. They can come and hear about Peter Hitchcock, the book and buy a copy of the book which will soon be available in Cairns’ bookshops or online,” said co-editor and close friend of Mr Hitchcock Lorraine Cairnes.
“Peter moved to Cairns to become the first executive director of the Wet Tropics Management Authority (WTMA) in 1991 and held the role for six years, where he established WTMA, which was a challenge, managing the world heritage rainforests of FNQ.
“Peter’s legacy is in the conservation of the forests, but he always loved writing, so when he died, we promised his wife Liana that we would put together his writing into the story of his life.”
Ms Cairnes highlighted the importance of Mr Hitchcock’s work and the importance of honouring his legacy.
“There are many aspects to his legacy from NSW to Queensland and then internationally. He remained in Cairns when he left WTMA and set up an international consultancy and worked mostly in international conservation and potential world heritage areas, working from Japan to Madagascar,” she said.
“He was born in Gloucester in NSW, which isn’t very far from the Barrington Tops and the Gloucester Tops, where there are huge forests, and when he was born, they were being logged. Now, because of him, they’re all national parks.
“This book is edited as lightly as possible by me and co-editor John Benson for it to remain in Peter’s own words and it was a challenge, and it took four years.
“This launch is an opportunity for people to read the remarkable story of how one man has changed the face of forest conservation, particularly rainforest conservation, in Australia and the world, and to know about his story as a person.”
