John Bsst: Bohemian artist and saviour of the reef and rainforest

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A rich biography of artist-turned-environmental campaigner John Busst.

Award-winning historian Iain McCalman reveals the little-known story of influential Australian conservationist, John Busst. Known to his enemies as The Bingal Bay Bastard, Busst, a Bendigo-born Melbourne bohemian artist, transformed into a brilliant conservationist who, in the 1960s and early 70s, led campaigns to protect two of Australias most important and endangered environments. The first saved Australias endangered lowland rainforests and led to the subsequent UNESCO World Heritage Listing of our Wet Tropics Rainforest Area. The second stopped Premier Joh Bjelke-Petersens attempt to mine 80 per cent of the Great Barrier Reef for oil, gas and limestone fertiliser. A plan Busst likened to bulldozing the Taj Mahal to make road gravel. Instead, the victory led to the UNESCO World Heritage Listing of the Great Barrier Reef as the most important marine system in the world. Sadly, both face renewed threat today.