Our history
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3rd Thu - 8pm
Uniting Church Hall
56 Scrivener St
O'Connor ACT

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Brief history

Dr Nancy Burbidge In March 1960, Dr Nancy Burbidge, a botanist with Plant Industry, CSIRO, was one of the chief instigators in forming the National Parks Association of the ACT to lobby politicians for a national park for the National Capital.  A committee was formed and included many other scientists from CSIRO who helped prepare submissions and a checklist of flora and fauna for the Gudgenby area to the south of Canberra that was proposed as a National Park.  In April 1979, Gudgenby was declared a Nature Reserve and in 1984 was officially proclaimed as Namadgi National Park.

Neville Esau The history of the formation of Namadgi National Park is summarised in a 40th anniversary supplement of the NPA Bulletin published in March 2000. In Fighting for Wilderness - papers from the Australian Conservation Foundation's Third National Wilderness Conference in 1983 a paper by Neville Esau describes the activities leading up to the declaration of Gudgenby Nature Reserve and the lessons learnt.

Fiona McDonald BrandOne of the founding members, life member Fiona McDonald Brand, shared her memories of the history of the founding of the Park in a presentation to guests at the 20th anniversary of the Declaration of Namadgi National Park.