We've come a long way in 35 years. Today, we continue in the footsteps of tens of thousands of people who've supported our conservation work.

Whether you’ve donated, volunteered on our reserves or in our offices, shared our stories, or passed Bushtracks to a friend, your support enables us to do what we do best. All our wins for nature have been yours to celebrate!

From our start in Tasmania in 1991 and expansion to small mainland reserves in the years that followed, we've grown each year with the resilience to weather tough times.

Today we proudly protect:

  • 1.46m hectares in our reserve network
  • 10.7m hectares with our agricultural partnerships
  • 10.4m hectares with our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander partnerships
  • 9,268 native species on our reserves
  • 49m tonnes of carbon stored across our reserves

By 2030 we plan to protect and support the management of over 30 million hectares (an area larger than Victoria). It's thanks to your support that we can keep growing.

While the wins we’ve enabled together are encouraging, healthy country has never needed us more. I hope you’ll support us to step up and deliver on our 2030 vision, which is so needed at this critical juncture.

Rachel Lowry

Rachel Lowry
CEO
Bush Heritage Australia

Highlights

1991

The Australian Bush Heritage Fund is founded, a year after Bob Brown purchased and saved two bush blocks destined for woodchips. Liffey Reserve, Tasmania.

1993

From a local Tasmanian group to national with the purchase of Fan Palm Reserve, Queensland.

1998

Our role as a conservation group that complements the national parks' system is endorsed by the extension of the federal government’s National Reserve System to non-government organisations.

2001

Purchase of Carnarvon Reserve, Queensland.

2005

A strategic approach is outlines through our “Anchors in the Landscape”, a strategy which prioritises specific “anchor” regions for protection.

2011

A ground-breaking 10-year agreement with the Wunambal Gaambera people in the remote Kimberley region.

2014

Our priority landscapes strategy is developed to define the regions in which we will work.

2015

Night Parrots rediscovered and Pullen Pullen Reserve established as a sanctuary to protect them.

2024

At 235,000 ha Evelyn Downs, in South Australia's painted desert, becomes the largest reserve in our history.

Frequently asked questions