The Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland is the oldest, largest and most respected wildlife-focused conservation group in Queensland.
We’ve been part of all major conservation issues in Queensland for more than 55 years.
Our early campaigns protected important places such as the Great Barrier Reef, the Hinchinbrook Passage and Fraser Island.
We’ve encouraged governments to protect all important habitats, from the coast to the rain-forests, through planning and legislation.
Protecting wildlife is an important part of our work: the whiptail wallaby is no longer shot commercially in our state, and the ducks and quails no longer have to fear the sport shooter’s gun in Queensland, because of our campaigns.
We were founded to educate the community about wildlife and wildlife issues. We continue to do this through our website, social media, publications, colourful nature journal: Wildlife Australia and regular special events such as our Batty Boat Cruises.
Read about our achievements.
All our campaigns and submissions are based on policies created, debated and written by Society members for example:
- Biodiversity policy
- Population policy
- Water policy
The early days
The first members were concerned about the increasing destruction of the natural environment and felt that by establishing an organisation to work for conservation and continuing environmental education, the community could be encouraged to be aware of, and accept, sound conservation ideals.
The Society was created as a community-based, non-profit organisation, founded in 1962 by Judith Wright, Brian Clouston, David Fleay and Kathleen MacArthur.
Our current patron, Margaret Thorsborne, is an eminent veteran conservationist who worked alongside Judith Wright in the original campaign to protect the Great Barrier Reef in 1967.