History of the Australian Environment Movement

This book presents a history of the increasing consciousness of the value of the Australian environment and the struggles to protect it. It discusses ways in which it has become a social movement and political force in its own right, and covers some of the key campaigns and issues in a lively and illuminating way.

This book traces the development of the environment movement in Australia from the first visionaries who pressed for preservation of native fauna and for sanitation in cities to a mass social movement that challenges the most powerful interests in society. European settlers responded strongly, and often unwisely, to the unique flora, fauna and landscapes of Australia. The authors examine the social biases and traditions which contributed to the rise of an environmental ethic in the late nineteenth century. They then analyse the campaigns of the second wave, showing how the environment movement evolved as a social movement and became a sophisticated factor in the political process. The authors, professional historians and environmental activists, have written an original and highly readable book for social scientists and historians, as well as activists and general readers.