Dr Tony Parkes AO PhD, one of Australia’s most visionary conservation leaders and a pioneering force in ecological restoration, passed away last Thursday at the age of 96. He spent his final months at Honey Bee Homes in Ewingsdale.
Born in Hobart, Tasmania with a lineage that extended back to the second fleet, Tony always possessed a deep curiosity and a profound love for the natural world, and a desire for understanding and applying science to practical outcomes. After earning a PhD in organic chemistry in Tasmania, he moved to the United Kingdom to undertake post graduate study at London School of Economics.
Move to Binna Burra
He briefly worked in Canada, before returning to Australia, working for 25 years in the corporate sector as an investment banker. However, a self-described ‘biophile’, in 1990, he and his late wife, Rowena, purchased a degraded dairy property in Binna Burra, and permanently moved to Byron Shire.
Tony, having discovered a small rainforest remnant on his property, set about learning as much as he could about the Big Scrub, its amazing biodiversity, and how to restore the Big Scrub to ensure that it is sustainable into the future.
Big scrub rainforest
Tony was surprised to discover that there was little in the way of evidence based restoration guidance, so he co-founded Big Scrub Landcare, later the Big Scrub Rainforest Conservancy, serving as its tireless president for 30 years. Under his extraordinary guidance, the organisation published the definitive reference manuals for restoration and essentially doubled the remaining rainforest area, facilitating the planting of over 2.5 million trees.
Tony believed in the synergy of passion, curiosity, and rigorous science. In 2015, he established the Big Scrub Rainforest Foundation to ensure that the environmental achievements he helped create continued in perpetuity. As part of his future-proofing vision he devised and championed the ‘Science Saving Rainforests’ program, utilising world-first DNA genome sequencing to restore genetic diversity to endangered plant species and ensure that the remnants and regeneration plantings had sufficient genetic diversity to survive future threats.
His immense contributions to environmental leadership were recognised nationally with numerous Landcare honours, the Banksia Award, and appointment as an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in 2019.
Zest for life
Tony was a man of great warmth, curiosity, an unbridled energy, and work ethic, and he possessed an enduring zest for life that continued until his final day.
He was still actively working as a director of the Big Scrub Foundation until his death. He leaves behind an incredible legacy that will continue to inspire the community and shape Australian conservation for generations. He is survived by his brother Anton; his children Trina, Richard and his wife Yiska, and Abby; and his three grandchildren, and great-grandchild.
His spirit will forever inhabit the grand rainforest he helped rebuild.
Vale, Dr Tony Parkes AO.
Words provided by Dr Tony Parkes’ family.
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