Harry Butler CBE (b. 1930)
1979 * Award

Conservationist and Naturalist

Born in Perth, Butler trained as a teacher but in 1963 began working for corporate and government bodies as an environmental consultant and undertook a major study of Western Australian animals. He collected more than 2000 examples of mammals, 14 new to science. He presented the popular ABC television series In the Wild which began in 1976. In 1993 he won the $10,000 Excellence Award for an Individual for his outstanding contribution to the mining-petroleum industry over 30 years. He firmly believes that conservation and development can go hand in hand, saying, 'I believe I've achieved more by working with mining companies and other developers than I ever would have lying down in front of bulldozers'.

Environmental groups have been strongly critical of some of his views, including his report in 1986 which promoted mining in Kakadu National Park and opposed further World Heritage listing to extend the park. He also opposes land rights for Aboriginal people, believing that they should hold land by the same type of freehold as other Australians.