Land Management for Conservation – Drawing on Truths from the First Tasmanians

The recent shocking events on mainland Australia have highlighted and reinforced the urgency of dealing with and planning for the risk of bushfires on our properties. This forum provides an opportunity to increase our understanding of past and current practices applicable to protecting our land from fires plus minimising their effects.

Our panel of presenters includes:

1. Fiona Hughes (traditional Welcome to Country)

2. Jason Thomas (traditional Smoking Ceremony)

3. Dr Patsy Cameron (setting the scene with her family history on Invasion)

4. Professor Bill Gammage (author of “The Greatest Estate on Earth”)

5. Professor Greg Lehman (current Cool Burning experience and practices)

6. Rod Knight, Landcare Tasmania (issues to consider for Conservation Properties)

7. Bob Gordon (current burning practices)

A Q&A session will follow each presentation. These are anticipated to be highlights of the day for panel presenters and attendees – informative and profoundly useful to landholders and indeed all citizens. Tea and coffee will be available from 8:30 am, with the forum to commence at 9:00 am. We will be providing morning tea and lunch and the day will conclude at approximately 4:30 pm.

Fuller’s Bookshop will also have a range of titles for sale that are relevant to the forum theme.

Patsy Cameron is an Aboriginal Elder who has worked consistently for 30 years to achieve positive outcomes in Aboriginal education. She implemented Aboriginal Studies as a major course at UTAS, lectured in several faculties and worked tirelessly to increase success for Aborigines in higher education. Patsy grew up on Flinders Island and retains strong cultural and spiritual connections to the Island.

Bill Gammage AM, is an Australian academic historian, Emeritus Professor at the Humanities Research Centre of the Australian National University (ANU). He is a fellow of the Australian Academy of Social Sciences and author of “The Biggest Estate on Earth: How Aborigines Made Australia” (2011).

Greg Lehman is a McKenzie Post-Doctoral Fellow at the University of Melbourne, and outstanding Tasmanian artist, curator, writer and commentator on history, identity and place. Descended from the Trawulwuy people of north east Tasmania, Greg’s acclaimed creative works explore the impact of colonisation on Tasmania’s social fabric.

Bob Gordon is a highly experienced Chief Executive and Non-Executive Board member of The Institute of Foresters of Australia (IFA) and has had successful careers in finance, trade, construction and tourism. Bob has assisted remote Northern Territory Indigenous communities establish timber industries, working directly with Traditional Owners to set up training, equipment and markets.