ABSTRACT

Australia is an egalitarian country. This sense of equality extends to the land, its plants, animals, rivers, oceans and mountain ranges (although the beach might get an extra tick among landscape features). Australia also has one of the oldest national park systems in the world and many would testify that wild spaces are part of the country’s national identity. Unfortunately, European and Aboriginal settlers did not have complete knowledge and hence opportunity to treat all creatures, plants and landscapes in an equitable manner (Clark, 1969). Consequently, many of Australia’s landscapes have not been protected or preserved and a variety of ecological communities are now listed as threatened. Fortunately, economic forces are now positioned to support the landscapes that make Australia unique.