2025 Nancy Hillier Memorial Lecture

Peter Garrett AM

Peter Garrett is one of our most prominent living Australians. A renowned activist and commentator, former politician, and member of Midnight Oil, Peter served as president of the Australian Conservation Foundation for two terms. He led the ACF through an era of substantial conservation gains which saw significant additions to natural protected areas, the establishment of Landcare, and the ACF grow into Australia’s preeminent national environment organisation. This period included enabling the historic Montreal protocol to ensure the Antarctic was free from minerals exploitation, successful protection for SE and NE NSW forests, Victoria’s Gippsland forests and Tasmania’s World Heritage forests, the decision to safeguard Coronation Hill in Kakadu and later Jabiluka, the successful World Heritage listing of the Daintree Rainforest Wet Tropics, and the successful national campaign to Save Jervis Bay. Peter Garrett served as the federal member for Kingsford Smith from 2004-2013 and was instrumental in securing the future of Malabar Headland with the introduction of the Malabar Headland Protection Bill into the parliament in 2011.

As Minister for Environment Peter Garrett made more decisions to protect the environment than any minister before or since. He turbocharged spending on the national reserves system and Indigenous Rangers programs, legislated the first national e-waste scheme and instigated the historic, and successful International Court of Justice case against Japanese whaling in the Southern Ocean. As Minister for School Education, he was responsible for introducing the national curriculum, and for legislating a new needs-based funding system (the Gonski Reforms) for all Australian schools. He is the only Australian politician to receive the ‘Leaders for a Living Planet’ award from the World Wildlife Fund and is a member of the Order of Australia for his contributions to the music industry and environment. Following the release of Peter’s 2015 memoir “Big Blue Sky”, he returned to making music with his acclaimed debut solo album, “A Version Of Now”.

In 2017 he and Midnight Oil regrouped after a 15-year absence for “The Great Circle” tour, playing to over a half a million people across 16 countries around the world. The band then recorded two new albums – “The Makarrata Project” (with First Nations Collaborators), and “Resist” –both reaching #1 on the ARIA charts. In March 2024 Peter released his second solo album “The True North”. Drawing inspiration from the environment and political culture of Australia, the album debuted at #1 on the ARIA Australian Artists Album Chart.

Pete Ryan OAM

Pete Ryan OAM – Bayside Environment Programs and Projects 

Pete Ryan brings over 20 years’ experience in managing land and water ecosystems in partnership with community. He has served as Bayside Council’s Coordinator Environment since 2022 and plays a key role in community-led environmental protection and regeneration, including partnerships with the Gamay Rangers, community groups and residents. 

Pete was awarded a Master of Environmental Management from UNSW Sydney in 2020. In 2015, he received a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for his service to conservation and the environment of Malabar Headland. That honour followed the successful gazettal of Malabar Headland National Park—a result of Pete’s leadership as Chair of Friends of Malabar Headland, working in collaboration with then-Minister for the Environment Peter Garrett AM, the local community, and all three levels of government. 

Dr Robert Cooley

Dr Robert Cooley is a Saltwater man with Traditional connections to coastal Sydney (Bidjigal) and the Batemans Bay/Ulladulla areas on the NSW South Coast. Robert has an extensive background in environmental work—first with the NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service from 1986 to 2018, and since 2019 as Senior Ranger with the Gamay Rangers. Born at La Perouse and raised on the Aboriginal Reserve just 80 metres from the shores of Botany Bay, Robert’s deep connection to Sea Country underpins his passion for ocean protection and community wellbeing. 

His current role with the Gamay Rangers enables critical restoration work in the Botany Bay area, partnering across sectors to address the impacts of urbanisation on Country. Robert was recently awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Science by UNSW for his efforts in uniting Western science with Indigenous cultural knowledge—work that builds on his previous recognition as an Honorary Fellow of the University of Sydney. 

About Nancy Hillier OAM:

Nancy Hillier is known throughout Botany and further afield, for her tireless activism and commitment to local environmental issues. Her campaigning began with protests about ICI’s (later Orica’s) groundwater contamination and chlorine leaks and continued during the expansion of Sydney Airport and Port Botany. She was passionate about reducing industry’s impact on the environment and local community, and earned the moniker ‘the Ratbag of Botany.’

A natural organiser, Nancy always led from the front, which did not go unrecognized. Named 1985 Botany Council citizen of the year, she worked tirelessly in her community, often challenging industry and governments at the highest levels. She received a Medal of the Order of Australia in 2006.

Nancy was also tireless in assisting academics and students, many from UNSW, in their research and teaching projects. She also co-authored academic analysis, and wrote many reports, submissions and other public documents. Her own extensive archive is held by Bayside's local Library.

This lecture series acknowledges Nancy’s heritage, recalling her work and passion while providing an avenue for others to debate issues that resonate with Nancy’s work. Over several years, the annual event has helped to forge scholarly and broader community relationships and commitments, and is growing and expanding it’s reach and impact every year.