IF YOU appreciate the natural heritage that surrounds us, give thanks for 50 years of hard work by local conservationists who protected it for future generations. 

These snapshots of pioneering life members of South Gippsland Conservation Society were taken from Three Decades of Conservation 1976 -2006 by Mary Ellis. They are published to mark the society's 50th anniversary.

The first general meeting of SGCS was held on 16 September 1976 and Cec was appointed vice-president. He was leader of the Korumburra branch from 1979-81 and 1982-83.

He took a leading role in preserving and caring for reserves including Wuchatsch Reserve near Nyora, the Railway Reserve between Poowong and Nyora, Ritchies Reserve, Korumburra Public Park, and Bald Hills.

He was made a life member in 1982.

Ellen’s studies of plant and animal life established the basis for the success of the campaign. She created Lyndon Park in Leongatha to show people the beauty of indigenous plants. 

She led many excursions and was secretary of the Leongatha branch from 1980-82.

In 1990 Ellen was awarded an OAM and she was made a life member in 1982. 

Clyve Excell

Bill and Clyve Excell retired to Dumbalk North in 1983. Clyve became an active member of the Society, taking on roles of president in 1987 and 1991, secretary from 1984-86), vice-president in 1990 and CCV representative in 1988. 

Clyve was the Society’s conservation spokesperson in the wider community and wrote many submissions and reports for the newsletter. She represented the Society on the Land Protection Regional Advisory Committee (the forerunner of Landcare) from 1986 until her death in 1993.  Issues of concern for the committee included pest plants and animals, protection of water catchments, rehabilitation of gravel pits, aerial spraying of pesticides and the increase in stream loads caused by forestry practices.

In 1989 LPRAC introduced the requirement for a permit to clear native vegetation on private land and new regulations for the use of herbicides and pesticides. 

Clyve was made a life member in 1989.

Jean Clark

Jean connected to nature early in life, walking to school observing wildflowers on the roadside. Her family spent time wandering around their farm at Lucknow, and nearby bushland. In the 1930s, with her husband to be, Harry, she went bushwalking and camping. She and Harry bought a bush block at Tarwin in 1978.

Jean met Ellen Lyndon on an SGCS excursion and at the 1981 SGCS AGM she was persuaded to become president.

Through the 1980s Jean played an important role supporting SGCS campaigns against the Eagles Nest ocean outfall, lobbying for marine parks and community education. The Environment Centre at Inverloch was established during this time. 

Jean was made a life member in 1989.

Joan Hoeben

The daughter of Bill and Clyve Excell, Joan’s love of nature took root early in life. 

She joined SGCS in 1988 when she and her family moved from Melbourne to Boolarra. 

Joan was leader of the La Trobe Valley/Mirboo North and Mirboolarra branches in 1996-1997 and served as their representative on the executive. She was membership officer from 1989-1997 and newsletter editor from 1990–1999.

Joan and Jenny Watts produced the Green Sheet, the SGCS excursion program, during the 1990s. 

In 1998 she was the prime mover in drawing up a new constitution, and she produced education material on a range of topics.

She was made a life member in 1999.

Local landholders were also persuaded to come on board.

Eventually Bill succeeded and during the 1990s he worked with government agencies to design and construct the track and install fences and stiles, as well as formalising agreements with landholders. 30,000 plants were put in and today provide shade, shelter and habitat, and a truly wonderful experience for the thousands who walk the trail each year. 

Bill was a member of the Bass Valley branch of SGCS. 

He was made a life member in 1998.

Mary represented SGCS on the South Gippsland Shire Council Municipal Fire Prevention Committee from 1992-96 – one outcome of which was a roadside management plan for 15 kilometres of the Meeniyan Promontory Road. South Gippsland and Woorayl Shires employed Mary to produce a management plan, a manual for training road crews, a guide to roadside planting and a guide to environmental weeds.

She was also a member of the Great Southern Rail Trail Committee and Wilsons Promontory Advisory Group, and worked for councils on roadside and reserve management plans and the SGSC significant tree register.

She was made a life member in 2001.

John and Shirley Gunson

On retirement Shirley & John moved from Melbourne to a 74-acre property at Wonyip north of Toora. The property had about 10 acres of pasture covered in blackberries and bracken which they removed before planting eucalypts and complementary species. There were steep hills and gullies and permanent watercourses with waterfalls. It was home to a great variety of flora & fauna, including lyrebirds. A Trust for Nature covenant was put in place so all of this was permanently protected. 

Shirley & John were long time members and supporters of conservation groups. In 1989 they joined the Foster branch of SGCS and John became leader from 1993-99. He played a leading role in many campaigns including Hands off the Prom & Pacific Oyster Aquaculture in Corner Inlet, as well as negotiating with the Victorian Plantations Corporation and then Hancocks Timber Industries in the Strzeleckis, and for renewable energy including the Toora wind farm.

After 10 years at Wonyip Shirley & John moved to Inverloch where John chaired the Inverloch branch of the Planning Committee for six years and was SGCS president from 2002-05. He chaired the Education Committee following the employment of SGCS’s first education officer.

Shirley was an activist on a range of social justice and environmental issues. She volunteered at the Bunurong Environment Centre shop for many years and supported SGCS programs, as well as being John’s ‘rock’. Shirley and John were a team in all things conservation. 

They were made life members in 2003.

He wrote the historical section of an SGCS publication, Wonthaggi Heathlands, and helped at the original Environment Centre in Inverloch.

Lyn’s interest in being out in nature, and conservation went back to her childhood, growing up on a farm where a lot of planting was done and nothing was wasted. 

She worked in many teaching jobs in Wonthaggi and volunteered in many community organisations.

Lyn and Joe wrote three books: It’s On at the Union (1982), Out To the Wreck (1988) and Come Here, Gee Off, 1991.

As active members of SGCS, they learned about the importance of indigenous plants and the damage done by pest plants, and campaigned against woodchipping. 

Lis and John Williams 

Lis and John grew up in Ulverstone, Tasmania. Lis spent many hours at the bush and beach around her home; this fostered a lifelong love of nature. In 1941 John completed a medical degree at Melbourne University and Lis a BSc in botany and zoology in Hobart. 

They lived on the Mornington Peninsula, then Carnarvon, Kalgoorlie and Perth before in 1985 moving to Inverloch where their daughter Susan lived. 

Then followed many years of active membership of SGCS – John was president from 1998-99, vice-president and treasurer from 1992-94, and deputy leader of the Inverloch branch.

Lis was executive secretary in 1991 (with Sue Lester) and 2001 (with Faye Arnold), Inverloch branch secretary from 1994-98 and 1999 (with Fiona Maud) and 2001-2 (with Carlene Cartledge). She was also newsletter editor from 2003-06 and secretary of the SGCS/IRRA Projects Committee. 

Lis and John were made life members in 1998.        

Margaret and Graeme Rowe

Margaret and Graeme moved to Leongatha to teach at the secondary college, Graeme in 1967 and Margaret in 1970. They were foundation members of SGCS, Graeme led the first excursion to Walkerville in October 1976.  

In 1980 the state government invited submissions for the future use of public land in South Gippsland Area District 2 which included Crown land in the La Trobe Valley, Eastern Strzeleckis, Woodside, Corner Inlet, Wilsons Promontory and Tarwin-Waratah. A detailed submission about the natural values and recommended future use of 57 areas (!) (they included Wonthaggi Heathlands) was produced by a sub-committee for which Margaret was the leading author. The submission also made recommendations about roadside and public land water frontage conservation. 

Many of the recommendations in this immensely important document were adopted.

A Marine Studies Group, of which Margaret was a member, wrote letters and submissions and publications including Rockpooling around the Bunurong. Margaret led many excursions. In the late 1980s she was secretary of Natural Environment Inc and enlisted the support of SGCS to oppose a marina at San Remo which would have destroyed the habitat of more than 100 species of Nudibranch. 

Margaret and Graeme were active members of the Leongatha branch, organising and attending excursions and working bees. Graeme was secretary from 1992-94. Both volunteered at the shop, Graeme until quite recently.

They both say their love and respect for nature emerged from their parents’ interest in gardening and the bush. 

They were made life members in 2022.

They were both involved in the campaign which led to the creation of Morwell National Park. They were founding members of the Latrobe Valley Field Naturalists Club in 1965, as well as founding members of SGCS. 

They were involved in campaigns, led excursions, weeded reserves, planted trees and wrote extensively for the newsletter. Eulalie was the resident Inverloch botanist and Inverloch branch leader from 1984-87. She initiated the formation of the Friends of Wonthaggi Heathlands

Eulalie and Os were made life members in 1989.

Watch an interview with Eulalie Brewster.

This is the third in a series of stories to mark the first 50 years of the South Gippsland Conservation Society. The society celebrates with a dinner and trivia night at the Cape Paterson Surf Lifesaving Club on November 13. Tickets at Humanitix.