Tony Parkes AO – an incredible 30 years of rainforest restoration
By Tom Wolff
It’s a hot and humid mid-summer’s day the first time I drive up Tony’s gravel driveway and through the window of my ute am embraced by the cool air reminiscent of subtropical rainforest understorey. As I near the house an emerald dove sits placidly in the middle of the drive, apparently unimpressed by my arrival and unwilling to yield to this intruder. As I opened the car door a pair of honeyeaters zip past before darting off into the chorus of birdsong that springs from the scrub beyond.
Tony appears from the house to greet me as Bangalow Palms sway lazily in the breeze. Although in his early 90s, he displays a youthful enthusiasm, especially when the topic inevitably turns to the patch of rainforest he and his wife Rowena began creating over 30 years ago. The reason for my visit to Tony’s place isn’t for anything particularly exciting. I’ve come to collect another box of the beautiful Big Scrub photobooks that share deeply moving stories about people’s relationship and connection to the rainforest that, for many, has become a part of who they are. As contributor Anthony Acret says in the book, “We are all Big Scrub people.”
Big Scrub: A Journey Through Time has sold countless copies through the Revive the Northern Rivers website over the past couple of years, and although I’m often uninspired by the benign administrative act of posting out orders, I sometimes catch myself wondering about the impact this book might have on its future readers; as these catalogues of story are shipped across the Northern Rivers and interstate, could they be a catalyst for future restoration efforts? Maybe a young kid will pick it up and, flicking through the pages that sing a beautiful song of the unique nature of this ancient rainforest, somehow be transformed into a future leader of rainforest restoration in this place? Who knows, but it’s a comforting feeling for me when it comes. And, I have to admit, it makes the admin slightly less boring too.
In 1991 – the year I was born – Tony and Rowena bought a 20 acre plot on of mostly degraded pasture which was interspersed with patches of camphor laurel and three small remnants of Gondwanan era Big Scrub rainforest that had survived against the odds on Widjabul Wiabal Bundjalung Country. Current President of Big Scrub Rainforest Conservancy and owner of Firewheel Rainforest Nursery, Mark Dunphy, remembers this time well:
“When I first met Tony and discovered he was an investment banker from Mosman I thought ‘how is this going to work’?”
Tony and Rowena’s early restoration efforts established a 4 hectare patch of regenerating rainforest, later linked – after they purchased the remaining 33ha of the farm – to the main remnant in a staged restoration, as well as significant riparian improvements along 2.5km of Skinners Creek along the boundary of the Parkes’ property.
Now this hard work has resulted in 14 hectares of remarkably biodiverse rainforest – named TARRA as an acronym of Tony’s wife & children’s names - and has in the process of this personal restoration project, greatly helped to inform ongoing strategies for rainforest restoration by the Big Scrub Rainforest Conservancy (BSRC). The area is home to over 180 native rainforest species which outperforms even the naturally occurring stands of remnant rainforest like Booyong Flora Reserve or Victoria Park. As I stand in the driveway marvelling and the dense wall of green I’m reminded of an enduring hopefulness: that through commitment and plenty of hard work a lot can happen in 30 years. Mark Dunphy reflects on this same idea:
“Tony brought his formidable skills to saving the remnants and regenerating the Big Scrub and 30 years later just look at his achievements. From an Order of Australia to leading multiple community organisations and most importantly inspiring us all.”
Anthony Acret is the Catchment & Cultural Awareness Manager at Rous County Council first met Tony Parkes on the Big Scrub Rainforest Day organising committee 23 years ago and they’ve been working together on the Big Scrub ever since. He adds his thoughts on Tony’s storied career in restoration:
“Bringing his intellect and skills from the research and corporate world plus his razor sharp focus to on-ground outcomes (read: intolerance of bureaucratic and political processes!) leveraged through his passion for restoring critically endangered lowland rainforest, Tony and the Big Scrub team have created a movement that has not just restored remnants, but will care for and expand them into the future.”
He also insists on adding a word on the level of organisation involved in caring for the numerous remnants across the Big Scrub footprint:
“Whilst you probably require a PhD yourself to be able to read the massive spreadsheets that he used to secure grant funding for all of the remnants over the years, Tony’s dedication to, and awe of ,180 million years of Gondwanan lineage is inspirational and it is a privilege to work with him.”
I first spoke to Tony Parkes over the phone in June of 2021, not long after launching Revive the Northern Rivers. Given the nature of COVID at the time, and Tony being in his 90s, it was understandably the best option for an interview at the time.
Most wouldn’t know that Tasmania is primarily responsible for planting the initial seeds that grew Revive the Northern Rivers as it is today. In my preliminary reading before my first interview with Tony, I’d learned that he had grown up in Hobart and my first question was on the parallels between Tasmania and the Northern Rivers. As someone who’d given part of my own heart to the island state I was curious to hear about Tony’s thoughts. He noted the presence of environmental awareness in both places which, upon my own reflection, might be thanks to such incredibly unique and special ecosystems in both places.
Tony has accumulated an impressive list of awards over the life of Big Scrub Rainforest Conservancy, but anyone who knows him personally knows that this isn’t what drives him. His unwavering drive and commitment over the past three decades, alongside a group of dedicated nursery workers, bush regenerators, natural resource managers and everyday community members, has undoubtedly shifted the consciousness, awareness and commitment to revive what’s left of this ancient rainforest for future generations. As Tony explains,
“I am confident about the survival prospects of the Big Scrub. We have the financial resources and skilled people to ensure the ongoing success of the Big Scrub Rainforest Conservancy's long term program to save our priceless remnants from destruction by weeds.”
From a small landcare group dedicated to caring for rainforest remnants to the renamed Big Scrub Rainforest Conservancy's integral role in developing with its partners a groundbreaking approach of applying the latest genome science to save our rainforests, Tony has left a truly amazing legacy through the rainforests that continue to thrive. I ask him what he sees in the future for Science Saving Rainforests program:
“In a few years be providing planting stock of 30 key Big Scrub structural species and 30 threatened species with optimal genetic diversity for use in restoration plantings of our critically endangered Big Scrub rainforest and recovery plantings of many of its threatened species. Genetic diversity will help to overcome the major risk of inbreeding and provide resilience to climate change, new diseases and new insects pests.
The fitter genes will help ensure the long term sustainability of these plantings and, as they flow across the landscape, will help ensure the long-term survival of the remnants and the past 700 ha of Big Scrub restoration plantings.”
In December of 2023, at age 94, Tony has stepped back from his 30-year tenure as President and Co-founder – handing the reins to Mark Dunphy – but will remain closely involved in the future of the organisation in his role as President Emeritus. Under Tony’s guidance, Big Scrub Rainforest Conservancy has cared for over 50 Big Scrub remnants, facilitated the planting of over 2.5 million trees and restored approximately 700 hectares of rainforest – essentially doubling the area of Big Scrub rainforest that remained after the initial destruction of early colonial deforestation. I’d like to leave you with something Tony’s successor Mark Dunphy said at the organisation’s annual general meeting. It sums up his efforts quite nicely: