A quiet revolution in environmentalism is unfolding in Australia, driven by individuals leaving land and money in their wills to protect the country's biodiversity. Private and managed conservation areas now cover more than 10 million hectares, making Australia's network one of the largest in the world.
Between 2019 and 2024, leading environmental charities saw a 150% increase in bequest revenue, according to the 2025 Benchmarking Project report. Bush Heritage Australia, founded in 1991 by former Greens MP Bob Brown and Judy Henderson, now owns 45 reserves covering 1.4 million hectares and supports management of an additional 20.5 million hectares.
Bush Heritage CEO Rachel Lowry said many of Australia's most threatened ecosystems lie outside the national reserve system, on private or pastoral land. The organisation saw personal bequests rise from 2,500 in 2022 to more than 4,600 last year, reflecting a personal desire to combat the climate and biodiversity crisis.
Smaller groups have followed suit. The North East Tasmania Land Trust, formed in 2009, manages donated land including endangered eucalyptus forest and coastal habitat for the swift parrot. Secretary Dr Christine Hosking said philanthropy has become invaluable due to a lack of government support.
In December 2024, former Adelaide taxi driver Bob Croser left £560,000 (A$1.1m) to Adelaide University to establish the Bob Croser Woodland Recovery Project, which identifies optimal locations and planting designs to support bird populations in the Mount Lofty Ranges.
