Iain McCalman – John Büsst

Saviour of Reef and Rainforest

In conversation with James Bradley

A rich biography of artist-turned-environmental campaigner John Busst.

Known to his enemies as ‘The Bingil Bay Bastard’, John Büsst, a Bendigo-born Melbourne bohemian artist, moved to tropical Bedarra Island in North Queensland and underwent an extraordinary transformation to become one of Australia’s most successful conservationists. In the 1960s and early 70s Busst led campaigns to protect two of Australia’s most important and endangered environments – saving lowland rainforests from destruction and the Great Barrier Reef from reckless resource mining for oil, gas, cement and fertiliser. A plan Busst likened to ‘bulldozing the Taj Mahal to make road gravel’. Along the way Busst obtained the active support of five current or future prime ministers – Holt, Whitlam, Gorton, Hawke and Fraser.

This inspiring biography, from award-winning historian Iain McCalman, is a timely reminder that the passionate commitment of ordinary citizens is crucial to achieving truly transformative environmental change.