True Blue Causes
Many of John Williamson’s fans will be aware of the causes he has supported over his long career. He promotes these during his public appearances on stage, radio, television and in the press. John has always been careful to place his patronage on those organisations which reflect his own views, particularly of Australia, its people and its bush heritage together with its flora and fauna. He has supported a number of the organisations listed below for a period stretching back well over 20 years. If you would like to take an interest in any of the causes he recommends, please check the websites for further information.
Variety, the Children’s Charity
logo Variety is dedicated to transforming the lives of children with special needs. This is done a number of ways. Variety provides grants to individuals, organisations and hospitals for a range of items including wheelchairs, prosthetic limbs, speech devices and special play equipment, to name a few.
Variety also provide ‘Sunshine Coaches’ and host parties and camps which allow special needs children to get out in the sunshine and experience life.
The Variety Club was founded in 1975 with Paul Hogan as their first Chairman. Today, Variety employs 52 full-time staff around Australia and has more than 5,000 volunteers Australia wide. With their administration costs below 10%, Variety, the Children’s Charity, as it is now called, leads every other children’s charity in Australia.
John participated in his first Variety bash in 1998 and has become a passionate supporter of this charity organisation. In 2011 he was made an Ambassador of Variety.
Web address: www.varietyaustralia.org.au
Life Education Australia
logo Life Education and Healthy Harold are household names for anyone who has had children at school since the late 1970s. Life Education has partnered with schools, teachers and parents to empower Australian children to make safe and healthy choices – what more important goals could there be for the future of this country’s most valuable resource: its children. Life Education works with and through schools across Australia from preschool to secondary school.
Life Education has played a vital role in preparing and equipping children for life and providing them with the tools to make positive healthy choices throughout their lives. This places them in a better position to make healthy choices later in their lives.
John’s support of Life Education complements his involvement with Variety, the Children’s Charity, which is also a supporter of Life Education. In November 2017, he accepted the role of Ambassador for Life Education
Web address: www.lifeeducation.org.au
Bush Heritage Australia
logo Bush Heritage Australia is a national, independent non-profit organisation with long term goals to preserve Australia’s bushlands.
Bush Heritage manages 31 reserves throughout Australia covering over 946,276 hectares, safeguarding more than 242 vegetation communities, over 2700 plant species, and at least 700 bird and animal species, including 197 that are known to be threatened.
This flora and fauna are now protected on these reserves.
John was one of the first Australians to contribute to this fund. This was originally set up by the conservationist parliamentarian Bob Brown.
Web address: www.bushheritage.org.au
Wildlife Warriors Worldwide
logo Wildlife Warriors Worldwide was established in 2002 by Steve and Terri Irwin. The purpose of the organisation is to protect threatened and endangered wildlife as well as care for injured wildlife.
Wildlife Warriors is concerned with the welfare of the individual animal as much as an entire species and is dedicated to protecting the natural environment, protect wildlife as well as educate and create awareness and seek support from the public.
Like Steve Irwin, John is passionate about Australia and its inhabitants including our native wildlife.
John was invited to be a Wildlife Warrior in 2006 and has regularly entertained at the ‘Crocoseum’ on Australia Day to help raise awareness and funds.
Web Address: www.wildlifewarriors.org.au
Koala Hospital In Port Macquarie
logo The Koala Hospital in Port Macquarie, NSW is dedicated to the care and preservation of Koalas exclusively. Their ground breaking hospital has a treatment room, eight intensive care units, a 24 hour rescue and treatment operation and ten recovery yards.
Between 200 – 250 sick or injured Koalas are admitted to the hospital each year.
The Koala Hospital is involved with the University of Sydney’s research program in Koala diseases, such as Chlamydia.
The Koala Hospital is part of the Koala Preservation Society of N.S.W Inc. and is a charitable organization that is dedicated to the welfare of Australia’s much loved Koala.
In 1986 John wrote the song ‘Goodbye Blinky Bill’ and donated the royalties to the Koala Hospital. He also was involved in taking the ‘hat around’ at his concerts and together with the record royalties earned over $300,000.00 for the hospital. This money was used to open a John Williamson Wing at the hospital.
Web address: www.koalahospital.org.au
The Malleefowl Preservation Group
logo John is the Patron of the Malleefowl Preservation Group which is a not-for-profit registered Environmental organisation, that formed in 1992 and are based in WA.
What John has to say about the Malleefowl Preservation Group: “I highly commend the Malleefowl Preservation Group for addressing serious land degradation issues such as the loss of remnant vegetation and biodiversity declines. The malleefowl is but one important indicator species that confirms we must do more to protect the natural environment we live in. The project activities of the Malleefowl Preservation Group in monitoring malleefowl populations, building corridors, promoting native species planting, fencing and feral animal/weed controls are helping to address many of the conservation needs in rural Australia…”
Web address: www.malleefowl.com.au
WIRES – The NSW Wildlife Information and Rescue Service
logo The NSW Wildlife Information, Rescue and Education Service Incorporated (WIRES) is the largest wildlife rescue organisation in Australia.
WIRES was established in 1985, when an injured Ibis was found in the heart of Sydney, in Hyde Park. No organisation, government or conservation group could take responsibility for its rescue or care.
Other animal groups, such as the RSPCA, are not equipped to rehabilitate native animals. WIRES quickly established a coordinated network of wildlife carers and rescuers. WIRES work under a license issued by the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service.
John is Patron of WIRES and has been since 1993.
Web address: www.wires.org.au
Protect Our Coral Sea
logo Protect our Coral Sea is a joint campaign supported by regional, national and international conservation organisations, who are calling on the federal government to establish a large, world-class, highly protected marine park in the Coral Sea that will provide a safe haven for marine life and recognise its historic significance.
The Coral Sea is a tropical marine jewel which lies east of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. It’s one of the last places on Earth where large marine animals can still be found in numbers. And it is incredible to believe that less than 1% of this area is protected by law. At the moment, the Australian government is considering the future of the Coral Sea within our waters and we can do something to help.
John has always been dedicated to Australian flora and fauna and remains passionate about our responsibility for our marine life. As a Protect Our Coral Sea Ambassador, he joins many everyday Australians in calling for full protection of this magnificent resource.
Web Address: www.protectourcoralsea.org.au
Save the Bilby Fund
logo The Australian Bilby is an endangered species with only 600 Bilbys left.
In 1999 two Rangers from the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service, Frank Manthey and Peter McRae started the Save the Bilby Fund.
Since 2001 the main charter of the fund has been to raise money for a fenced off area in the Currawinya National Park to safely house the remaining bilbys.
The Fund has also established a recovery plan which researches why bilby numbers are declining, education the public, breeding programs and reintroduction of bilbys into the wild.
In 2003 John recorded ‘The Easter Bilby Song’ and donated the recording to the Save the Bilby Fund for their fundraising purposes.
Web address: www.savethebilbyfund.com
Landcare
logo Landcare is partnership between the public, government and business which actively does something practical about protecting and repairing the environment.
Landcare has several thousand volunteer community groups including Bushcare, urban landcare, rivercare and coastcare.
Landcare Australia is the not-for-profit company that promotes Australia’s Landcare movement.
Landcare groups undertake a variety of projects including planting native trees, sustainable farming and saving wildlife – to name a few.
John has had a long association with Landcare, first linking up with them in 1994.
Web address: www.landcare.net.au
