Wedderburn Koala Campaign Print Page 
The plaque honours the hard-fought campaign from 1988 to 1994 to save the Wedderburn koalas. Those listed on the plaque include, broadly, all community members and environmentalists involved in the struggle, as well as union officials Paul Matters, Jimmy Avinou, Ian Moggridge, Sid Vaughn and Don McDonald, local UWS scientist Dr Robert Close, and Campbelltown journalists Jeff McGill (the Advertiser) and Eric Kontos (then-editor of the Chronicle) who had spearheaded the media campaign.
In 1988 an Indonesian developer, Yap Yan Pin, attempted to build a housing estate on the original habitat, only to be met by a wall of local opposition. The battle lasted years, involved protests, picket lines, courtrooms and police, and won the crucial support of the union movement which declared a "green ban" on the site — the longest in the nation's history. That original battleground is now a key part of the national park. Wedderburn, to the south of Campbelltown in the Macarthur district, is home to the largest and best known koala colony in the Sydney region. In 2004 a new pocket of national park was gazetted which covered 461 hectares of the O'Hare's Creek Gorge, which is a vital habitat and a migration route for the 200-strong Wedderburn koala colony.
Location
| Address: | Victoria Road, entrance Campbelltown's Dharawal National Park, Wedderburn , 2560 |
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| State: | NSW |
| Area: | AUS |
| GPS Coordinates: | Lat: -34.157937 Long: 150.829305 Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate. |
Details
| Monument Type: | Plaque |
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| Monument Theme: | Culture |
| Sub-Theme: | Community |
| Approx. Event Start Date: | 1988 |
| Approx. Event End Date: | 1994 |
Dedication
| Actual Monument Dedication Date: | Friday 6th September, 2013 |
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This monument is dedicated to the tireless efforts and unwavering committment of those who fought to protect O`Hares Creek Gorge and ensure its preservation for future generations.
This historic site at Wedderburn was protected by the longest running green bans in Australia`s history, from August 1988 to December 1994, to protect habitat. Through the united efforts of countless individuals, organisations and government agencies, this site will remain the pristine natural environment it is today.
A special tribute to :
Sid Vaughn
Secretary Building Trades Group and Operative Painters and Decorators Union
Don McDonald
Secretary, Building Workers Industrial Union
Jimmy Avinou
Building Workers Industrial Union
Ian Moggridge
Operative Painters and Decorators Union
Paul Matters
Secretary, South Coast Trades and Labour Council
Jeff McGill
Campbelltown Macarthur Advertiser
Eric Kontos
Macarthur Chronicle
Dr Robert Close
University of Western Sydney
The Campbelltown community local, national and international media envitonmentalists and supporters of Wedderburn Koala Colony
We all fought like warriors against great odds
The history is available in the Campbelltown Council City Library.
Unveiled at Wedderburn on Friday 6 Serptember 2013 by the Mayor of Campbelltown
Cr. Sue Dobson Mr Paul Tosi
Mayor of Campbelltown General Manager
