WetlandCare Australia's Patron

Bill Hardy

Bill Hardy was born into the well known South Australian grape-growing, winemaking and sailing family in 1950. With seafaring traditions on both his father and mother's side, water activities have always provided a major social interest. His professional interest in water and passion for wetlands, however, can probably be traced to hunting and camping expeditions in his mid teens with his father Tom, along the banks of the River Murray.

Many weekends were spent camping and walking around Portee Station near Blanchetown, and Waikerie in South Australia which generated a life long love of these ever changing environments. Holiday jobs on farms in the south east of South Australia confirmed this love and convinced Bill to study Agriculture in the hope that he could spend as much time possible in Mother Nature's company.

Five generations of family involvement with wine proved too strong, however, and a career in farming was forgone in favour of winemaking, happily at a time when winemakers were taking more of an interest in grape growing. In fact Bill's 35 year career in the wine industry and private love affair with Nature has given him many opportunities to get involved with water and wetland management.

Six years based in Swan Valley in Western Australia allowed him to explore wetlands all over the South West Land Zone of that state. A total of seven years in southern France provided the opportunity to familiarize himself with various river systems and the wetlands of the Landes and Camargue regions. Eight years looking after Thomas Hardy and Sons winemaking activities at Waikerie in the South Australian Riverland and at Padthaway in the south east of South Australia gave him further exposure to these wetland-rich areas.

In recent years Bill and his wife Merilyn, acquired a farm near Meadows, South Australia which involves irrigation activity, and as a result Bill has served on the Kangarilla Water Resources Action Committee and the Southern Vales Water Resources Committee.

Bill also got together with a group of friends and fellow wetland fanatics from the South-East of South Australia in 1992 and purchased a largely undeveloped property known as 'Parrakie' near Kingston which possesses approximately 400 hectares of tea tree swamp, under a State Heritage Order, and 200 hectares of mallee scrub surrounding close to 100 hectares of tea-tree ringed ephemeral lakes. This group has formed a company called Parrakie Wetlands Pty Ltd and has embarked on a project, involving the installation of water control devices, to rehabiliate the lakes which had been artificially drained to permit cropping.

Bill served on the WetlandCare Australia Board for eight years, including four years as Chairman and 3 years as Company Secretary. He is a true believer who is looking for your support.

We are hounoured to have Bill as the inaugural Patron of WetlandCare Australia.

Craig Copeland

First Life Member (2010)

Craig is an active campaigner and driving force for improved wetland and fishery habitat management. He has initiated some of the major changes to coastal floodplain management in Australia with active management of floodgates. He has also developed a number of Australian 'firsts' such as programs for weir removal and road crossing remediation and initiatives such as 'Fish Friendly Farms', 'Wetlands on Farms' and 'Fishers for Fish Habitat'. As a long standing Director of WetlandCare Australia he has been responsible for leading the development of WetlandCare Australia from a small volunteer based company to a professional NGO, recognized by the Australian Government. Craig was instrumental in expanding the scale and area of activities undertaken by the company, particularly into NSW. Craig remains an avid supporter of WetlandCare Australia after his 11 years as a Director, 3 as Chairman, 3 as Deputy Chairman and 3 as Company Secretary.

We would like to welcome Craig as WetlandCare Australia's first Life Member.