Martin Copley

Martin Copley (1940 – 30 July 2014) was a British-born Australian conservationist and philanthropist who established the Australian Wildlife Conservancy (AWC), an organisation which purchases and manages large areas of land, mainly former pastoral properties, as nature reserves (called "sanctuaries") for the conservation of biodiversity.[1]

Copley was a British financier and insurance underwriter. He first visited Australia in 1966. In 1991 he purchased a property containing a large area of natural bushland at Chidlow, Western Australia, now the Karakamia Sanctuary, for conservation purposes, effectively founding what was to become the AWC.[2] In 1994 he moved to Australia permanently.[1] In 2001 the AWC became a public charitable organisation.[3] Copley died of cancer on 30 July 2014.[4][5]

  1. ^ a b ABC program archive: George Negus Tonight 38, broadcast 13 April 2004 accessed 8 January 2008
  2. ^ "National Trust of Australia (WA): paper by Barry Wilson to the State Heritage Convention". Archived from the original on 20 February 2011. Retrieved 8 January 2008.
  3. ^ Australian Wildlife Conservancy: About AWC Archived 2007-12-26 at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ Australian Wildlife Conservancy: Board of Directors
  5. ^ Paige Taylor (1 August 2014). "Martin Copley, saviour of native animals, dies aged 74". The Australian.