Our Beginnings

Please be aware – these notes are gleaned from people who were involved back in the 80s and 90s. As per the quote attributed to Queen Elizabeth II: "Some recollections may vary." This is true of the following with the possibility of memories fading due to the passing of time.....

Prior to any koala rescue groups being in existence, there was a local branch of the Queensland Wildlife Preservation Society operating in our area. Back in the 80s, rescues were coordinated by Queensland Parks down at Moggill, who would get the initial call, contact someone on their list within an area and that person would head to the scene. A lady called Rachelle from Stafford, covered our area and a Ranger would join her and transport any injured or sick koala back to Moggill. Rachelle started roping in others to help her out.

With a few people who had been assisting QPWS, an ad-hoc koala rescue and care group formed in the Pine Rivers area. In those early 90's pagers were in use with people taking on 24hr shifts, a week at a time. (Who would be capable of that these days?). There weren’t any structures or formal supports back then. By the mid-1990s, the Pine Rivers Shire Council formed the Pine Rivers Koala Care Committee. The council provided a meeting venue and some administrative support.

In 2000, the committee moved to Incorporation as the Pine Rivers Koala Care Association Inc (aka PRKCAI). This meant we now had a constitution with a set of model rules. The Association had grown from the initial fifteen members to around eighty members. The focus was now on koala rescuing, caring, education and fundraising. During that time, they struggled to pay for things like the phone account. To earn money, members would collect drink cans at fêtes and shows. At the end of each day at the Pine Rivers Show, after serving on the stand all day, they would wear gum boots and climb into the dumpsters to pick through the rubbish to collect the empty cans. (Remember this was prior to any “Containers for Change” existing). The members would empty the cans, crush them and take them to Sims Metal where they were paid around $1 per kilo for the crushed cans. Any rescue equipment was homemade, rummaging around Flea Markets for old fishing poles and fishing nets. 

Regular social barbecues by the group were held at Daisy Hill Koala Sanctuary, which opened to the public in 1995. In 1997, the members were able to start caring for koalas, having already spent many years helping at Moggill and assisting with their rehabilitation.  Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital was opened in 2004 by Steve Irwin's mum. Suddenly, people were starting to take more notice of the Australian wildlife and their plight.

By now, the Association had around 120 members, including the manager of the Moggill Koala Hospital, the Federal member and Federal senator, two local state members, Pine Rivers Shire Councillor and Environmental Department staff. We developed a high reputation amongst politicians and the community, receiving invitations to attend Community Cabinet meetings, including access to relevant ministers for deputations. The Association contributed to the development of the 2006-2016 Koala Conservation Plan. Back then, this set the scene for habitat and koala protection strategy and legislation.

We committed to retaining koala habitat and undertaking corridor re-vegetation. Some of our first significant plantings were around Old Petrie Town and its surrounding areas. This work to plant and weed the habitat continues to this day.

We had Rehabilitation Permits for koalas and other wildlife, worked closely with Moggill Koala Hospital and demonstrated our professionalism in all aspects of koala protection and welfare, which led to us being recognised by the state government and the Council as “preferred spotters”. Some key members were our spotters. This activity was to ensure the safety of all wildlife where habitat trees were being legally removed to ensure the safety of all wildlife. Unfortunately, around 2010 and the following years, the development industry lobbied the Department for the right to use their own staff, claiming they had the knowledge and skills to be spotters. This proved to be a fallacy and the Department then required spotters to be qualified and attend a registered program conducted by a registered training organisation. A piece of paper replacing the knowledge some of our members had attained over the two decades of working with koalas since the association's inception.

Working with other groups in the area, we’ve had a say in developments such as the Petrie to Kippa-Ring rail link (2012-2016). The Amcor "Mill Precinct" (2016) and the Kremzow residential and commercial developments, trying to ensure solutions were in place for the koalas residing in those areas.

Our membership may have dwindled over the years, but we still provide a 24/7 rescue phone. If you were to go back to our beginnings as a group of fifteen who saw a need to help the koala thirty years ago, little would they know that the koala would be declared endangered and face extinction.  Volunteering is not considered trendy, and the number of groups out there now mean we are competing for a limited pool of people who want to put time and effort into helping organisations like ours. Consider if you have time and energy to become one of us. Many of those history-making volunteers are still members today and have been honoured with Life Member status in the Association.

Join Us Now        Donate Now