Peter Hitchcock was writing this book at the time of his death in 2019. It is his story of a lifetime of connection with Australia’s tall eucalypt forests and rainforests, and their conservation. This book is a collation of his manuscripts and related files and includes additional notes from family, friends and colleagues.
It is a dual story of his life, and the science and conservation of the tall eucalypt forests, their use by Aboriginal people, their ‘discovery’ by early European explorers, their exploitation by European settlers and those who followed them, the battles and successes for their conservation, and the management which will be needed to conserve them in the future. Peter made extraordinary national and global contributions to forest conservation, rainforest protection world heritage and national parks. He was one of Australia’s most remarkable environmentalists with an extraordinary vision of a greener planet based on the best scientific knowledge.