Shayne Neumann (Blair, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I meet a lot of interesting and innovative people in Ipswich and today I would like to speak about one outstanding and inspirational individual, Mr Frank Manthey.

To give a bit of background, in the late 1980s and early 1990s, recently widowed Frank worked out west as a roo shooter for the Queensland department of environment. One night, over a beer, he met a zoologist with National Parks, Peter McRea, who talked to Frank about his last decade’s work searching for the elusive bilby. Frank agreed to go with Peter one night to try to catch a glimpse of the bilby.

From that first sighting, Frank knew he had to do whatever he could to save the species from extinction. Listed as ‘endangered’ in Queensland and as ‘threatened’ nationally, the bilby was in serious trouble. Feral cats and farming activity were responsible for their plight so Frank and Peter, now known as the ‘bilby brothers’, had a mission. Their mission was to create a bilby sanctuary in Currawinya National Park. This meant fencing off a 25 square kilometre area with an electrified predator-proof fence at an estimated cost of $300,000. This sum looked impossible, especially when they were both public servants and had to convince their bosses that their ambitious plan was both possible and necessary.

Now, many people may not know Frank but he is one of Australia’s silent heroes. I can tell you, Frank is to threatened species in Australia what Peter Cundall is to gardening. He is an extraordinary individual. The idea of raising $300,000 would stump most of us, but not Frank. He and Peter set out to raise the money all by themselves. They used everything from bilby information nights to selling bilby T-shirts, and, incredibly, the money was raised. I say ‘incredibly’ but it becomes less of a surprise when you get to know how Frank operates. Frank and Peter featured on Australian Story and 60 Minutes. A documentary known as The Bilby Brothers has also been made about their extraordinary contribution towards bilby conservation.

In 2002, Frank received the Australian Geographic conservation award. In June 2005, after three years of lobbying, Frank travelled to this very place to try to convince the then Minister for the Environment and Heritage, Senator Ian Campbell, to establish a national bilby day. It will come as no surprise to listeners that the minister agreed and the second Sunday of each September is now known as National Bilby Day. Frank does not get any credit for the work he has done. In fact, he is one of those rare individuals who are selfless in their work and commitment.

I will share a summary of a touching letter that I read on the Save the Bilby website. It is from Steve and Merrin Curnow, whose son, Luke Curnow, tragically died from a brain tumour. The letter outlined Luke’s passion for bilbies. It said:

In 2010, on the anniversary of Luke’s passing, Frank Manthey, co-founder of the Save the Bilby Fund, came to visit Luke’s school, Eagle Junction State School. As a tribute to Luke, and to remember our beautiful little boy who loved bilbies, Frank brought Paul the Bilby to show the children and to share his story about his important work to save this national treasure.

On that day the children, parents and school raised over $2,500 for the Save the Bilby Fund. This money will be used to further support the activities of the fund, to protect and promote the plight of one of our much loved, unique and endangered native animals. Luke would have loved the thought that he was able to make a difference and to help prevent the extinction of this precious Australian animal.

In a further tribute to Luke a new baby bilby, born recently at the breeding program at Dreamworld, has been named Luke. This is an amazing honour to his family and friends and it is a lasting legacy for Luke.

There are many similar stories on the Save the Bilby website and I encourage people to have a look.

Between April and October last year, 4,771 people attended 198 bilby shows. There are now bilbies in shelters at Featherdale Wildlife Park, Taronga Park Zoo and Western Plains Zoo in New South Wales and at Dreamworld in Queensland. In fact, there is a very impressive display at Queen’s Park in Ipswich, which the Young Queenslander of the Year, Jessica Watson, recently visited to meet a newly born bilby who is now her namesake.

With the Easter period almost upon us, it is timely to remind everyone to bypass the bunnies and support the Save the Bilby Fund by purchasing a Darrell Lea Easter bilby—and I want to assure the House that I am not receiving any campaign contributions from Darrell Lea. Bilbies used to inhabit 80 per cent of the Australian landscape, but they now inhabit only some small pockets in a few states. I believe that if Frank Manthey and Peter McCrea had not met over a beer in a pub all those years ago, the bilby would no longer exist. We have gone a long way towards saving the bilby. I want to commend to the House Frank’s enormous contribution to native animal conservation and the bilby in particular.