The Daintree Blockade:
The Battle for Australia's Tropical Rainforests
On the 30 November 1983, a small group of local residents organised a protest to stop work on a road being built from Cape Tribulation to Bloomfield, in far north Queensland.
The road was set to go through the recently declared Cape Tribulation National Park, and some of the last remaining low land tropical rainforest in the country.
The protest brought a stop to construction, the media arrived, the police were called in, and protesters were arrested. When supporters of the protest arrived from southern states, the confrontation escalated into a full-blown environmental protest: The Daintree Blockade
The blockade set off a clash of ideologies: greenies against developers, hippies against the local council, and anarchists against police. In time, the Daintree blockade would take its place as one of the big three early rainforest campaigns (along with Terania Creek and the Franklin) that helped shape the growing Australian environment movement.
Bill Wilkie takes readers into the heart of the Daintree, the oldest rainforest on the planet, revealing the courage, passion and dedication of those who fought to protect it. His latest book tells for the first time the story of one of Australia's most iconic environment protests.
The Daintree Blockade: the Battle for Australia’s Tropical Rainforests tells for the first time the story of one of Australia’s most iconic environment protests.
The book features stunning design set over 344 pages, more than 250 photographs, and a Foreword by legendary Australian actor Jack Thompson. The Daintree Blockade is based on over 80 interviews with key protagonists and intensive archival research.
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