Wayne Clarke

Prior to moving to Tom Price, Western Australia in 1968, Wayne was a member of a youth organisation in Victoria. His earliest education of the word ‘conservation’ was with the well-known John Landy. John took the youths roaming in the bush and on the beaches noting the resultant erosion of beaches from the violent winter storms.

Following marriage in Perth there was a wish to leave the city and Toodyay bushland was purchased to move to live in 1989. Despite not living in Toodyay he joined the Toodyay Naturalists’ Club (TNC) following leaving the WA Wildflower Society having been General Secretary. Over the subsequent years he has held all TNC executive positions and awarded TNC Honorary Life Membership (HLM) 2009 and Co-Patron 2023.

In 1991, Wayne was appointed to the Toodyay Land Conservation District Committee (LCDC) holding positions of Secretary/Treasurer till its demise in 2014. He attracted funding for a Community Landcare Officer, mentoring the position and managing all financial requirements, voluntarily. In 1993 he represented LCDC on the Avon Nature Conservation Advisory Committee, the Avon River Management Authority and several others.

Wayne founded the Toodyay Friends of the River (TFOR) in 1994 (Incorporated in 1998), with the express purpose of providing community assistance to resolve degradation of the Avon River.

From 2000-2004, Wayne was elected to the Avon Catchment Council (ACC) as Deputy Chair, then Chair 2004 till 2006 to steer the ACC through to the development of the Regional NRM Strategy and Investment Plan. Wayne has received the nomination of co-patron of TFOR at the November 2024 Annual General Meeting.