This thesis is a study of selected aspects of Australian\ud
environmentalism during the period 1960-1980. By analysing a number\ud
of case-studies of environmental conflict, the aim is to discover some\ud
characteristics of the Australian conservation movement and to determine\ud
what influence,  if any, eco-activists have exerted on the reform of\ud
resource management practices of public authorities and private corporations.\ud
Environmentalism is here defined as a social and political movement\ud
involving specific sets of beliefs about the relationship of man and Nature,\ud
generally antipathetical to existing modes of technology and natural\ud
resources utilisation.\ud
The opening three chapters of the thesis are devoted to an examination\ud
of various types of environmentalism and their outward manifestation as\ud
political action by voluntary conservation groups. It is argued that\ud
community environmental organisations face a number of internal stresses\ud
arising from variations in values and ideology, the loose affiliation of\ud
members, reliance upon voluntary effort, diverse organisational structures\ud
and leadership styles, as well as lack of financial resources. Yet high\ud
motivation, cadres of dedicated activists and unorthodox tactics, create\ud
strong survival capacity. In order to achieve political influence through\ud
lobbying, persuasion, bargaining and coercion, such groups must penetrate\ud
key decision processes, yet conform to the norms of the socio-political\ud
culture, or else achieve a weight of public opinion favourable to their\ud
cause