From the evocative rich ochres and the deep burnt umber of Uluru and Purnululu, to the crystal waters of Karijini and Kakadu, Australia’s national parks are not only central to the Australian way of life but are an essential vision of our national identity and place in the world.
In fact, it’s impossible to even imagine an Australian national tourism campaign that doesn’t feature sweeping vistas of our most iconic natural wonders – and for good reason – these extraordinarily beautiful ancient landscapes, and the flora and fauna that inhabit them, are unique to this land.
Yet it hasn’t always been the case that our vast natural riches have been celebrated, nor that our public gardens and landscape architecture would represent them.
It is only thanks to the foresight and endeavour of trailblazers such as Dr Marion Blackwell AM that we, as a nation, stopped looking outwardly to the ‘mother country’ for our identity and began truly appreciating the fortune in our own country.
Growing up in the shadow of the Great Dividing Range in News South Wales, Marion’s love for trees bloomed at an early age. Long hours spent enjoying the freedom of exploration on her family’s station and the invaluable cultural insights shared by an Aboriginal stockman established a deep appreciation for the intricate, interconnected details that are often overlooked in nature. Before long, this newfound understanding would grow into a life-long passion.
As an exceptional student, Marion encountered unexpected challenges when encouraged by her parents to further her education at university. Declined enrolment in her first choice of veterinary science, by virtue of the degree not being open to women at that time, she instead enrolled in a Bachelor of Science majoring in plant physiology and ecology.
After initially finding the transition to university exceptionally hard, Marion soon flourished in her new field. So much so that, upon graduation, she was immediately appointed lecturer in mycology (fungi) at the University of Technology in Sydney (later The University of New South Wales). It was a position she held until 1958, when she moved her young family to the novel terrains and unexploited opportunities of the western reaches of the continent.
It was in Western Australia that Marion would forge her own unique path and establish herself as a leading figure in environmental science, landscape architecture and conservation, while lecturing part-time in UWA’s Department of Botany and School of Architecture.
Her much celebrated, pioneering surveys helped establish a number of Australia’s national parks – including the World Heritage Listed Purnululu (home of the Bungles Bungles) – and her continued respect for the knowledge of Indigenous Australians.
Her work with remote communities broadened an understanding of the local environment and biology, becoming invaluable to conservation efforts. However, being one of the first women in her field wasn’t something that was always eagerly embraced.
“It wasn’t easy being the only woman in the field,” Marion explains. “They didn’t want a woman in the field and that was made obvious… it did make it hard but you endeavour to find a way through difficulties."
Her experiences with such prejudice gave Marion another mission, and lifelong dedication, as mentor and champion for women. Her advocacy, teaching and breaking of ‘the glass ceiling’ has seen her become an inspiration for countless women who now continue her legacy in environmental conservation.
It also delivered an unexpected recognition in the form of Walkley Award winner Victoria Midwinter Pitt’s stage play I’m With Her, which featured Marion’s story, among six other extraordinary Australian women, and acknowledged her strength in triumphing over inequality and sexism.
For Marion it’s another honour to add to her vast collection of achievements, including becoming a member of the Order of Australia in 2011 for her ground-breaking bush conservation programs and appointment to the board of the Environmental Protection Authority of WA.
During her career, Marion continued to teach at UWA, was a member of the National Parks and Nature Conservation Authority, and undertook landscape consultancy work in the field of design, planning and management.
She was also appointed Landscape Architect in the development of Murdoch University’s renowned bush campus setting. All the while continuing to work tirelessly to identify and highlight the importance of one of the most diverse ecosystems on the planet.
If the gifts of national parks, empowerment, knowledge and beautiful landscapes aren’t priceless enough, Marion and her husband, Dr John Blackwell OAM, have supported a number of causes including the conservation research of Professor Steve Hopper AC and the Berndt Museum at The University of Western Australia.