The Bob Brown Foundation’s 2014 Environmentalist of the Year has been awarded posthumously to Joseph Roe, a Goolarabooloo man from Broome, for his lifelong work to protect the environment and cultural sites of the Kimberley. Presenting the award and $4000 prize money to Joseph’s wife Margaret Cox and daughters Rekeesha and Kerstin Roe in Hobart today, Bob Brown said, “Remove law boss Joe Roe of the Goolarabooloo people from history, and the massive gas factory planned by Woodside Petroleum for north of Broome would by now be wrecking the Kimberley coastline, including the worlds largest humpback whale nursery, the worlds largest dinosaur footprint and traditional burial and ceremonial sites.” “I was struck by this mans integrity and defiance of the odds to save the country he loved. Roe defied the money, arrests, threats and compulsory acquisition of his peoples land for a higher goal: the integrity of Aboriginal culture and the Kimberleys remarkably pristine environment. He died within months of gaining victory for his country but his fighting spirit remains to inspire everyone else faced with the destruction of country or neighbourhood.”
Posted on: Mon, 01 Sep 2014 07:26:31 +0000
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