Our Mission
To be an apolitical, not-for-profit, wildlife charity which works with and inspires others to conserve restore and sustainably manage South Australia’s natural heritage.

Founding Member and Fellow of Nature Foundation SA, Barbara Hardy AO, begins the story:

" In October 1981, a small group of Adelaide business personalities, a well-known medical man and a highly respected conservationist gathered together to discuss ways in which they could assist national parks in South Australia. They were all aware of the work done by the National Parks & Wildlife Service but they wanted to help give the community the opportunity to financially support the natural environment."

In that original group were Mr Warren Bonython, Mr Jack Gitsham, Dr Barbara Hardy, Mr Donald Jellis, Mr Ron Johnson, Mr Neville McNeill, Mrs Elizabeth Manley and Mr Charles Schmidt.

They formed what was then called ‘The National Parks Foundation’ and, over the next decade and more, its volunteers raised funds for conservation through public appeals.

As it grew, it extended its reach and changed its name to Nature Foundation SA. In all sorts of ways, from funding research to supporting on-the-ground projects, we seek to protect the natural environment, save native wildlife and enhance the parks and reserves system.

We now have a small, mainly part-time staff and operate from historic premises at Hindmarsh.

Barbara Hardy AO helped found the Foundation in 1981 and is still an active member. She was a Nature Foundation SA Councillor from 1982 to 2008 but her association goes back to the first meeting of the Foundation's founding steering committee in October 1981.

Barbara has been working in the environment field in a voluntary capacity since the early 1970s – locally, nationally and internationally. She holds an Honorary Doctorate from Flinders University and was 1996 South Australian Citizen of the Year. Barbara has received a number of prestigious awards, including Advance Australia Award, an SA Great Award, an Institution of Engineers Medal and an ABC Eureka Award for the Advancement of Science. She was also a founding Trustee of SA Business Vision 2010 and is the Australian member for the Asia-Pacific Forum for Environment and Development.

Barbara was appointed an Officer of the General Division of the Order of Australia (AO) in 1987.  She has been a Commissioner of the Australian Heritage Commission, President of the National Parks Foundation of South Australia (now the Nature Foundation SA), Founding President of the Investigator Science and Technology Centre, Chairman of the South Australian Landcare Committee and a member of the Bookmark Biosphere Trust amongst a number of other roles. She is now a Companion of the Institution of Engineers Australia and a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Energy. 

From October 2001 until the end of 2006, she was the Member from Australia in the Asia-Pacific Forum for Environment and Development (APFED), a major international project initiated and funded by the Japanese Ministry for Environment.