Outstanding comrade and passionate environmentalist

TONY FLUDE July 5, 1945-September 6, 2020

Westgate Park – thousands of Melburnians driving eastwards over the bridge fleetingly glance down to see if its famous salt-lake is vivid pink. A lesser number visits the park itself – almost all love its bushland, water bodies, wildflowers, birdlife and city views, especially on realising that the park is a community Landcare project dating from 1999.

This stretch of coastal dunes and saltmarsh was a staging area during bridge construction in the 1960s and 1970s. Apparently before then, it had for decades been common land used for grazing, sand mining and illegal dumping, once even under consideration for a sewerage farm. The authorities constructed an airstrip there when aircraft production started at Fishermans Bend just before World War II; it became a popular motor racing venue in the 1950s.

In 1985-86, the Victorian government created the present park as a sesquicentennial present, shaping the hollows, hummocks and wetlands and planting thousands of native trees and shrubs.

In the late 1990s, art student Naomie Sunner walked the Yarra’s length. Arriving at Westgate, by now somewhat neglected, she recognised it could be an inner-Melbourne nature reserve and formed a friends group to recreate original regional ecosystems. That has happened, spectacularly.

One of those most responsible for this transition died in the spring of 2020. Tony Flude was well known for his two decades as a leader, works co-ordinator and labourer with Friends of Westgate Park, now called Westgate Biodiversity: Bili Nursery, and led by Lyn Allison. During that period, the group restored the 45 hectares of bushland on Parks Victoria land between Todd Road and the Yarra River at Fishermans Bend.

The reserve now comprises some 10 indigenous ecosystems of our region. It has a myriad of paths and a collection of sculptures by ACT artist Lyn Moore. Regular surveys register 40-60 bird species, but the overall number recorded is much greater – around 160. Birdwatching there has been a lifeline for many people since COVID arrived. Pre-COVID, when the lake was pink, hundreds of people visited daily, many from overseas.

Tony Flude made scores of friends, and, from the outset – working closely with Landcare Australia (LA) to run events and host numerous corporate works teams – mastered the art of corporate fund-raising. Exceptionally canny when it came to applying for grants, Tony launched and led a continuous fundraising campaign that has generated around $1 million. Other helpers were from schools, Rotary, work-for-the-dole programs, disability centres and local communities.

Tony Fulde.

The group won LA’s National Urban Landcare Award in 2010.

He was also Port Phillip EcoCentre secretary for 15 years, during which time its activities quadrupled, culminating in the present major plan to redevelop the facility in St Kilda Botanical Gardens. Tony was also a keen supporter of Australian Landcare International (now Global Landcare) and a generous donor to the ALI Fund. These circles will miss him greatly – he was an outstanding comrade and a passionate, affable, community minded environmentalist.

Tony was born just after the war ended. His father, a fourth-generation pharmacist, had returned from Papua New Guinea and established himself in Armadale. The family, which included siblings Peter and Rosemary, lived above the shop, with his father on call 24/7. Tony constructed crystal sets and other gadgets. The boys attended Melbourne Grammar, firstly Grimwade House then went to St Kilda Road, where he matriculated in 1963. By then he was a cadet under officer, Bromby House vice-captain and in the very active 8 Malvern Scouts – which even produced its own Gang Show. He attended jamborees at Wonga Park and Lansdowne, Sydney, in 1955-56 and 1959-60.

This generated a lifelong enjoyment of bushwalking and camping, and a strong connection with Melbourne Grammar’s property at Breakfast Creek, north of Licola. Tony studied economics and politics at Monash and joined Melbourne University Regiment, becoming a QM staff sergeant. A logistics job with Mobil for over thirty years followed, his army experience proving very useful. First, he was responsible for supplying fuels to major Australian industries. Later, he worked in shipping and trading, often travelling in Asia and elsewhere. He was noted for his decency, efficiency, diligence and reliability.

Retiring at 55, he embarked on a family genealogy; a notable ancestor was Joseph Flude, Ballarat School of Mines’ first lecturer. Tony’s partner, George Fotheringham, introduced him to Westgate Park, where George was already right-hand to Naomie Sunner. The project immediately entranced Tony, who thereafter went more or less daily, just as George did.

The onset of leukaemia several years ago curtailed many activities, but he worked at the park whenever he could, uncomplaining and as enthusiastic as ever. We all felt a great loss, but none more so than his partner of 46 years, George Fotheringham, whose contribution to Westgate Park’s development is equally admirable.

Rob Youl is from Westgate Biodiversity: Bili Nursery.

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