Wikipedia

Philip Ingamells

Philip Clark Ingamells (18 April 1947 – 25 August 2023)[1] was an Australian conservationist, photographer, writer and advocate for the preservation of parks and wilderness areas who worked for the Victorian National Parks Association (VNPA).

Early life and training

edit

Philip Clark Ingamells was born 18 April 1947,[2] brother of John and David, and nephew of historian Manning Clark[3] whose house he designed while studying architecture at Melbourne University.[4][5]

Photographer

edit

In 1970, Ingamells enrolled in photography at Prahran College under Paul Cox. There he specialised in landscape photography; it is likely that this interest led to his involvement in conservation. He contributed photography and writing to a number of magazine publications including the VPNA organ Park Watch[6][7][8] and Wild,[9] and to reports.[10] He was photographer for the 1987 publication The Eltham Copper Butterfly[11][12] that appeared concurrently with announcements of the rediscovery of remnants colonies of the Paralucia pyrodiscus hitherto presumed extinct, and for the 2015 Australian Alps: Kosciuszko, Alpine and Namadgi National Parks;[13] and he published Discovering Mount Buffalo,[14] and Discovering the Prom.[15] In an interview recorded by Peter Leiss in 2017 Ingamells professed to using photography "to persuade people to protect natural areas."[16]

Conservationist

edit

In the 1990s, Ingamells was a member of staff in the Community Education, Interpretation and Landscape Services Section of the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Victoria.[17]

National parks

edit

During his tenure with the Victorian National Parks Association Ingamells appeared frequently in the media,[18][19] and made direct representation to governments; as Victorian National Parks Association spokesman in 2015 he publicly admonished the Victorian state government for its decrease in budget to parks, urging that the government needed urgently to reverse the drop in funding, not only to protect native plants and animals but also to recognize the economic contribution parks made to the state, saying; "Our parks already more than pay their way. "They contribute over $1 billion each year through tourism, $330 million in water services and $180 million in avoided health costs."[20]

He spearheaded a long and hard-fought campaign to remove cattle grazing from the Alpine National Park, not once but twice.[21][22][23][24] His dedication and resilience in the face of challenges made this victory possible. He was vocal in opposing development proposals within the national parks' estate,[25] and emphasised the importance of preserving these areas in their pristine state;[26] in the 1990s and again in 2012, he played a pivotal role in fending off development proposals for Wilsons Promontory. When plans were announced for construction of 31 buildings along Victoria's most popular alpine bushwalks he raised serious concerns.[27] He pressed for government action to control feral animals that were intruding on Alpine habitats, highlighting the need to protect these fragile ecosystems.

Fire management

edit

On the complex issue of fire management in natural landscapes, Ingamells, who had bitter personal experience of the human toll of fires,[28] advocated for policies balancing safety and preserving natural heritage,[29][30][31] and criticised crude burn-off targets,[32][33] highlighting concerns about the overall amount of control burning in Victoria "damaging biodiversity, and often not helping to protect life and property."[34] He convened a workshop sponsored by VNPA which prepared a submission to the 2009 Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission.[35] In 2012 he presented a paper on the subject to the Royal Society of Victoria.[36]

Later life and legacy

edit

From 2015, Ingamells served on the VicNature2050 Advisory Group and contributed to their publications: Symposium 1: Managing Victoria’s Biodiversity under Climate Change; Symposium 2: Our Changing Landscapes: Acting on Climate Impacts; Symposium 3: Building “Climate Future Plots”: designing trials to usefully inform management; and 10 things we can all do to help nature adapt to a new climate.[37]

On 21 October 2015, Environment Victoria awarded Ingamells, then aged 68, with a Community Environment Award for 'outstanding commitment to safeguarding Victoria's environment'.[38] His contributions to the history of management of the Australian Alps national parks are noted,[39] and his environmental activism is acknowledged in the book Quiet Activism: Climate Action at the Local Scale.[40] Ingamells in retirement lived in Castlemaine but continued to engage energetically with the conservation movement there.[41][42][43][44][45][46]

Ingamells died at home in August 2023, at the age of 76. A public memorial took place in Eltham on 14 September.[10]

Publications

edit
  • Ingamells, Philip; Victorian National Parks Association; Taungurung Committee (2001), Discovering Mount Buffalo, Victorian National Parks Association, ISBN 978-1-875100-14-9
  • Ingamells, Philip; Victorian National Parks Association (1999), Discovering the Prom (2nd ed.), Victorian National Parks Association, ISBN 978-1-875100-13-2
  • Ingamells, Phil; Cameron, David, (Photographer); Victoria. Department of Conservation, Forests and Lands (1987), The Eltham Copper butterfly, Conservation Forests & Lands, Victoria, retrieved 3 September 2023{{citation}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

References

edit
  1. ^ Philip Clark Ingamells
  2. ^ "Ingamells, Phil - Full record view - Libraries Australia Search". librariesaustralia.nla.gov.au. Retrieved 2023-09-03.
  3. ^ Sorensen, Rosemary (7 October 2011). "History Fixed". Bendigo Weekly. No. 732. p. 14.
  4. ^   Thomas, S. L., Alsop, D., & Ingamells, P. C. (1968). Port Fairy Lecture Hall, Architectural drawings collection, Melbourne University Architectural Collection, State Library of Victoria
  5. ^ McKenna, Mark (2011). An Eye For Eternity: The Life of Manning Clark. Carlton: Melbourne University Press. ISBN 9780522856170. OCLC 700012783.
  6. ^ Ingamells, Phil (June 2016). "Failed mine returns to threaten the Tambo". Park Watch (257): 25. ISSN 1324-4361.
  7. ^ Ingamells, Phil (March 2016). "The climate changes everything". Park Watch (264): 9. ISSN 1324-4361.
  8. ^ Ingamells, Phil (March 2015). "The skills we need". Park Watch (260): 11. ISSN 1324-4361.
  9. ^ "Victoria's national parks in need of funding relief". Wild. 2016-01-18. Retrieved 2023-09-03.
  10. ^ a b "Philip Clark Ingamells Death Notice - Melbourne, Victoria | The Age". tributes.theage.com.au. Retrieved 2023-09-03.
  11. ^ Ingamells, Phil; Cameron, David, (Photographer); Victoria. Department of Conservation, Forests and Lands (1987), The Eltham Copper butterfly, Conservation Forests & Lands, Victoria, retrieved 3 September 2023{{citation}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  12. ^ New, T. R. (2010). Butterfly conservation in south-eastern Australia : progress and prospects (1st ed.). Dordrecht: Springer. pp. VII, 78, 79. ISBN 9789048199259. OCLC 662409623.
  13. ^ Slattery, Deirdre (2015). Australian Alps : Kosciuszko, Alpine and Namadgi National Parks (2nd ed.). Clayton, Vic.: CSIRO Publishing. pp. XV, 11, 15, 32, 66, 68, 78, 91. ISBN 9781486301713. OCLC 910161107.
  14. ^ Ingamells, Philip; Victorian National Parks Association; Taungurung Committee (2001), Discovering Mount Buffalo, Victorian National Parks Association, ISBN 978-1-875100-14-9
  15. ^ Ingamells, Philip; Victorian National Parks Association (1999), Discovering the Prom (2nd ed.), Victorian National Parks Association, ISBN 978-1-875100-13-2
  16. ^ Philip Ingamells on Photography at Prahran College of Art & Design. Year 1970. The 3 minute version, retrieved 2023-09-03
  17. ^ McRae, Heather (1994). Forest History In Victoria: A Guide To Government Records 1836–1994. East Melbourne: Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Victoria. p. 72. OCLC 1158392450.
  18. ^ Australian Broadcasting Corporation. News (2004-12-10), CSIRO finds cattle grazing doesnt prevent bushfires, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, retrieved 3 September 2023
  19. ^ "Phil Ingamells from the Victorian National Parks Association says the alpine grazing trial is flawed, but the Mountain Cattlemen Associations Charlie Lovick says it should be allowed to run its course". www.abc.net.au. 2014-11-28. Retrieved 2023-09-03.
  20. ^ Gordon, Josh; State Political Editor (21 December 2015). "Victoria's national parks in jeopardy after deep funding cuts". The Age. {{cite news}}: |last2= has generic name (help)
  21. ^ Ingamells, Phil (November 2022). "Time to rescue the Alpine National Park - again!". Park Watch (290): 22–24.
  22. ^ "New plan for alpine grazing.(News)". The Age (Melbourne, Australia). Fairfax Media Publications Pty Limited. 2011-07-20. p. 1. ISSN 0312-6307.
  23. ^ Ingamells, Phil (June 2011). "The Alpine National Parks: Next Steps". Park Watch (245): 11. ISSN 1324-4361.
  24. ^ Victorian National Parks Association Phil Ingamells explains cattle damage in the Alpine National Park, retrieved 2023-09-03
  25. ^ Ingamells, Phil (March 2017), "National parks for sale - again!", Park Watch (268): 5, ISSN 1324-4361
  26. ^ Ingamells, Phil (2010). "Nature-The Whole Kit and Caboodle". EarthSong Journal: Perspectives in Ecology, Spirituality and Education. 13: 14–15.
  27. ^ Ingamells, Phil (March 2017), "Falls to Hotham alpine crossing", Park Watch (268): 6–7, ISSN 1324-4361
  28. ^ Manning, Paddy (2020). Body count : how climate change is killing us. Cammeray, N.S.W: Simon & Schuster. pp. unpaginated. ISBN 9781925456752. OCLC 1142893804.
  29. ^ Ingamells, Phil (September 2017). "The fire inquiry we could have had". Park Watch (270): 21–23. ISSN 1324-4361.
  30. ^ Ingamells, Phil (March 2015). "Burn target gets a welcome review". Park Watch (260): 15. ISSN 1324-4361.
  31. ^ Ingamells, Philip; Selwood, Lynne (2012). "Fire And Biodiversity In Victoria-Discussion Paper". Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria. 124 (1): 111. doi:10.1071/RS12111.
  32. ^ Sorenson, Rosemary (7 October 2011). "Row Heats up: We are in serious trouble if they keep this target". Bendigo Weekly. p. 5.
  33. ^ Ingamells, Philip (10 January 2016). "Appreciating limits of fuel reduction burns vital to effective fire management in Victoria. Planned burns only significantly reduce fuel in the undergrowth for about three years". The Age.
  34. ^ Ingamells, Philip (June 2012). "Statewide fuel reduction target threatens biodiversity". Park Watch. 16. ISSN 1324-4361. OCLC 4934637226.
  35. ^ New, T. R.; Yen, A. L.; Sands, D. P. A.; Greenslade, P.; Neville, P. J.; York, A.; Collett, N. G. (October 2010). "Planned fires and invertebrate conservation in south east Australia". Journal of Insect Conservation. 14 (5): 567–574. doi:10.1007/s10841-010-9284-4. ISSN 1366-638X.
  36. ^ Ingamells, Philip; Selwood, Lynne (2012). "Transactions: Fire and Biodiversity in Victoria – Discussion Paper". Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria. 124 (1): 111. doi:10.1071/RS12111. ISSN 0035-9211.
  37. ^ "About VicNature2050". Greening Australia. Retrieved 2023-09-03.
  38. ^ "Victorian Environment Award for Wombat Forestcare" (PDF). Wombat Forestcare Newsletter (34): 9. December 2015.
  39. ^ Crabb, Peter (2003). Managing the Australian Alps : a history of cooperative management of the Australian Alps national parks. Centre for Resource and Environmental Studies, Australian National University, Canberra. ISBN 9780867405330. OCLC 223530222.
  40. ^ Steele, Wendy; Hilllier, Jean; MacCallum, Diana; Byrne, Jason; MacCallum, Donna (2021). Quiet Activism: Climate Action at the Local Scale. Switzerland: Palgrave Macmillan, Springer Nature. pp. IX. ISBN 9783030787264. OCLC 1265563465.
  41. ^ "Opinion: Your reaction to Goldfields' World Heritage bid". Castlemaine Mail. 2023-01-12. Retrieved 2023-09-03.
  42. ^ Jungwirth, Jade (2023-02-23). "Friends of the Box-Ironbark Forests celebrate 25 years of advocacy". Castlemaine Mail. Retrieved 2023-09-03.
  43. ^ Annear, Robyn; Bannear, David; Ingamells, Philip (1999). Discovering the Mount Alexander Diggings. Mount Alexander Diggings Committee.
  44. ^ "Castlemaine Field Naturalists Club: Coming Events : Fri Nov 12 Meeting: Speaker - Phil Ingamells (VNPA) 'Fire and biodiversity'" (PDF). Castlemaine Naturalist. 46.8 (501): 12. September 2021.
  45. ^ "Feathered Five Festival – Connecting Country". connectingcountry.org.au. Retrieved 2023-09-03.
  46. ^ Clark, Mary Ryllis (2 October 1999). "Inspired by the forest: Artists have gathered in Castlemaine to pay homage to the unique box-ironbark forests of central Victoria". The Age. p. 119.
edit
Retrieved from "https://en.wiki.x.io/w/index.php?title=Philip_Ingamells&oldid=1253029989"