The Robyn Bishop Fund was established in 2020 by her daughter Stephanie in honour of Robyn’s lifelong commitment to protecting the wild places of Tasmania.
To give to the TLC Foundation through the Robyn Bishop Fund, please click here. To select the Robyn Bishop Fund, please click the drop down arrow beside the TLC Foundation in the ‘Transaction Details’. Your support enables the TLC to continue protecting and managing nature in Tasmania.
My mother, Robyn, was born in Launceston in 1949 and grew up on Tasmania’s North West Coast. After travelling frequently and living on the mainland for a few years, Mum eventually settled in Hobart, where she trained to be a social worker. Mum always emphasised the importance of social justice and brought creativity and energy to her work. She established the first laughter club in Tasmania and developed the Laughter Action Kit to help allied health professionals incorporate laughter therapy into their own work. Mum set up many successful programs such as gardening clubs and knitting groups to connect the socially isolated.
Mum was involved in the environmental movement in Tasmania from the early days, joining the protests to stop the damming of the Franklin River and even visiting Lake Pedder before it was flooded – a very special claim to fame. She was passionate about Tasmania, especially its wild places, and firm in her belief that it is our responsibility to protect those places. Growing up, Mum would take me along to protests, whether it was the bridge walk for reconciliation or encircling the CBD to stop the Iraq War. She taught me about the power of people to make positive change and wore her bleeding heart on her sleeve with pride.
Mum had such a verve for life. She loved to be outdoors. As a young woman she walked the South West Track twice, among many other walks and adventures around Tasmania. She was also an avid gardener with a bright green thumb! She could turn any space into a thriving oasis and so I was lucky enough to grow up with beautiful gardens wherever we lived.
Mum was a passionate advocate for the protection of wildlife and nature and I am very proud of her bequest to TLC, who do amazing work safe guarding our precious wild places. I hope that the Robyn Bishop Fund will help TLC continue their essential work into the future.
Photos: trekking Cape Barren Island, 1978; at the beloved Red Ochre Beach, 2015; on the shore of Lake Pedder before it was flooded, 1971; sitting in the garden, Battery Point 1970.
