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By joining the biggest community of bird lovers in Australia, you can help us make a positive impact on the future of our native birdlife. The members of BirdLife Australia, along with our supporters and partners, have been powerful advocates for native birds and the conservation of their habitats since 1901.
We are also the meeting ground for everyone with an interest in birds from the curious backyard observer to the dedicated research scientist. It doesn’t matter what your interest in birds is or how much you know about them, your membership will offer you the opportunity to increase your awareness and enjoyment.
Henry Luke White (1860-1927) was one of the most influential people in the world of Australian ornithology in the early 20th century. He was a founding member of the AOU, and published over 90 scientific papers about Australian birds. His greatest ornithological achievement, though, was amassing a huge collection of thousands of bird skins and eggs that was unrivalled in Australia. The collection was begun when he was a schoolboy, which was then augmented by purchasing the collections assembled by other collectors. Importantly, he later employed some of the most skilled field ornithologists of the day to collect rare birds and eggs for him, mounting expeditions to all corners of the country. These amazing collections were housed and curated in special cabinets at his family estate 'Belltrees' near Scone in NSW, and were eventually donated to the National Museum of Victoria, where they are still used by researchers today.
