Phillip Toyne

Phillip Toyne was born on 16 November 1947.^[1]

He first earned a law degree,^[2] and then received a Diploma of Education from La Trobe University in 1973.^[3]

From 1973 until 1986, Toyne worked in central Australia. He was the only teacher at an Aboriginal school at Haasts Bluff, Northern Territory, and then worked as a solicitor and barrister in Alice Springs.^[2]

He was the first lawyer who worked for the Pitjantjatjara people, and, with Premier of South Australia Don Dunstan, created the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Land Rights Act 1981 (South Australia).^[2][4] He also negotiated the successful native title claim of the traditional owners of Uluru in 1983.^[4]

He was the head of the Australian Conservation Foundation from 1986 to 1992.^[4][1]

Later in life he helped to establish a project in which the Olkola people of the Cape York Peninsula practise traditional burning as part of a Commonwealth government carbon farming initiative, called Natural Carbon.^[3]

Toyne was awarded the title of Officer of the Order of Australia in 2012, "For distinguished service to environmental law through executive and advisory roles, particularly the introduction of a National Landcare Program, to the protection and restoration of Australian landscapes, and to the Indigenous community."^[5]

Toyne lived in Gundaroo.^[2] He was married to Molly Olson and they had three children.^[4][2]

He was a friend of Doug Humann at Bush Heritage Australia.^[1]

Toyne was the author of two books:

• Growing up the country: the Pitjantjatjara struggle for their land (1984), ISBN 9780140076417
• The reluctant nation: environment, law, and politics in Australia (1994), ISBN 9780733303753