The Wildlife Preservation Society of Australia (WPSA) was founded in Sydney, Australia in May 1909 to encourage the protection of, and to cultivate interest in, the Australian flora and fauna. The founding President of the Society was The Hon Frederick Earle Winchcombe MLC (1855 - 1917). David Stead was one of four Vice Presidents and a very active founder of the Society. The WPSA publishes a quarterly magazine Australian Wildlife and operates a 24/7 telephone wildlife answering service for members. The current President is Suzanne Medway. The Wildlife Preservation Society of Australia is an all volunteer registered, non-for-profit conservation organisation holding tax exemption status with the Australian Tax Office and is listed on the Register of Environmental Organisations.
The Society is totally committed to the preservation and protection of Australia’s unique native fauna and flora in all its forms through national environmental education programs, community involvement, political lobbying and advocacy, as well as practical hands-on wildlife conservation projects.
The Society’s members are dedicated to preserving Australia’s native wildlife for future generations of young Australians.
The Society celebrated a Centenary of wildlife conservation in 2009.
The WPSA Serventy Conservation Medal was inaugurated in 1999 to commemorate conservation work by members of the Serventy family, the siblings Lucy, Dominic and Vincent Serventy. The award honours conservation work that has not been done as part of a professional career for which the person will have been paid and honoured, but for work done for a love of nature and a determination that it should be conserved. The first award of the Medal was made in 1998. People who have been awarded the Medal are: