Page 179 - Demo

177In the early 1980s, the Franklin River, nestled in Tasmania%u2019s wilderness, became the epicentre of one of Australia%u2019s most significant environmental battles. The fight to save the river began when plans emerged to dam the Franklin for hydroelectric power. Activists, led by the Tasmanian Wilderness Society and figures including Bob Brown, launched a passionate campaign to preserve the river%u2019s wild beauty. The movement gained national attention, leading to widespread protests and blockades.One of the heroes of the protest was a small yellow %u2018No Dams%u2019 sticker that helped spread the word about the fight to save the Franklin. Gordon Harrison-Williams was a 25-year-old graphic designer in Hobart when Wilderness Society campaigner Jill McCulloch asked him to design some posters for the cause. Those early posters were triangular because, according to Gordon, they were %u2018eye-catching and easy to cut%u2019.In 1981, the state held a referendum asking the people to decide where the dams would go %u2013 without giving them the chance to vote against the dams.Again, Jill approached Gordon, and together they devised a sticker that would encourage people to vote informally by writing %u2018No Dams%u2019 on the polling paper as a protest vote. The stickers were hugely popular and quickly became the broader symbol of the fight to stop the dams. People from all walks of life contributed to the campaign %u2013 it was a powerful%u00a0coming together of people power.The stickers made their way onto car bumpers and bedroom doors across the country, and when Bob Hawke and the ALP made the Franklin an election issue in 1983, Hawke%u2019s wife, Hazel, famously wore a pair of %u2018No Dams%u2019 earrings.Hawke swept to power and the High Court ruled in favour of the river%u2019s protection, marking a historic victory for conservation and the broader environmental movement in Australia.Jill and Gordon%u2019s stickers made a substantial contribution to the campaign and helped push environmental concerns into the mainstream. Gordon, who also designed the logo for The Greens party, moved to England in the mid1980s, where he was surprised to find %u2018No Dams%u2019 stickers on cars in the streets of London.YEAR 1981DESIGNERS Gordon Harrison-Williams and Jill McCullochMANUFACTURER Wilderness SocietyOne of the heroes of the protest was a small yellow %u2018No Dams%u2019 sticker that helped spread the word about the fight to save the Franklin.