Inducted in 2011 for services to: Environment.
Born: 5 Jun 1953 {asset_metadata_roll.birth.in.on} Sydney, New South Wales
"My parents imbued me with a love of the bush from an early age. Photographs show me perched in the top of Dad’s rucksack long before I could walk and I spent a large part of my childhood in the bush." - Peg Putt, 1993
Peg Putt was born to parents who loved the outdoors and the challenges it presents.
Prior to moving to Tasmania, Peg worked with Aboriginal communities on Elcho Island in the Northern Territory. She moved to Tasmania in 1986 with her two daughters, and quickly became spokesperson for the Huon Protection Group, voicing concerns about the proposed Huon Woodchip Mill.
In 1990, Peg established the Threatened Species Network in Tasmania which has done much to identify and retain our unique endemic fauna and flora. Prior to her election to State Parliament in 1993, Peg was the Director of the Tasmanian Conservation Trust.
As a politician, Peg spear-headed campaigns around Aboriginal rights, gay and lesbian rights, women’s rights and the need to preserve Tasmania’s natural heritage. From 1998 to 2002, Peg was the sole elected Tasmanian Greens representative in the Tasmanian House of Assembly. Peg’s contribution to the Tasmanian Parliament was recognised by voters in the 2002 State election when four Tasmanian Greens were elected, gaining the Tasmanian Greens official Parliamentary Party status.
Since her retirement from State Parliament in 2008, Peg has continued to represent the Tasmanian community and environment nationally and internationally in her capacity as a Wilderness Society campaigner on climate change.
Peg has been a tireless advocate for many who felt they did not have a ‘voice’ in the Tasmanian political system, as well as an advocate for our natural environment and biodiversity. Peg continues to be an outstanding role model for women from all walks of life.